View Vacancy - Senior Trade Advisor – Agriculture, AgriTech and Food & Drink, Grade – HEO, New Delhi
Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, experience-based segment and the behaviours and technical/ professional skills-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.’
Main purpose of job:
The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT), operating from the British High Commission network, is looking to fill a vacancy in our trade team at the British High Commission New Delhi. The UK Department for Business and Trade objectives are to secure the UK’s footing within global prosperity by promoting international trade and investment and championing free trade. The UK – India economic relationship is strong with trade of over £18bn in 2020, supporting nearly half a million jobs. It is equally an exciting time to join the British High Commission as the two countries are currently in Free Trade Agreement negotiations. India is already the UK’s second largest source of investment in terms of number of projects. In 2022, UK and Indian businesses accounted for more than £1bn in new investments and export deals in areas from software engineering to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the UK.
This role will assist trade from the UK to India by supporting UK companies to export to India in the Agriculture, Agri-Tech and Food & Drink sector. There will be an element of market access work, where you will be expected to support the Cluster Manager on essential market access priorities, roughly 25% of the time.
Agriculture, Agri-Tech and Food & Drink sector trade
Agricultural technology (Agri-Tech) is a rapidly growing sector helping to improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture to ensure that the sector is more resilient to the vulnerabilities of climate change and supports the clean growth agenda. Food & Drink is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector and is a significant part of the UK -India trading relationship.
The job holder will broadly work on three pillars: Commercial Opportunities, Market Development and Market Access. You will demonstrate how you will quickly acquire an in-depth knowledge of the Agriculture and Food & Drink sector, ideally both in the UK and India. You will support a strategy based on this knowledge to turn the long-term potential of the sector into a pipeline of opportunities for UK business. You will identify and build relationships within the sector and build a pipeline of validated projects for UK business, particularly large or high-value deals which would require UK government involvement to successfully export. You will work with the DBT team in the UK and in other markets to bring UK companies to India and support them to win business, delivering towards the UK government’s commercial targets and wider trade objectives. You will also be expected to support the Senior Sector Manager (based in Chandigarh) and Agri Counsellor (based in New Delhi) with wider reporting and understanding of the Indian Agricultural and Food & Drink landscape.
Key sub-sectors of current interest:
Agriculture and Agri-Tech: Precision Farming, Dairy Technologies, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Cold Storages, Food Processing, Post – Harvest Management
Food & Drink: Healthy foods (gluten free, sugar free), Dairy products, Vegan products, Short breads and confectionery, Apples and alcoholic beverages – spirits, beer and wine
You will also be expected to assist and support the leadership team based in British High Commission New Delhi in effective delivery of events, including Ministerial, and Sector specialist visits by organising meetings with new and existing investors both within the UK and India.
The British High Commission is a friendly and high-performing team. The UK in India network has a strong L&D offer and culture aligned with the values of “Respect, Include, and Excel.” The job holder will need to be a self-starter and collaborator with the confidence to represent the British High Commission with external stakeholders. You will work with colleagues across the British High Commission Network In India, UK Government colleagues, Indian Government, business and industry stakeholders.
We reserve the right to review, revise or amend the roles and responsibilities from time to time reflecting the changing needs of business.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:
Identify, lead and deliver a pipeline of high value projects and opportunities; develop an approach to deliver effective activities to connect UK business to these opportunities as well as provide bespoke support to UK companies to win business. You will meet DBT’s internal targets for both Trade and Outward Direct Investment (ODI), hold and manage relationships to facilitate business wins, return on investment and customer satisfaction/quality. With the wider team, build and manage senior level relationships with companies, government departments, trade associations, investment bodies and multipliers in the UK and India
Trade – 50%
- Research and Identify export opportunities for the UK companies, support UK companies to get access to these opportunities and win significant contracts in India.
- Support overseas direct investments from UK companies in India
- Provide strategic oversight to colleagues and stakeholders to identify and resolve trade barriers being faced by UK companies.
- Engage and coordinate across various stakeholders in wider DBT and UK network in India, DBT teams in HQ, International Trade Advisers, senior-decision makers of Agriculture and Food & Drink companies in the UK and India, and various departments of Government at the State and Central levels to deliver DBT sector campaign and wider HMG objectives.
Delegations and Ministerial Visits – 25%
- Support UK business delegations visiting India and Indian business delegations visiting the UK by organising various events and meetings.
