The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for Senior Trade Advisor for the Defence and Security Exports (DSE) sector under the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), job grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO), on a fixed-term contract for one (1) year.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the British Government’s trade and investment development organisation. Its aim is to enhance the competitiveness of companies in the UK through overseas trade and investments and attract a continuing high-level of quality foreign direct investment into the UK. We work with UK based businesses to ensure their success in international markets and encourage overseas companies to bring their high-quality investment to the UK. DBT has a network of trade teams across Saudi Arabia that work closely together to deliver services to UK and Saudi businesses.

The main purpose of the role is to support UK companies that are seeking to develop their business through trade with Saudi Arabia. The jobholder will be required to support the UKDSE First Secretary Defence and Security (FSDS) with the delivery of the UKDSE strategies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The jobholder will support the FSDS and work alongside the Senior Trade Advisors in delivering wider support to UKDSE in KSA. 

Duties and responsibilities:

• Develop contacts and relations with key UK and Saudi stakeholders in the Defence and Security sector.
• Identify relevant sector opportunities and promote to potential UK firms.
• Develop a countrywide strategy and pipeline for delivering sector activity against agreed export targets.
• Support relevant sector trade events and provide in-market guidance.
• Draft and provide in-depth sector briefing and other market contributions.
• Lead on the identification and promotion of high value export opportunities.
• Contribute to VIP visits, both to Saudi Arabia and to the UK.
• Where necessary, provide the wider DBT team in Saudi Arabia with in-country support including (but not limited to) official programmes, trade missions, events, and trade shows.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager or head of section. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. 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.

Key behaviours required:

• Managing a Quality Service – Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise, and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses, and opinions of others.
• Delivering at Pace – Taking 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.

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 Embassy provides visa sponsorship. The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassy’s sponsorship.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and able to influence and network confidently with industry leaders, government officials, and senior business people.
• Team player who is capable of working on their own initiative and manage others. Ability to effectively work and collaborate across teams and stakeholders based across multiple locations.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Excellent organisational skills, including ability to organise and prioritise workload, organise records, and meet deadlines and changing priorities whilst maintaining close attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
• Strong customer focus and ability to deliver quality service
• Collaborative approach to colleague and stakeholder partnerships
• Strong IT skills and well-versed in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).