View Vacancy - SH - Deputy Director, Financial and Professional Services, D6 (L)

This is a senior leadership role in the Financial & Professional Services team in the Department of International Trade (DIT) reporting directly to the Director in Beijing. You will play a key role in advancing the trade and investment ambitions articulated in the Department for International Trade (DIT) Regional Trade Plan for the China and Hong Kong region, which are: 

Objective 1 - Driving and inspiring UK exports to China, significantly increasing the UK market share of China's goods imports, and more than double the value of UK services exports.

Objective 2 – Consistent trade policy engagement with China to achieve incremental market access, mitigate business risk and prepare for future trade deals

Objective 3 - Broadening and deepening the UK-China investment partnership, positioning the UK as the top European destination for Chinese investment and providing strong support for UK investors.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) was established by the Prime Minister in July 2016 to integrate and elevate the Trade agenda; help secure a better deal for the UK as it negotiates a successful exit from the EU; and, establish new relationships with other countries around the globe. DIT promotes British trade across the world and ensures the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us, securing and improving the economic well-being and stability of the UK, and helping to create tens of thousands of jobs every year.

Led by Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for China and Hong Kong we are one of nine global regions and part of an overseas network that operates in 108 countries. The largest DIT overseas network in the world, with 200 staff across six posts - the British Embassy in Beijing, plus Consulates in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan – DIT, as part of the One HMG network in China and Hong Kong, offers a fast-paced place to work at the heart of UK-China Government relations.

Detail: 

You will be one of three Deputy Directors in the China team and the senior leader for the DIT Financial and Professional Services team in Shanghai, but with wider responsibility for East China. You will play a key role working with the senior leadership team in Beijing and Southern China to develop and deliver the team’s strategy to secure greater market access for UK firms into China across Banking and Capital Markets, FinTech, Asset Management, Insurance and Professional Services. In particular, you will be responsible for pro-actively identifying and securing new trade and investment opportunities to deepen bilateral commercial relationships between UK and Chinese firms, and developing strategic initiatives to deepen financial services connectings between both countries.

You will have a strong background in financial services with government and/or private sector, along with an in depth knowledge of China’s financial services market, policy and reform agenda. In particular, the Deputy Director in Shanghai will lead specifically on developing the team’s investment and market access strategies for Capital Markets, Asset Management and FinTech. As such commercial expertise and relationships in these areas, with both UK and Chinese firms, will be highly valued. Similarly, you will also lead the team to build a strong network of relationships with the Shanghai government and financial services authorities, as well as authorities in other cities across East China, whilst also supporting regulatory engagement in the central government. As such, experience of government and policy engagement, and an understanding of how the UK can share expertise to influence policy and support economic development in China will be a significant advantage.

In all of the above, you will be the HM Government’s most senior financial services expert and leader for Shanghai and East China and as such you will need to be able to confident and clearly communicate the UK’s objectives to senior stakeholders. In particular, you will be need to be able to clearly and succinctly communicate policy and market changes to UK business interests in the region in order to support UK firms to increase their exports to China, whilst also promoting the UK as an investment opportunity to secure greater inward investment from Chinese firms. You will be expected to regularly engage with C-level executives from UK and Chinese firms, with senior government officials and regulators, and represent HM Government at senior speaking events.

You will lead a team of 5-7 people in Shanghai to develop and deliver the above strategies whilst also working closely with the teams in Beijing and Southern China. As such you will need to be able to demonstrate strong line management and leadership skills, and ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines. Given the number of visits and delgations that Shanghai receives, that will inevitably also include helping out the team and wider Consulate on visit planning, Ministerial briefing and supporting bilateral workshops, conferences and other events that seek to further bilateral trade.

Roles and responsibilities: 

Strategic leadership (30%)

Lead on development of strategies for market access and inward investment across key sub-sectors in the financial and professional services sector, with a particular focus (tbc) asset management, FinTech and capital markets. As part of this, ensure team develops sector expertise and provides accurate, timely and well-written reporting (in English) on developments in China’s markets, as well as delivering verbal briefings (in English) to visiting UK ministers and business leaders to help identify new commercial opportunities.

Stakeholder management and ensuring commercial outcomes (40%):

Lead team to establish, develop and maintain a network of key contacts in the Chinese financial sector, helping firms in both countries deliver quantifiable commercial outcomes. They will also be instrumental in supporting initiatives to promote liberalisation of China’s financial services market to help increase UK financial services exports to China and encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Chinese firms into the UK.

Inward visits and Events (20%):

Lead team to delivering successful visits to Shanghai and East China by UK government ministers, senior officials and business delegations. To do this you and the team must be able to develop a strong network of contacts within the Chinese commercial sector, government and other organisations such as think tanks, universities, and international organisations in Beijing.  You will be expected to operate with considerable autonomy.

Management and Corporate Contribution (10%):

Effectively lead team in Shanghai to provide strategic direction, set clear objectives and targets, and support learning & development opportunities. Play an active role in embedding the ‘DIT Spirit’ by identifying and progressing opportunities to promote the department’s values of being Expert, Engaged, Enterprising and Inclusive. Build capacity and share expertise with colleagues across the network.

The job-holder will be expected to have a strong understanding of financial services issues and deep understanding of the specific opportunities and challenges unique to the Chinese financial market.

The job-holder will be expected to demonstrate significant experience of working on financial services issues in China, and will be able to bring a network of relationships across the financial sector in Shanghai and East China to the role.

The job-holder will be expected to interact directly with seniors including the Ambassador, UK diplomats across China and government officials in the UK and China, as well as key contacts in financial services. As such, previous experience of communicating clearly and concisely in English is essential, including the ability to explain technical terms and processes to a non-technical audience.