- Support senior managers, including UK Ministers, HM Trade Commissioner and other senior management, providing them with high-quality briefing and advice with an aim to strengthen relationships with senior local contacts and further facilitate towards achieving the objectives of the team and DBT.
- Lead and effectively deliver events and activities.
Market Access – 25%
- Build and manage senior level relationships and facilitate some state-level Government-to-Government engagements.
- Support the UK’s Agriculture Counsellor by working with London to progress specific priority Market Access Barriers to resolution and guide HQ colleagues when faced with challenges and issues related to agriculture, food and drink.
- Create, validate, plan and deliver a strategy for enhancing the bilateral trading relationship within the Agriculture and Food & Drink sector.
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
No Direct line management. Day to day management of sector budgets for the Deputy Head of the British Deputy High Commission
Language requirements:
Language: Excellent written and spoken English is required; Spoken Hindi and Punjabi are desirable.
Level of language required: Fluent.
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
Comprehensive Induction program will be offered by the British High Commission and/or Department for Business and Trade. You will need to undertake mandatory courses on diversity at work, health & safety awareness, IT induction, responsibility for information and business ethics. You will be supported to get the right learning and development, sector specific learnings, career development and opportunities to travel
Working patterns:
This job is suitable for flexible working patterns. You will be required to occasionally support activities and events outside of normal working hours. This job may require you to undertake travel, both domestic and international
Any other information (or specific local Post requirements):
PLEASE NOTE: JOB OFFERS FROM THE UK GOVERNMENT
The UK Government, including DBT, does not send unsolicited emails with job offers - either direct or through agents. Government vacancies are advertised on official websites in the UK or in India on the British High Commission’s website.
All British High Commission vacancies are filled through a competitive process managed by our Human Resources Section. You will never be approached directly by the High Commissioner with an offer of a job.
Some job scams falsely use the names and job titles of genuine High Commission staff. It will never be sent from a Hotmail or yahoo type email account.
Essential On Arrival:
Qualifications:
A graduate/postgraduate degree or equivalent qualification. Candidates without the required educational qualifications but with exceptional practical experience will be considered.
Essential:
- 5+years of relevant commercial/business/ government experience.
- Knowledge of the UK business market, investment offer and Indian company strengths and strategic plans will be an advantage.
- Knowledge and experience in the corporate world in India. Knowledge of FDI and key drivers behind overseas investment is key to this role.Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an ability to develop a network and manage the relationship with senior decision makers in government and industry
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to search out significant opportunities for UK business.
- Tried and tested project management skills
- Excellent interpersonal, team working and people management skills
Desirable:
- An in-depth understanding of the trade and investment in the UK
- Previous experience of working with an Indian company with operations in the UK and knowledge of the UK operation would be advantageous.
- Experience of dealing with senior level decision makers in corporate organisations and state governments
- Marketing and presentational skills
- Experience of working in trade/export promotion
For British High Commission candidates, the Country Based Staff BHC Terms & Conditions will apply.
For other than BHC candidates, salary will be all-inclusive of INR 110,484 along with 12% Provident Fund and 6% Superannuation.
Additionally, the BHC offers a great benefits package that includes annual domiciliary medical cover, plus a Group Hospitalisation Scheme with INR 500,000 floater cover for your immediate family.
No relocation or any other related costs or assistance will be provided.
Please note - BHC does not deduct tax at source and employees are required to ensure that any requirements of local income-tax law are complied with in full. Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, e.g., some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance.
Around half of our work forces are women. We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment.
This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCO has anywhere across the globe. We are aiming to make it the best.
Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, experience segment and the behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.
To Apply:
Please note applications without (a) and (b) will not be considered.
- Complete the Online Application Form
- Complete the Experience, Professional Skills and Behaviour based Segments in the Online Application Form
Internal candidates applying for this position need to inform their current line managers, else the applications will not be considered.
We will accept only online applications by 17th October (latest by 23:55 hours IST).
Please note that all the applicants will be required to strictly adhere to the security guidelines for British High Commission.
Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.
Please note - Provident Fund Transfer in and out from EPFO is not possible as BHC PF is managed by a private PF trust governed by Indian Income Tax Act, 1961. The staff still has the option to transfer out and in from a privately held PF trust which are not governed by EPFO.
Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and no telephone enquires will be dealt with. Basis the scores, the candidate/s who did not score as highly as the successful candidate, might be placed on the reserve list. If during the reserve period of 6 months, the same or largely similar role becomes available, the role may be offered to the second or subsequent appointable candidates.
The appointment will be subject to Police Verification and other checks including references, medical, educational and professional.
We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
