The British Consulate General in Jeddah has a vacancy for a Trade Officer under the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) for a fixed-term contract for two (2) years.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the trade promotion and negotiation organisation for the UK that help promote UK businesses overseas and attract foreign investment. DBT have 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries and help British businesses to internationalise and grow overseas.

The job offers the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge of the public and private sector in the UK and Saudi Arabia, and to build up knowledge of commercial work. It would be an excellent career stepping-stone for anyone with an interest in international trade.

The jobholder will work with DBT colleagues in Jeddah and Riyadh to help grow UK exports in the Infrastructure, Life Sciences, and Creative sectors. They will develop local market knowledge to help support UK companies with market entry and access. The jobholder will be expected to identify potential business opportunities and through working with DBT sector teams to match these against UK capabilities. The jobholder will also help organise commercial events hosted in Jeddah, Riyadh, and wider KSA, and will interact with companies and officials at all levels. 

Duties and responsibilities:

This is an exciting position to help the UK grow its trade with Saudi Arabia. As Saudi Arabia embarks on an ambitious economic reform programme through Vision 2030, the Infrastructure, Life Sciences, and Creative sectors present priority areas for trade engagement.

Key responsibilities for the jobholder will include

• Supporting with opportunities related to the Life Sciences, Creative, and Infrastructure sectors.
• Working with DBT Jeddah colleagues on strategies to support successful outcomes from existing business pipeline opportunities.
• Attending business meetings to help identify potential business opportunities and link to UK capabilities.
• Working with DBT Jeddah and Riyadh colleagues to organise inward and outward missions to support priority trade campaigns.
• Responding to enquiries from UK companies, briefing them on the chargeable services available, and providing market analysis and guidance on doing business in Saudi Arabia.
• Updating and maintaining the contacts database.
• Developing a network of public and private sector contacts within priority sectors.
• Updating DBT management information (MI) systems to record interactions with UK companies.
• Providing support to other trade priorities as the need arises.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific sector responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager or the DBT Country Director. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis affecting UK citizens.

Key behaviours required:

• Seeing the Big Picture – Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
• Delivering at Pace – Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.
• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses, and opinions of others.
• Changing and Improving – Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.
• Making Effective Decisions – Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications, and risks of decisions.

Eligibility:

• The successful candidate must be able to secure a local residence and work permit in Saudi (iqama) OR already have the right to work and reside in Saudi.
• The British Consulate General provides visa sponsorship. The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Consulate General’s sponsorship.

• Ability to multi-task and have good organisational skills. Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines, and respond quickly and flexibly to meet multiple and changing priorities
• Excellent interpersonal skills and able to influence and network confidently and collaborate effectively across Consulate and Embassy teams.
• Collaborative approach to colleague and stakeholder partnerships. Ability to develop and maintain a range of contacts to build effective working relationships.
• Resourcefulness in solving problems and demonstrates good judgement.
• Team player who is capable of working on their own initiative.
• Strong customer focus and ability to deliver quality service
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. Ability to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Strong IT computer skills and in using MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).