View Vacancy – Head of Export Finance, Doha

The British Embassy in Doha is part of a worldwide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is looking to appoint a Head of Export Finance grade D6 (L).

Please note that this role is open in Saudi, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Applicants should only apply once to their preferred job location.

About the Department for International Trade (DIT)

The Department for International Trade (DIT) promotes trade with Britain, two-way investment between the UK and overseas regions, and mutual improved market access to help grow bilateral trade. This role will focus particularly on the first of these supporting developers and enabling access for UK exporters.

The Middle East region is of critical importance to the UK government and commercial economic ties continue to expand. UK trade and investment engagement with the region is growing, and the UK Government is committed to reinforcing these relationships still further. As the region recovers from the pandemic, we are committed to remaining the commercial partner of choice for the Middle East. We want modern partnerships that deliver mutual benefit by supporting regional development plans with British expertise.

To match this ambition, the UK Government is adding to its resource base in the region, including through a few expert UK Export Finance (UKEF) roles. Finance is a critical part of the picture of promoting more business. UKEF has already been an effective source of British government support to the region, with the Middle East accounting for a significant part of the UKEF’s global exposure. This role provide an opportunity to further develop the long-term UK partnership for mutual economic cooperation with the region.

About UK Export Finance (UKEF)

UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the UK’s export credit agency (ECA) and operates in partnership with DIT.

In 2019-20, 339 companies were able to export with UKEF’s support, with many more companies in supply chains indirectly benefiting from UKEF support. 77% of the companies UKEF provided with finance and insurance were small to medium enterprises. In total, UKEF provided £4.4 billion worth of support for exports to 69 countries, and over the past five years, UKEF has provided £18.5 billion of support.

UKEF helps UK companies:

• Win export contracts by providing attractive financing terms to their buyers
• Fulfil contracts by supporting working capital loans and guaranteeing performance bonds
• Get paid by insuring against buyer default

About the Role

We are looking for up to three (3) Head of Export Finance to drive UKEF’s business development and origination activities in the region. The available locations for these positions will be at the British Embassies in Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Each of the roles will cover selected markets in order to provide full coverage to this strategically significant region.

The role will focus on building strategic relationships with relevant regional stakeholders in order to identify opportunities for UKEF support. You will also help UK exporters to access the relevant markets by building a strong pipeline of qualified projects for UKEF to execute.

You will also engage with banks and other local and international financiers to inform our picture of the opportunities and relationships we may need. This will include exploring the opportunity for blended financing structures with UK and other financiers.

You will work closely with the DIT Sector Teams to explore how we can better integrate the UKEF offer with the UK’s broader infrastructure offer; supporting pipeline development; UK company account management and innovations in infrastructure financing. As part of the government’s agenda to support climate change, you will work closely with the Trade Commissioner (HMTC), Head of Mission (HOM), and other Government Department officials, a number of whom support the trade relationship in their work. These include Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) colleagues working on low carbon advocacy, as the UK prepares to host COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021.

You will also be expected to use your wider financial services background to inform the UK Government’s approach to trade with the regional markets, helping to explain the regulatory and financing environment and to consider the opportunities and barriers to be tackled in each sector, especially in the financial and professional services sector.

As a member of the DIT in-country team, you will also be required to mentor and inspire the DIT Trade Advisors to understand UKEF’s products and to develop UKEF engagement seeking opportunities for export finance support in their sectors.

You will be part of the International Export Finance Network, with UKEF functional and task leadership from UKEF Origination Group in London.

The International Export Finance Executives lead the engagement with local buyers, project sponsors, and associated stakeholder networks to develop export growth through the provision of trade finance and credit insurance available from UK Export Finance. The International Export Finance Executive will guide and support UK Export Finance teams in the UK, DIT colleagues, and other third parties to provide this specialist market advice.

Duties and responsibilities:

The Head of Export Finance will develop and lead the implementation of a plan to increase British exports to the Middle East through the strategic use of UK Export Finance products, working in close partnership with DIT colleagues. As UKEF’s representative in the region, you will act as the eyes and ears of UKEF, supporting the objectives of DIT locally and the UKEF Origination Team to grow UKEF supported exports by focussing on 5 key areas of activity:

1. Build awareness of UKEF support capabilities

• Lead local campaigns to raise the profile of UKEF internationally through engagement with the business community, government bodies, and other stakeholder organisations.
• Deliver UKEF marketing plans, ensuring that messages are appropriate to the audience. Remove complexity and build understanding.
• Develop and implement PR activities that educate the business community on UKEF products.

