View Vacancy - Department for Business and Trade Assistant, Georgetown

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 Business and Trade roles (DBT)
Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

Main purpose of job:

The DBT Guyana and Suriname team is looking for a full-time trade assistant to support them in their trade support activity, including but not limited to recording, research, and analysis of identified sectors in the markets of the region. 

DBT is the Trade, Investment Promotion and Negotiations organisation for the United Kingdom. We promote British trade and investment across the world; support UK businesses overseas; and attract foreign investment to our shores. We have 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries. 

DBT divides the world into 9 regions, each led by His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner. Jonathan Knott leads the Latin American and the Caribbean Region (LATAC), from São Paulo. The Network is represented in 19 Posts with a team of over 170. 

We are looking for someone who is open to new ideas and ways of working, is capable of working with constantly changing priorities and managing a full workload. Experience of working in business administration is desirable.

Roles and responsibilities: 

  • Track and record potential commercial opportunities in Guyana and Suriname by among other things, reading local newspapers, websites of Government and trade association and inputting information into the DBT global opportunities online database. 
  • Record all interactions with UK companies by the DBT team in Guyana, inputting these into DataHub.  
  • Support the DBT quarterly newsletter, coordinating information, setting information into the DBT template and sending out to identified sources once approved.
  • Answer calls and where necessary, take detailed messages, make appointments and manage diaries on behalf of the DBT Guyana team.
  • Complete administrative duties under the supervision of the DBT Country Director, Guyana and the DBT Caribbean Regional Director, as required.
  • Support social media activity working with the DBT and FCDO MARCOMS and communications team. 
  • Gather budget information from DBT Team in Guyana, manage the country spreadsheet, input all information into the DBT Financial system for approval by the DBT Caribbean Regional Director.  
  • Assist with administration, planning and logistics for trade missions and trade promotion events and attend local trade exhibitions and events as required.
  • Attend meetings of the British business groups and trade associations as required.
  • Conduct market and sector research including but not limited to, export/business opportunities, tenders, market pointers, potential agency and joint venture opportunities, on the Guyanese and Surinamese economies using open-source information.
  • Provide temporary administrative cover for the Guyana Mission as required.
  • Good self-management, organisational and customer service skills. 
  • Intermediate to advanced computer literacy across all MS platforms and other data platforms, with the ability to learn new computer software quickly
  • Excellent planning and administrative skills
  • The ability to work effectively in remote location (home) as required
  • Excellent written and oral communications skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work as part of a larger, virtual team
  • Previous experience of market research.
  • Previous administrative experience 
  • Knowledge of the business environment in Guyana
Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
27 March 2024
Administrative Officer (AO)
Full-time, Fixed Term
38
6 months
Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories
Guyana
Georgetown
British High Commission
1
$344,551 GYD monthly
6 May 2024
1 November 2024

You need to be a Guyanese Citizen or you must have a valid work permit from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

BHC Georgetown and the Department of Business and Trade are committed to supporting each of their staff to learn, grow and develop.  All staff and their managers are expected to devise a personalised Development Plan, which identifies areas for professional development and sets out a combination of formal and informal learning.  Incumbent will be required to undertake mandatory IT training following recruitment.

BHC Georgetown already has several members of staff who work flexible hours. Such arrangement may be available for this position and will need to be agreed with your line manager.

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.

Professional references will be requested at the offer stage.

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.