View Vacancy - Senior Operations Manager for the Africa Trade Team, Johannesburg - C4 (INTERNAL CAMPAIGN ONLY)
Main purpose of job:
To manage, monitor and analyse resource management across the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) in Africa to ensure full, effective and value for money spend of the regional budget. Also to ensure an affordable and fair approach to human resources to support DIT’s regional trade and investment priorities, in line with FCO and DIT policy. You will embed sound resource management practices across the Africa Trade Team, in line with UK Government standards.
Roles and responsibilities:
The role of the British trade team in Africa is to generate demand for British goods and services, making the UK a partner of choice for governments, businesses and international organisations; understand the business environment and export opportunities that British businesses could pursue; encourage and support British companies to do more business in Africa; and facilitate African investment into the UK and British investment into Africa.
The trade team is headed by a Trade Commissioner for Africa, based in South Africa. She is supported by Regional Trade Directors in each of North, East, West and Southern Africa, who drive delivery of the business objectives through an overall Africa trade team of approximately 70 people. Our business priorities are focused on supporting British companies to land deals in sectors such as mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, agri-tech, defence and security. We also seek to encourage African investment into the UK.
As the Senior Operations Manager for DIT’s Africa region, you will be responsible for developing and implementing resource management structures for DIT in Africa, largely centralising financial expertise and support in Johannesburg. You will consolidate a regional approach to resource management, including establishing processes and guidance for colleagues and introducing a clear structure to ensure accurate monitoring of spend against different budgets throughout the year. You will pull together accurate budget forecasts and work with the Trade Commissioner and Regional Directors to identify pressures, savings and efficiencies, as part of the annual business planning exercise.
You will manage and monitor spend against forecasts, working with colleagues across the region to update and reprofile monthly budget forecasts as necessary; analyse resource and performance data to help inform the Trade Commissioner and Regional Trade Directors in relation to strategic decisions or any emerging or potential issues; and prepare analysis of the data for review at the monthly Management Boards, including performance against targets, broken down by sector and market; budget spend and updated forecasts; analysis of trends and early warning of emerging or potential issues; and staff succession planning.
The job holder will work closely with the Africa Human Resources Hub (based in Johannesburg) to ensure that HR practices and policies are adhered to across the Africa Trade Team.
The successful applicant will be proficient with budgets and have a strong, proven record of being an excellent team player, working very well with colleagues, including at distance. Human Resources experience would be useful but is not essential as the HR function is already centralised in the HR Hub based in Johannesburg; your role will be to liaise closely with them to ensure DIT’s HR approach is in line with good practice at all times.
Resources managed:
You will manage the Africa trade team budget of approximately £2,000,000 and will oversee the work of budget monitors in each of West, East and North Africa.
Excellent written and spoken English is essential.
- Fluent written and spoken English
- Experience managing government budgets and working in government
- Very strong interpersonal and communication skills, self motivated and results driven
- Great team player,
- Strong IT skills in Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint
Managing people at a distance
Experience of working in or with the UK or African countries
The British High Commission pays in full for the Key Care Plus option on Discovery Health for staff including spouses/partners and dependants.
Once you have successfully completed your probation the British High Commission will contribute 9% of your monthly salary to a Provident Fund.
Annual leave entitlement of 25 days
Working hours per week of 36.5
- Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Johannesburg are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa.
- All applicants must be legally able to work in the country of application with the correct visa/status or work permit.
- Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
- Reference and security clearances checks will be conducted.
- If you don’t already hold a valid SA Police Clearance Certificate, we recommend that you apply for the certificate at the time of your application.
- Any questions you may have about this position will be answered during the interview, should you be invited.
- Information about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Competency Framework can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework
- Complete the application form in full as the information provided will be used for screening purposes.
- Check your application before you submit, as you will not be able to make any changes once submitted.
- The British High Commission will never ask you to pay a fee or money to apply for a position.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
