View Vacancy - Deputy Country Director

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Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
DIT

The Department of International Trade (DIT) at the British Consulate General in Casablanca invites applications for the position of Deputy Country Director grade C5 (L).

Overview:

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.

DIT Africa is one of the nine DIT global networks and is led by Emma Wade-Smith, HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa.The Africa Region is exciting and energising and UK firms have a strong presence here, making the UK the the second largest investor on the continent. With some of the strongest growing economies in the world and booming population growth there are numerous more opportunities for UK firms; from tech start-ups in the West to infrastructure in the East. The Network’s role is to promote these opportunities and position the UK as the continent’s number one trading partner and investor.

DIT in Morocco is based at the British Consulate General in Casablanca, but forms part of the one-HMG effort of the UK in Morocco. We are a core part of the wider Prosperity team comprising DIT, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) colleagues all working to alleviate poverty in Morocco, improve economic development, and enhance investment and trade between the UK and Morocco.

Main purpose of the role:

To work with the Country Director and the DIT Morocco team in pursuit of the objectives set out in DIT’s Regional Trade Plan for Africa and Country Plan for Morocco. Increase exports and investments into Morocco from British businesses, including by addressing market access barriers and business environment issues that companies are facing.

Main duties and responsibilities:

  • You will identify and regularly review priorities for trade promotion including outward investment, trade policy and market access work streams, ensuring that these are fully aligned to the DIT Africa Regional Trade Plan, the DIT Morocco Country Plan, and the British Embassy Rabat’s wider Prosperity Strategy.
  • You will achieve this by working with the senior trade advisors to maintain oversight of sector specific export/investment campaigns, ensuring they have clear objectives and a clear pipeline of deals and activities in place to achieve those objectives. You will lead on delivery of high quality (virtual until conditions allow) visits and trade missions, including by trade ministers, the Trade Commissioner and business organisations.
  • You will play a leading role in the team’s Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) campaign, developing a clear ODI pipeline of deals and managing strategic relationships with Morocco, industry and driving a strategy to attract new British investment to Morocco. In doing this you will work very closely with the Trade Policy and Investments advisor, who coordinates the interface with Moroccan partners and leads on market access issues.
  • You will work with the DIT team and the Embassy’s economic and prosperity colleagues to develop a deep understanding of the suite of HMG programming in Morocco and ensure DIT priorities and interests are considered and aligned with HMG programme planning. As part of this you will work closely with colleagues across FCO, DFID and Other Government Departments (OGDs) at post to identify synergies and opportunities for collaboration on areas of mutual interest that will deliver the Embassy’s Prosperity Strategy.
  • You will deputise for the Country Director when required, ensuring that senior stakeholders are kept informed of strategic developments, and representing DIT Africa/Morocco both internally and externally.
  • Your role will be partly funded from UK Official Development Assistance (ODA). This reflects your main objective as poverty reduction in Morocco, enabled by private sector led growth. You will work closely with DIT Africa’s ODA Strategy Programme Manager and the ODA Compliance Officer to ensure adherence to ODA rules and UK legislation, developing metrics and sharing lessons learnt and best practice with the wider Africa network. You will be responsible for ensuring that our ODA funded work is compliant with ODA criteria and also for management of our Country Budget (non-ODA).

All of this makes for an exciting, busy and varied job, with opportunities for in-country and regional travel (once COVID-19 restrictions allow). As the successful candidate, you will be a dynamic leader with good communication skills, able to motivate the trade and investment team and prosperity colleagues, and engage credibly with senior people in order to represent interests of the DIT Morocco team and its people. You will be good at thinking strategically and planning for the future. You will be able to demonstrate the management capability to support a high performing, flexible and agile team; and have a proven ability to build good relationships with stakeholders and clients. You will also be comfortable drilling down into the detail to manage the performance.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs.

Key Competences:

  • Leading and Communicating – Effectiveness in this area is about leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. It’s about supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of citizens.
  • Achieving Commercial Outcomes – Being effective in this area is about maintaining an economic, long-term focus in all activities. It’s about having a commercial, financial and sustainable mind-set to ensure all activities and services are delivering added value and working to stimulate economic growth.
  • Managing a Quality Service – Effectiveness in this area is about being organised to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements.
  • Collaborating and Partnering – People skilled in this area create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service to help get business done. 
  • Postgraduate degree and/or undergraduate degree and other relevant professional qualification
  • At least 10 years professional work experience
  • Relevant work experience in the private sector, or within a private-sector orientated part of Government or International Organisation
  • Experience of working in or with government departments, NGOs, and similar institutions
  • Proven track record of cross-team collaboration
  • Proven client facing experience, for example with an investment promotion agency or professional services firm
  • Fluency in the language of business and investment
  • A positive, resilient, flexible and adaptable “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges.
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, ability to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries, to build networks across the region
  • Excellent drafting skills
  • Experience of the following: business development, understanding issues and pursuing strategies together, investment appraisal, deal pipeline preparation, deal brokering, advisory
  • Commercial experience, including building deal pipelines
  • Experience in managing budgets
  • Knowledge of the investment services contract and delivery mechanisms
  • Knowledge/experience of international development, or a willingness to learn
9 August 2020
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
38
Middle East & North Africa
Morocco
Casablanca
British Consulate General
1
MAD
37,055
1 October 2020

Working Hours and Remuneration:

The Consulate General aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role, including: gross salary of MAD 37,055 per month, inclusive of all allowances. The contract will be for a full-time employment, on a fixed term basis for one-year with a possibility of extension.

Conditioned working hours for the position are 38 hours per week Monday to Friday. Flexible working requests will be considered favourably, but please note the following:

  • You may be required to work a few evenings each month.
  • You will be expected to travel to other cities in Morocco, and there will be occasional travel to the UK, and possibly other countries within Africa.

This role provides enormous opportunities to grow and develop given its leadership and cross-Embassy responsibilities. You will have access to the full suite of DIT and FCO learning and development opportunities including the FCO’s Diplomatic Academy, training in the UK, and will be encouraged to join DIT’s trade profession.

We also provide regular in-house learning opportunities and are committed to supporting further academic opportunities. Our staff who demonstrate great leadership potential are encouraged to apply for the FCO’s pan-African Emerging Leadership Programme. ODA training will be provided.

The British Embassy and Consulate General in Morocco have a strong commitment to learning and development and all staff are required to agree a learning and development plan with their line manager.

Eligibility:

Applicants must hold the right to work and live in Morocco.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates must attach the following documents when applying online:

1. A covering letter

2. An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and completed online application form.

**(Your application must include examples of when you have demonstrated the competencies outlined above in the cover letter or motivation section in the application form. Applications that do not include this information will be rejected).

All applications must be received before 23:55 (Local Time) on 09 August 2020. Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Due to the large amount of applications we receive only those shortlisted for assessment/interview will be contacted.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances, medical clearance and reference checks.

 

The British Consulate General is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Consulate is subject to Terms and Conditions of service according to local Morocco employment 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.