Invest Northern Ireland is the regional economic development agency for the UK region of Northern Ireland and focusing on growing export from Northern Ireland globally, as well as attracting high-quality investment into Northern Ireland.

The Invest NI team in Africa is responsible for assisting NI companies with market assessment and prioritization, as well as market entry. As opportunities across the African continent grow, Northern Ireland companies have turned their attention to key markets across Africa.

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading on the key sectors of food and drink and life and health sciences and will be responsible for scoping and presenting opportunities in these sectors to NI companies and assisting them with market entry. The candidate may be required to support the Regional Director on enquiries from other sectors, if needed. The role will also involve providing support with business planning and budgeting for the pan-Africa region.

The successful candidate will need to focus on building relationships within Invest NI, with regional FCDO and DBT colleagues as well as with external stakeholders like business chambers and the private sector.

• Minimum of five years of business development and/or account management experience, with a focus on international trade promotion to generating business leads and with proven success in converting these to outcomes in Africa
• Minimum of three years relationship management and stakeholder engagement experience working with a range of businesses, Government and industry partners to help businesses succeed in Africa
• Strong analytical and research skills to process complex information at pace; including the ability to identify trends based on your own and third party research and produce concise reports for internal and external audiences
• Strong organisational skills and experience leading on projects and campaign work, including events and trade fair participation and overarching sector activities
• Excellent interpersonal skills and positive and flexible approach to teamwork
• A self-starter, able to work independently and able to contribute to team KPIs and goals and
• Excellent communication and presentation skills