View Vacancy - Head of Newton Fund, British Embassy Mexico City

Main purpose of job

This is an exciting position working for Newton Fund in Mexico, which is part of the wider £735m global Newton Fund aimed at increasing UK research and innovation engagement with 16 other countries.

The Newton Fund in Mexico comprises a suite of matched funded activities worth up to £37m by 2021, involving a wide range of Mexican and UK stakeholders both within and outside government.  Programme activities focus on research calls, fellowships, mobility schemes, and other programmes around the thematic areas of human capital development, innovation, public health, higher education, urbanisation, climate, and food security, with the ultimate aim of encouraging research that increases economic growth and social welfare.

This role will lead the delivery of the Newton Fund in Mexico, with a significant focus on programme development, strategic government outreach, match-funding negotiation, high-level stakeholder management, monitoring and promoting the Fund.  This role will also contribute towards deepening UK science and innovation collaboration with Mexico, helping to drive economic growth, social development and poverty reduction.

We seek an energetic, strategic professional who understands science/innovation in a UK and Mexican context.  They should have a professional approach and the credibility to interact with CEO and Minister levels, academic institutions, scientists and innovators.  They should provide vision and leadership to a high-performing team.

What will the jobholder be expected to achieve?

The successful candidate will be expected (but not limited) to do the following:

• Strategy (30%):  Responsible for Mexico’s Newton Fund strategy. Define a proactive approach for engaging with UK stakeholders, Mexican policymakers, scientific institutions, at Federal and State levels in order to trigger collaborative programmes through Newton Fund.  Ensure this is aligned with the high-level policy priorities of Mexico and the UK. Negotiate MoUs, bilateral meetings, evaluation panels, ministerial international missions, innovative events.
• Programme (30%):  Develop a long-term portfolio of sustainable and match-funded activity via the Newton Fund (one of the largest funds the UK Government has in Mexico).  Ensure this partnership and programme is healthy, and able to fund cooperation in mutually agreed areas.  Focus on particular areas of UK-MX interest/expertise, responding to UK/MX priorities such as the commercialisation of science, knowledge transfer, industry-academia-society linkages, and cutting-edge research.  Ensure positioning of Newton Fund, develop science communication strategies, collaboration opportunities within Mexico and in LATAM.
• Representation/networks (20%):  Engage regularly and proactively with a wide range of high-level contacts in the Mexican public, academic and private sectors including CONACyT and priority States of Mexico.  Also, ensure strong networks with other parts of the British Embassy (e.g. Prosperity Fund, ICF, Chevening, Department of International Trade) and British Council, with Government Departments in the UK, and with UK Research Councils.  Match-make across both countries, converting opportunities into formal agreements between institutions to deliver high-impact, visible bilateral cooperation.
• Policy (10%):  Use a deep knowledge of science and innovation to influence UK and Mexican Government science policy, to magnify the impact of the Newton Fund.  Advise the Ambassador on the Newton Fund and associated senior science contacts.  Keep abreast of science policy developments, ensuring that UK and Mexican positions are close and coherent and supporting a strong scientific ecosystem in both countries.  Regularly report back to UK Government Departments in London on the evolving science policy framework in Mexico.
• Leadership (10%):  Oversee a small but high-performing team, providing vision and support and coaching staff to develop.  Ensure the team is fully-aware of the wider context, and delegate work (with sufficient oversight) to provide a fulfilling job for all team members.  Provide wider corporate leadership to the Embassy via corporate roles.

Essential on arrival:

• Bachelor’s degree in the fields of Public Policy, International Relations or Science related subjects, with a Master’s degree preferably.
• Knowledge of UK and/or Mexican science and innovation institutions and current issues in science and innovation.
• Be a self-starter, able to negotiate match-funded projects and lead a team, and inspire leadership across science and innovation partners; the job has a high level of responsibility and autonomy.
• Be a flexible and creative problem-solver, able to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems, and create coherent and compelling programmes and projects.
• Be resilient and resourceful: you will need to provide direction and leadership on this agenda against an evolving scenario.
• The ability to communicate in English with clarity and confidence, both in writing and in person.