View Vacancy - Trade and Investment Officer, Creative, Media and Sports Economy (DIT) - Chicago

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
DIT

Main purpose of job:

Be part of the Department for International Trade’s mission to drive more trade and investment between North America and the UK. With a mature, high spending consumer market and an open, liberal economy, world-class talent and a business-friendly regulatory environment, the UK is the leading destination for foreign investment in Europe, the second highest investment destination in the world and the world’s sixth largest exporter and the second largest services exporter.

The US Network offers a unique career enhancing opportunity and is committed to supporting its staff through a variety of benefits including generous leave, insurance packages and a highly competitive 401k programme.  It also promotes a culture of flexibility which enables people to better maintain wellness through an excellent work/life balance approach that encompasses hybrid working, including working from home and flexible hours, where possible.   

You will be part of two vibrant teams – the British Consulate-General team based in Chicago and the Creative, Media, and Sports Economy team located across North America. You will report to the Regional Director for the Midwest & Colorado, based at the British Consulate General in Chicago. As the main point of contact for North America, you will facilitate the UK trade offer into the FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee Cities and FIFA, and support your Sector team colleagues in other Consulates to guide the strategy for our World Cup engagement. In addition, you will have responsibility for generating and managing client projects, relationships, and events within the sports industry as well as media, advertising, marketing, games, content and experience economy in the Midwest region.

Roles and responsibilities:

  • Forge and maintain positive relationships with business leaders, trade associations, and other key partners within the Creative, Media and Sports Economy community both in the UK and the US to increase trade and investment opportunities between the two countries, with a particular focus on the FIFA World Cup 2026.
  • Develop US market opportunities and facilitate UK export growth by delivering business development activities to support UK Creative, Media and Sports Economy companies, including virtual and in-person trade missions and campaigns at industry conferences.  
  • Identify and support a pipeline of ambitious Foreign Direct Investment projects and provide account management to Midwest Headquartered companies looking to maintain or grow their footprint in the UK.
  • Develop position and implement marketing strategies, social media posts, activities, and events to both promote UK expertise in the Creative, Media and Sports Economy sectors and generate leads of potential UK investors.  
  • Manage and/or support visits by senior UK government officials by securing high-level meetings, organising activities, and preparing briefing materials.  
  • Support UK economic growth and UK trade policy agenda, in collaboration with other UK government departments.   
  • Maintain knowledge of market, incentives and best practice in both the US and the UK in the Creative, Media and Sports Economy sectors.   
  • Performs other duties as assigned.  

Essential on arrival:

  • Demonstrated professional experience in a business, economic development, sales or marketing role.
  • Thorough knowledge of Sports industry, major companies and trends in the Midwest region – and preferably in the UK.
  • Knowledge of the creative industries, business models, and key trends in both the US and the UK.
  • Excellent stakeholder management abilities.
  • Excellent interpersonal, presentation and networking skills.  
  • Excellent management and collaboration skills with the ability to deliver results.  
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  
  • Excellent organizational skills, project management discipline, and meticulous attention to detail.  
  • Ability to multitask and complete work while traveling.  
  • Must be able to attend events outside of office hours and undertake travel in the US and internationally up to 20% of your time.  

Desirable:

  • Experience working for or with FIFA, MLS, EPL, a major club, or other major soccer event.
  • Event management and delivery experience.
  • An understanding of international relations and UK Government policy preferred.   
Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
31 July 2022
Executive Officer (EO)
Full-time, Permanent
40
Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories
United States
Chicago
British Consulate General
1
USD
$85,686
12 September 2022

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents or A visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at our office.  Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa.  All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work. 
*A visas are acceptable at the Embassy and Consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas, and British Defense Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas.  

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The British Embassy and its US Network is committed to all employee’s ongoing learning and development needs. We offer a comprehensive platform for personalised learning for everything from soft skill development (communicating with impact, handling difficult conversations, time management) to more technical or professional skills necessary to complete your job (software training, formal qualifications etc.).

The UK Government operating in the US offers a substantial benefits package including generous leave, a choice of medical insurance, 401(k) matching up to 7%, extensive learning opportunities and a great work/life balance. Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, eg some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount. Internal candidates must inform their supervisor before they apply to a different position. Only successful candidates will be contacted.

Please no phone calls. Due to the high volume of resumes we receive, we cannot guarantee consideration of your application if the submission instructions are not properly followed. The British Embassy is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and to creating a diverse working environment, free from discrimination, where everyone is included and treated fairly, based on merit alone. We are an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions without regard to race, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or any other criterion protected by law.

Working patterns (If the job is suitable for flexible working patterns, please provide details):

Requires standard working pattern of 40 hours per week.

The British Embassy and its US Network embraces hybrid working, allowing its staff to typically work from home 2 or 3 times a week.  We are an organization that also recognises the critical value of team work and we embrace and endorse collaboration by ensuring that all staff attend the office flexibly yet regularly. Employees are expected to be located within a two hour commute of the British Consulate in Chicago.

You must be able to attend events outside of office hours and undertake travel in the US and internationally up to 20% of your time.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.