Main purpose of job:

Are you interested in a career where international trade meets technology? Where you can make a difference as part of a fast-moving and high profile team?  We are looking for a Senior Trade Manager (Tech/Digital) to help us build and shape the digital/technology trade relationship between Malaysia and the UK, increasing UK exports to Malaysia and the APAC region. The UK has one of the most vibrant tech ecosystems in the world with a particular strength in emerging technologies including AI, Quantum, and Semiconductor chip design. 

The UK’s Department for Business & Trade (DBT) supports UK businesses to invest, grow and export. This is an exciting opportunity to join the DBT team at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur (BHC) and lead our innovative campaign to develop more digital/technology partnerships for the UK in Malaysia, stimulating trade and investment flows between innovative British and Malaysian partners. 

The job holder will work as part of the friendly and supportive DBT team, with opportunities to travel within Malaysia, Asia Pacific and beyond. We provide a modern and flexible working environment with the opportunity to work part of the week remotely. 

The work will be varied and often fast paced. The successful candidate will be a flexible and dynamic self-starter with a high degree of initiative and the ability to juggle priorities. We are looking for someone creative, with great management and people skills. A background in tech/digital is an advantage but more important is a proactive mindset and a passion for technology. The role offers autonomy to set the direction on tech/digital within DBT Malaysia, and excellent scope for personal and professional development.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Develop and implement DBT Malaysia’s tech/digital trade strategy working closely with colleagues in BHC and in our Asia Pacific Digital Economy and Tech network and our Tech team in DBT’s UK HQ.
• Develop and maintain an in-depth knowledge of the tech/digital sector in Malaysia, building strong and productive relationships with local stakeholders in public and private sectors.
• Develop and manage a strong pipeline of high potential tech/digital business opportunities in Malaysia, with an outcome-driven approach to creating the best conditions for exporter success.
• Provide strategic advice and support to UK companies around their business development activities in Malaysia with a focus on high value/high impact deals.
• Manage relationships with key industry bodies and scan trends and regulatory developments to identify and pursue strategic commercial opportunities and to identify and tackle any barriers to trade.
• Support/lead on delivery of sector events and VIP visits that help position UK tech/digital players to develop business in Malaysia/APAC, including drafting high-quality briefings and speeches for ministers and senior officials.
• Line management and development of one Trade Assistant colleague.

The role will involve working closely with partners in government and industry in Malaysia and the UK; with teams across the British High Commission; and DBT teams in APAC and the UK.  

The successful candidate will be joining a high profile and ambitious team and will be able to develop a wide range of strategic planning, project management and senior stakeholder management skills while developing export opportunities for the UK. If successful you will have the opportunity to get involved in a diverse range of DBT and corporate workstreams including planning and delivering high profile visits, organising L&D activities, and engaging the business community. 

As DBT Malaysia team’s business priorities evolve, the successful candidate will potentially become involved in supporting other priority sectors/workstreams for DBT Malaysia, and a flexible approach is important. 

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

Line management of 1xTrade Assistant

• Strong interest in tech, business and trade
• Excellent oral and written English
• Minimum of 2 years of previous work experience
• Excellent presentation, interpersonal and networking skills
• Strong written, analytical and research skills
• Very good IT skills, especially MS Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Self-Starter – ability to work well on own initiative
• Ability to work under pressure and juggle multiple priorities effectively
• Good organisational/project management skills

Language requirements: 

Language: English (essential) and Bahasa Malaysia (desirable)

Level of language required: English (fluent in both written and spoken), Bahasa Malaysia (fluent preferred but not essential)