View Vacancy - Chief of Staff to His Majesty's Trade Commissioner (HMTC)

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)
Department for International Trade (DIT)

Main purpose of job:

Based in the Department for International Trade at the British Consulate in New York you will lead and manage the Executive Office of Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for North America and Consul General (CG) to New York, Emma Wade-Smith. Your primary role is to support and enable her and the senior leadership team to deliver the strategy and priorities of both the North America Trade and Investment Network and the British Consulate in New York. 
In addition to the HMTC / CG, the Executive Office supports the Deputy Trade Commissioner for North America, the Deputy Consul General for New York, the Director of Investment for North America, US and Canada Country Directors and the Chief Operating Officer. 
The Chief of Staff leads a dynamic Executive Office team that needs to be at the heart of delivering the UK’s trade and investment goals across Canada and the US, as well as the UK’s broader national interests in New York. This role will provide advice and counsel to the HMTC/CG and other senior leaders to ensure that they have the information they need to lead and manage effectively to deliver ambitious business goals. You will coordinate activity across the North America Trade and Investment Network and the British Consulate New York to ensure that senior leaders are mobilised and informed to maximise our impact and influence externally. You will oversee an efficient Executive Office, ensuring that processes work smoothly to enable a good and timely flow of information, including through the commissioning and oversight of briefing and reporting. The Chief of Staff will also take on strategic projects at the request of the HMTC/CG.
To do this role successfully, you will need to have excellent relationships with multiple internal stakeholders – including at senior levels - to ensure that you are well plugged in and have a strong understanding of the organisation’s priorities and complex interplay between different parts of the organisation. You will need to have excellent prioritisation skills and an ability to draw insights and order from complexity and uncertainty, for example in managing the HMTC/CG’s time and travel to best effect against a multitude of competing pressures and ensure that key account management of external stakeholders is pursued vigorously. You will be a skilled communicator – orally and in writing – including to manage clients and senior Government Ministers’ staff. You will also be highly organised, able to think strategically, act tactically, drive execution and plan ahead, with highly attuned attention to detail. You will also need to intellectually agile – able to turn your mind to a broad range of issues and activities; and comfortable with working at pace and providing a consistently excellent service. 


Roles and responsibilities:
1.    Lead and manage the Executive Office of Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to North America and Consul General New York, including through horizon scanning to evaluate opportunities
2.    Support and enable the senior leadership team through advice, counsel and collaboration to deliver the strategy and priorities of the North America Trade and Investment Network in Canada and the US, and the British Consulate in New York
3.    Ensure excellent and efficient service provision and information flow to the senior leadership and wider organisation, through building relationships with multiple stakeholders and shaping and improving organisational processes
4.    Provide strategic direction and prioritise and coordinate activity to ensure senior leaders have maximum impact and influence
5.    Act as primary point of contact with London colleagues and Head Offices, leading the strategic organisation of UK visitors, including Government Ministers and senior officials; and provide strategic direction for the senior leadership’s engagements and travel
6.    Drive execution of priorities and actions, including follow-up from decisions
7.    Lead and ensure delivery of strategic projects and other corporate initiatives
8.    Ensure quality and timely briefing and reporting
9.    Develop excellent working relationships across the North America Trade and investment Network and the British Consulate New York to drive efficiency and responsiveness, and develop new operational strategies

This is an excellent opportunity to work at the heart of the UK Government’s international trade agenda in two of our most important markets, as well as to demonstrate delivery through others, work across time zones, and engage with the work of a large organisation doing high-impact work. 
The US Network offers a unique career 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.


Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 
Management of the Executive Office (6 FTE), with direct line management of 3 Executive Assistants; the Head of Internal Communication and Engagement; and the Head of Visits and Events.

Essential on arrival: 
•    Commitment to our organisation’s Mission, Vision, and Culture
•    Substantial commercial, government or NGO experience.
•    Excellent management and leadership skills with the ability to deliver results through others. Experience managing a large regional team preferred
•    Exceptional system and process management skills to ensure effective coordination and flow of information
•    Proven advisory and influencing skills
•    Proven competence in leading strategy development and business planning 
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proven track record of translating a wide range of data and political reporting into concise briefing 
•    Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
•    Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills  Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate tasks when appropriate
•    Excellent stakeholder management abilities. 
•    Ability to work at pace and under pressure and dealing with high volume workload
•    Ability to horizon scan and spot risk, opportunity and interdependencies
•    Mature judgment and discretion in keeping sensitive information confidential

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.  "    

Desirable: 
•    Experience with data analysis
•    Experience with budget management
Seeing the Big Picture, Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing
12 October 2022
Grade 7 (G7)
Full-time, Permanent
40
Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories
United States
New York
British Consulate General
1
USD
$116,443
28 November 2022

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.).

Requires standard working pattern of Monday – Friday, 40 hours a week. 

The British Embassy and its US Network embraces flexible working where this supports the organisation and the individual. 

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.

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.