Head of Department for International Trade Tanzania (02/17 DAR)
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To lead the Department for International Trade team in Tanzania, building the trade and investment relationship between the two countries. This is about: driving UK exports to Tanzania through supporting UK companies to win contracts; supporting UK investment to Tanzania and other trade and investment flows; and contributing to trade policy work. This role also involves regional leadership of our oil and gas commercial campaign.
The Role
This is an exciting, challenging and high profile opportunity at the British High Commission in Tanzania. The Department for International Trade is a newly-created Ministry responsible for promoting British trade and investment interests around the world. We provide operational support for exports and facilitate inward and outward investment. We are also responsible for post-Brexit trading arrangements outside of Europe. With the promotion of prosperity lying at the heart of the British Government’s policy in Tanzania, this is a critical role.
Main Duties
Deliver export and outward investment wins for British businesses in Tanzania in line with our campaign priorities of oil and gas, infrastructure, renewable energy and a new campaign in agri-tech. The role entails direct leadership of the oil and gas sector in Tanzania as well as coordinating oil and gas for the East African region. It also includes oversight of the sector leads for the other campaigns. Together, these sectors comprise our priorities in Tanzania as well as East Africa. Each sector has a monetary objective attached to it reflecting the amount of trade wins we are expected to support. This role requires strategic awareness, significant engagement with business, and good team and line management to get right. The post holder will need to be able to build and maintain an extensive network of contacts both in the private sector and the Tanzanian Government, and to advise Uk companies effectively on the nature of opportunities across the range of sectors. (70%)
Lead on broader issues around the trade and investment relationship with Tanzania, working closely across the High Commission and advising the High Commissioner. This is about trade policy, rather than delivering deals for the UK, and can involve many elements including UK investment to Tanzania, Tanzanian interests in exporting to the UK, and issues relating to the bilateral trade architecture post-Brexit (10%)
Lead and manage the DIT team in Tanzania, while reporting to the head of DIT East Africa (based in Dar es Salaam) and also to the British High Commissioner. Responsibility for the DIT budget. The team currently comprises four staff, including the head of trade. An important element here is to build the team’s capability to achieve its objectives, and develop team resilience. (10%)
To lead the team’s delivery of trade services, which are the tools we use to support mainly small and medium-sized business to achieve market entry. This can include responsibility for managing trade missions, conferences and events as well as oversight of the quality of output of our trade officer. This element is also likely to involve managing a transition in how such services are delivered. (5%)
Support the regional head of UKTI, and work to builder a stronger, more interconnected East African regional team. Be a corporate contributor to the High Commission. (5%)
Required Competencies and Skills
The successful candidate will be a competent and dynamic manager, able to deliver through others to exceed a challenging set of targets for business wins and delivering services to UK companies, making use of project management skills and developing a systematic approach to maintain focus and momentum and achieve results. They will have the proven ability to work autonomously to deliver a wide range of responsibilities while remaining engaged with a wider team of colleagues across HMG. And they will need to be self-sufficient and proactive, and possess the ability to drive their team forward without direct oversight.
An important aspect of the team’s work is to contribute to the British Government’s broader economic and development agenda, by working alongside Foreign Office and Department for International Development colleagues in particular by taking a leadership role within the Mission’s Growth and Prosperity Group. The successful candidate will need to be able to see the bigger picture of how their team’s work fits into a broader whole, and to collaborate closely with colleagues in other government departments. And in prioritising effectively, they will ensure that the DIT office contributes corporately to the rest of the Mission’s work.
The successful candidate will have experience of international/regional/Tanzanian trade and investment issues and possess demonstrable commercial expertise, with a track record of fostering business relationships in order to deliver a high standard to their customers. These will be backed up by excellent networking abilities, particularly in DIT’s priority sectors (oil and gas, infrastructure, renewable energy), and the ability to be a credible representative of the UK Government to senior representatives in both the public and private. They will have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with impact, including to senior figures in Post in a high-profile Mission.
The Tanzania team forms part of a regional East Africa DIT network. The successful candidate will also have a responsibility to support the regional head based in Dar es Salaam and champion efforts to greatly strengthen regionalisation, an important change management programme which is a priority for UKTI Headquarters.
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
Staff: 3: 2x Trade Development Managers (B3(L)), 1x Trade Officer (A2(L)).
Local budget: £92k
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