The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for Strategic Partnerships Programme Coordinator 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 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.

This is an exciting and historic time to be in Saudi Arabia. In recent years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has accelerated its Vision 2030 programme of social and economic liberalisation to diversify its economy. This programme has driven an almost unprecedented investment in new infrastructure, technologies, and skills. Saudi’s famous giga-projects, including NEOM and Diriyah, have already committed $1tr. These include:

• NEOM, a $500bn regional development comprised of flagship projects such as The Line (a sustainable vertical city) and the world’s largest green hydrogen project; and
• In Riyadh alone: Qiddiya (largest entertainment, sports & culture city in the world); Diriyah Gate Project (largest heritage project in the world); Sports Boulevard Project (at 135km, the longest longitudinal park in the world); King Salman Park Project (largest park in the world); Riyadh Art Project (largest open art gallery in the world); Tuwaiq Tower project (tallest heritage tower in the world); Riyadh Metro and Airport projects (6 runways); the King Abdullah International Gardens Project (largest indoor garden project); New Murabba (largest Downtown project in the world). 

However, the broader potential from new industries is even greater, including in renewables (50% of national power by 2030); technology ($9bn invested in regional HQs from Microsoft and Oracle); financial services (equities market capitalisation to match South Korea by 2030); tourism (top 5 destination with 100m visitors p.a. by 2030); and skills & education (6,000 new schools).

About the role

This role is part of the Gulf Strategy Fund’s (GSF) international programme that helps the UK Government deliver key priorities. The role will see a new focus and team emerge with the aim of facilitating cross-cutting strategic partnerships with Saudi’s largest market opportunities, starting with the giga-projects.

Since the inception of Saudi Vision 2030, DBT/ the British Embassy has played a pivotal role in supporting UK plc engage and facilitate business across many large projects and sectors in Saudi Arabia. The jobholder will seek to build on the this to take the bilateral commercial relationship to the next level, from sector focused transactional successes to comprehensive industrial partnerships.

The jobholder will assume an important coordination role from Post, working closely with sector leads in market and interfacing with the newly established KSA Taskforce to facilitate meaningful G2G and private sector engagement with the giga-projects.

The role will report into the Commercial Partnerships Senior Advisor and sit within the newly formed Partnerships Team. The Partnerships Team is an evolution of the ‘Investment and Financial Services’ team which supports VIP/ ministerial visits; handles the most strategic relationships; works with UK funds on the giga-projects; and work across sector teams. 

Duties and responsibilities:

• Coordinate across the Partnerships Team to ensure GSF programme objectives are being met efficiently and within budget.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues across sectors and His Majesty’s Government (HMG) to develop a comprehensive understanding of the current status quo, identify current challenges, and outline priorities and opportunities.
• Help the Commercial Partnerships Senior Advisor devise a new UK-Saudi partnerships strategy. This will be done in consultation with wider team and colleagues in HQ.
• Support the relationship and project management of Saudi giga projects and contribute to service deliveries, for instance through cross-sectorial roadshows and trade missions and conducting gap analysis of giga project needs vs UK strengths and capabilities.
• Help the team map out and track giga project requirements, identify gaps, and understand the timing/ sequencing of priorities.
• Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders in giga projects and support the team’s aims to devise bespoke strategies and action plans for each.
• Support planning and execution of promotional engagement (visits, missions, events) tailored to giga project requirements.
• Work with UK colleagues to establish a referral system – identify potential UK partners to address giga project gaps or opportunities quickly and efficiently.
• Establish and manage a system through which UK firms can tender bids and ensure UK firms are supported through to closing the partnership.
• Input into briefings for seniors (DBT Saudi Director, Ambassador, and occasionally Ministers, etc.) on status of UK-Saudi partnerships and clearly communicate challenges, opportunities, and make recommendations.
• Interface and collaborate closely with the KSA Taskforce in HQ to ensure progress is made with partnership objectives.

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:

• 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.
• Managing a Quality Service – Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise, and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
• Seeing the Big Picture – Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.

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.

• Knowledge and understanding of how to deliver strategic partnerships and project management.
• Experience of delivering commercial and strategic partnerships.
• Knowledge of the regional business environment. Experience of working directly with governments and businesses in the UK and/ or the GCC.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication. The jobholder will be expected to deliver briefings and presentations to senior leadership.
• Flexible, resilient, decisive, and calm under pressure. With a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines.
• Ability to operate independently as well as working smartly, delivering through partners.
• Experience of managing external relationships with key stakeholders and building influence with multiple stakeholders in public and private sectors.
• Strong strategic thinking, communicating, and influencing, and problem-solving and judgment skills.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).