Main purpose of job:

This is an exciting time to join the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) Africa network. DBT brings together sector, policy, promotion and financial expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment in markets across the world to help businesses succeed. We have over 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries.

You will join DBT Africa, a dynamic workforce of around 120 staff in 20 countries, led by John Humphrey, HM Trade Commissioner, who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Africa is exciting and energising, with many of the fastest changing and growing markets on earth. The UK has a depth of historical relationships on the continent and is Africa’s largest inward investor.

This is an exciting, challenging and high profile opportunity at the British High Commission in Tanzania. This role will lead the DBT team in Tanzania, overseeing – and collaborating with other teams in the BHC on – UK trade and investment activity. This includes working on UK trade and investment promotion, trade policy, market access and business environment issues. With the promotion of inclusive prosperity lying at the heart of the British Government’s policy in Tanzania, this is a critical role.

This is an outward facing role which involves developing key relationships with Tanzanian government officials, regulatory and trade agencies and a wide range of business stakeholders with the aim of supporting successful business investment and trade access between the UK and Tanzania.

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 be an excellent communicator (written and oral) and have the proven ability to work autonomously to deliver a wide range of responsibilities while remaining engaged and working collaboratively with a wider team of colleagues within the BHC, DBT Africa and across HMG.

The successful candidate will need to ensure that DBT is an active and integrated member of the mission’s prosperity team, working closely with FCDO colleagues to deliver our ambitions for the UK-Tanzania bilateral relationship. They 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.

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 DBT’s priority sectors (mining, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure), and the ability to be a credible representative of the UK Government to senior representatives in both the public and private sectors. They will have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with impact, including to senior figures in Post in a high-profile Mission.

Roles and responsibilities:

Lead and manage the DBT team in Tanzania whilst reporting to the British High Commissioner in Dar-es-Salaam and the DBT regional coordinator for East Africa based in Nairobi. The primary objective of your role as Country Director is to protecting and promoting UK exports and investment in Africa and leveraging the strengths of businesses and the private sector in order to support the poverty reduction, investment and broader economic objectives of Tanzania. The DBT team currently comprises three staff, including the Country Director and you have responsibility for the DBT Tanzania budget. You will need to build the team’s capability to achieve its objectives, and develop team resilience whilst working collaboratively with FCDO colleagues to drive forward the Prosperity agenda.

Deliver export and outward investment wins for British businesses in Tanzania in line with our campaign priorities of mining, agriculture, infrastructure and energy sector. You will set targets for deals supported in each priority sector. 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, including the British Business Group in Tanzania, effectively on the nature of opportunities across the range of sectors.

Lead work on Market Access identifying and resolving market access barriers which are holding back UK trade and investment in Tanzania, promoting those resolved barriers to business as well as working closely with FCDO colleagues to advocate for and support improvements to the business environment. You will lead marketing campaigns to support the uptake of the trade preferences granted to Tanzanian businesses looking to export to the UK under the Developed Countries Trading Scheme. The role holder and others in BHC will also remain reactive to regional discussions with East African Community countries on an Economic Partnership Agreement with the UK.

Manage high level trade and investment promotion visits to Tanzania by HMG’s Trade Envoy, HM Trade Commissioner for Africa, DBT ministers as well inward trade missions to the UK, working with colleagues across the BHC. You will also support and contribute to wider BHC visits and events where necessary.

The role will require occasional regional and international travel.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Staff: 2 x Trade Adviser (B3(L))

Budget: approx £30k-40k

• First class communications and English drafting and presenting skills
• Degree in business, economics, management, finance or related field
• At least 5 years’ experience either in the private sector, ideally working for an international firm, and/or in government supporting private sector companies in doing business
• Knowledge and understanding of Tanzanian market and experience in international/Tanzanian/East African trade and investment issues
• Management experience particularly delivering through others