View Vacancy - Country Director and Market Access Officer – DIT, Kigali (07/19 KG) AU

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)

About the Department:

Home to five of the world’s fastest growing economies, Africa’s GDP could double between 2015 and 2030. Yet for too many Africans, this prosperity – and the improvements to education, health and security that come with it – still feel distant. In a global world, this is a global challenge: by 2050 a quarter of the world’s population will live in Africa.

We want to support the development of strong, prosperous and peaceful African nations, and we are listening when African leaders tell us they want modern partnerships that deliver mutual benefit. This is why the UK is making a new and distinctive offer to work alongside, invest in, and partner with African nations. By supporting African-led ambitions with British expertise, we can deliver more opportunities, more jobs and greater stability – both at home and for our African partners – from the Sahel to South Africa.

The UK government has committed to radically expand its presence in Africa. These roles are part of this uplift – the most significant and long-term increase in HMG staff across the continent in a generation – and offer applicants the opportunity to help shape this new, long-term UK partnership for prosperity and stability with Africa.

You will join the Department for International Trade’s Africa network. This is an exciting time to join, as we expand our resources and ambition to deliver on the objectives set out by the UK Government. This role will provide crucial leadership and expertise to enable the expansion.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is the Trade Promotion and Negotiation Organisation for the UK. We promote UK businesses overseas and attract foreign investment to our shores. We have 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries. Our aspiration is to address some of the challenges facing the UK, by helping British businesses to internationalise and grow overseas, as well as helping african businesses better engage with the UK and the world.

Main Purpose of Role

You will be DIT’s first resource in Kigali. This is an incredibly exciting time to shape DIT’s agenda in Rwanda and lead on driving forward trade and invesmtnet in order to bring economic growth in Rwanda, with the ultimate goal of poverty reduction.

Your role will have several elements:

1)     The position will work to increase the overall value of trade and investment to Rwanda by tackling market access barriers faced by business seeking to access the Rwanda market.

2)     Drive forward international invesment into Kigali in order to ensure increased economic outcomes for Rwandans.

3)     Lead DIT’s work on Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2020 and Rwanda’s involvment in the Africa Investment Summit

4)     You will be the DIT Country Director driving an ambitious and targeted plan of action to increase trade and investment flows between the UK and Rwanda.

Your role will be partially funded from UK Official Development Assistance (ODA). This reflects your main objective as poverty reduction in Rwanda, enabled by private sector led growth.

Roles and responsibilities:

ODA funded work stream: 80%

Market Access and Business Environment

  • Outreach to exporters, importers and investors to monitor and identify the challenges faced by companies trying to access the Rwanda market (e.g. local content requirements, customs clearance procedures, intellectual property issues). Understand the scale and impact of those barriers, including the Government of Rwanda’s motivations for introducing them.

Investment 

  • Working closely with DFID colleagues you will establish world-class investment support for existing investors in Rwanda, you will draw on analysis and data to build a clear understanding of the investment picture and develop a strong, fact-based narrative about investing in Rwanda, to help drive a targeted campaign approach with partners to promote the country as an investment destination, driving forward development goals.
  • You will map and prioritise current investors, building a strong client management approach to ensure we understand their business intentions and the challenges they face; and develop coordinated campaigns to tackle market access and business environment barriers. This will include mobilising Ministers, the Trade Envoy, Trade Commissioner and High Commissioner, as appropriate.
  • You will build strategic relationships with relevant Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) and in key trade departments and identifying a pipeline of opportunities suitable for investment.

Multilateral Support

  • You will lead on Rwanda’s involvement in the Africa Investment Summit for DIT Rwanda (Jan 2020) ensuring that the event is being used to maximum effect for mutual UK-Rwanda prosperity.  
  • You will be DIT’s lead in Rwanda for CHOGM 2020 and the business forum; ensuring DIT and HMG’s prosperity agenda are embedded in the forum and the forum is being used to maximum mutually benefit 

Country Director – 20%

  • You will be Country Director for Rwanda and be part of the High Commission’s senior leadership team, driving an ambitious and targeted plan of action to increase trade and investment flows between the UK and Rwanda.
  • In line with DIT’s Regional Trade Plan you will provide strategic direction across trade, inward investment, trade policy and market access work streams and ensure the Trade Commissioner has a strong insight into DIT’s strategy for Rwanda;
  • You will also advise the High Commissioner on commercial matters to ensure a strong alignment with the business priorities.
  • You will lead on all senior business engagement and stakeholder management. Including managing the relationship and visits of the Trade Envoy and other VIPs.
  • Through engagement with DFID and other HMG colleagues; highlight and support UK firms with the commercial opportunities associated with HMG’s wider work in Rwanda. 
  • Undergraduate degree in trade, economics, trade law, business or related fields.
  • At least three years professional work experience
  • Private sector experience, or within a private-sector orientated part of Government
  • Experience of working in political and commercial environment with senior stakeholders and VVIPs
  • Significant project and/or programme management experience, with a track record of delivering complex projects in difficult environments and providing robust monitoring and evaluation.
  • A positive, resilient, flexible and adaptable “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to work with colleagues and partners in other countries.
  • Knowledge of, and a keen interest in, sustainable development (additional training will be given)
  • Fluent in English, Kinyarwanda and French.
  • Experience of working in the public sector
  • Understanding of the investment / market access space
5 July 2019
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Fixed Term, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
12 months
Africa
Rwanda
Kigali
British High Commission
RWF 1,552,216 gross
1 August 2019

Learning and development opportunities:

The successful applicant will have access to a range of Learning and Development opportunities both in-house and e-learning, with the potential for overseas training. From time to time there will be requirements to assist other teams within the Department, working with other members of the team to build overall experience through delivery of training and awareness sessions.

Other benefits:

  • Annual Leave: 25days per year
  • Maternity leave: 4 months fully paid
  • Paternity Leave: 10 days fully paid
  • Medical cover: 100% for staff and legal dependent (Regional cover plus India)

Working patterns:

The gross conditioned working hours for staff at the British High Commission are 40 hours per week.
The working hours of the British High Commission are 08.00 to 17.00 Monday to Thursday and 08.00 to 12.00 on Friday. On Monday to Thursday, staff may take a one hour lunch break between 12.00 and 14.00.

Would suit some flexible hours or occasional working from home. Job holder occasionally needs to work evenings when events are being held

  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Kigali are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Rwanda.
  • All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. 
  • The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;
  • Obtain the relevant permit
  1. Pay fees for the permit
  2. Make arrangements to relocate
  3. Meet the costs to relocation 
  • The British High Commission do not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so. 
  • 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.
  • 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 Please note:  EO=B3
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
  • Please log into your profile on the application system on a regular basis to review the status of your application.
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.