2. Build and share market knowledge

• Develop detailed knowledge and insight of public and private sector organisations, including their strategic business planning and development objectives. Implement findings into UKEF strategic plans.
• Understand and interpret host government trade policy, priority sectors, and projects.
• Ensure timely export intelligence and insight for the International Business Development (IBD) Team, enabling opportunities for UKEF.
• Act as the lead source of UKEF advice to local DIT teams, including integration of UKEF objectives into sector campaigns.
• Take the lead in leveraging expertise, knowledge, and networks of local staff, business chambers, and other local channels in their capacity as multipliers.
• Identify the competitive framework (Export Credit Agencies and Supply Chain).
• Exploit local knowledge, experience, and networks to gather intelligence of local commercial banking sectorial focus and appetite for risk.

3. Establish and maintain stakeholder relationships: UKEF’s primary stakeholders are buyers, UK exporters, project sponsors, host government departments, etc. This role will be required to:

• Exploit knowledge and experience to build robust business networks and develop calling plans to enhance the profile of UKEF.
• Oversee the development of mechanisms to record and coordinate business outreach activities.
• Maintain and develop regular contacts with local senior sponsors, banks, public sector organisations, government bodies, and UK businesses to identify export opportunities that could benefit from UKEF support.

4. Create and deliver strategic plans: Lead and coordinate country strategic planning, aligned to UKEF organisational objectives, supporting sector campaigns where ‘leading with finance’ could be an important driver.

5. Progress business development opportunities

• Lead the local coordination of UKEF local campaign activities.
• Engage the UK Export Finance Manager (EFM) Network to ensure seamless coordination between the UK supply chain and local sponsor.
• Lead UKEF local relationships with providers of trade finance and risk mitigation products (e.g. banks, credit insurers, brokers, and others) and to introduce customers/ sponsors who require their services.
• Lead UKEF collaboration with the local DIT team to develop innovative export solutions for UK companies.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key Competencies:

• Seeing the Big Picture – Having an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives and the wider public needs. Focusing your contribution on the activities which will meet the organisation’s goals and deliver the greatest value. Scanning the wider context and taking account of wider impacts to develop long-term implementation strategies that maximise opportunities to add value and support economic, sustainable growth.
• Making Effective Decisions – Using sound judgement, evidence, and knowledge to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and advice. Being careful and thoughtful about the use and protection of government and public information to ensure it is handled securely and with care. Reaching evidence-based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions and creating a secure culture around the handling of information; and aiming to maximise return while minimising risk and balancing a range of considerations such as social, political, financial, economic, legal and environmental to provide sustainable outcomes.
• Leading and Communicating – Showing our pride and passion for public service, leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction, integrity and enthusiasm. Championing difference and external experience, supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of citizens. Managing and engaging with people in a straightforward, truthful and candid way, and upholding the reputation of the organisation.
• Collaborating and Partnering – Being a team player who creates and maintains positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the organisation to help get business done. Working collaboratively, sharing information appropriately, and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions. Being approachable, delivering business objectives through creating an inclusive environment, encouraging collaboration, building effective partnerships including relationships with Ministers and welcoming challenge however uncomfortable.
• Achieving Commercial Outcomes – Maintaining an economic, long-term focus in all activities. Having a commercial, financial and sustainable mind-set to ensure all activities and services are delivering added value and working to stimulate economic growth. Identifying economic, market, and customer issues and using these to promote innovative business models, commercial partnerships, and agreements to deliver greatest value; and ensuring tight commercial controls of finances, resources and contracts to meet strategic priorities.

• At least eight (8) years of professional experience gained within a Financial Services environment.
• Proven experience of leading structured finance/ trade finance transactions and knowledge of Export Credit Agency instruments.
• Demonstrates understanding of local capital markets and experience of navigating emerging/ growth markets, with the ability to support complex financial service projects
• Management experience of autonomous operations in a sector servicing exporters in financial and credit risk products; or in a relevant role in an exporting business.
• Current and relevant commercial management skills well versed in contracting and finance oversight.
• Proven ability to take the initiative pursuing the objectives outlined above. Able to organise and prioritise workload and meet deadlines and changing priorities whilst maintaining close attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
• Proven competence in leading strategy development and business planning.
• Proven advisory and negotiation skills at senior levels. Ability to provide clear, concise summaries and briefings and to respond to ad hoc requests at short notice.
• Excellent communication skills in English. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Confident public speaking and networking skills. Able to influence and network confidently with industry leaders, government officials, and senior business people.
• Postgraduate degree and/or undergraduate degree and other relevant professional qualification.
• Strong IT skills and well-versed in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams).