View Vacancy – SRR – Financial and Professional Services Investment Senior Advisor C4(L)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Financial and Professional Services Investment Senior Advisor under the Department for International Trade (DIT) on a fixed-term contract for one (1) year. There is a possibility of renewing the contract depending on performance and operational requirements.

The jobholder will be responsible for facilitating strategic Financial and Professional Services (FPS) exports from the UK into Saudi Arabia, as well as supporting UK-Saudi Arabia investment.

The role entails engaging and supporting a wide range of UK financial and professional services institutions including: investment banks, fund managers, fintechs, venture capital and private equity firms, legal firms and the London Stock Exchange. The role also entails supporting the Head of Investment to facilitate inward investment from Saudi institutions, family offices and corporates.

The jobholder will be tasked to build on the existing UK-Saudi links we have established over the last few years. To achieve this, the jobholder will utilise the extensive access afforded by the British Embassy and work closely with DIT HQ. They will build a network of relationships with leading UK financial institutions whilst concurrently building long-term relationships with KSA FPS importers and investors, with the ultimate aim of matchmaking between these two groups and hence securing high value exports out into the KSA and investment flows back into the UK.

Saudi Arabia is home to many large family offices and FPS institutions who operate across multiple sectors. The jobholder will need to make contact with target clients using a variety of skills to develop deep, trusting relationships whilst working to understand their strategies and to guiding them to suitable UK FPS export and investment opportunities. Excellent relationship building and commercial skills will therefore be required. The jobholder will also be expected to arrange and convene meaningful engagements with local service buyers/ investors and UK partners, such as trade missions, dinners, events, webinars and roundtables, etc.

Promoting UK FPS overseas and drawing strategic Saudi capital into the UK market are two priorities for the Secretary of State for International Trade, Chancellor, and Prime Minister. The jobholder must have the skills to provide regular, clear, and succinct briefings to senior Government figures such as Her Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) to Saudi Arabia and Government Ministers (particularly when visits to market take place). The jobholder may also be expected to interact with Saudi business leaders and governmental figures; therefore, briefing and commercial skills must be employed with the utmost impact.

The role is best suited to self-starting, commercially-minded, and proactive candidates with a desire to operate ‘at the deep end’ from the start, using initiative to build and maintain professional networks. It is also highly suited to candidates with a desire to develop investment skills and advance understandings of both the UK and Saudi economies. 

Roles and responsibilities include:

• Develop an understanding of UK investment landscape and the FPS/ investor network across KSA. Present UK FPS and investment opportunities and policy details to KSA stakeholders.
• Strategic business development, responsibility for building up the FPS exports pipeline and supporting the investment pipeline across KSA.
• Delivery of FPS export targets and supporting delivery of foreign direct investment and capital investment targets.
• Maintain and proactively develop strategic contacts with key UK and KSA stakeholders to identify new commercial opportunities as they arise and promote UK strengths in the FPS sector.
• Lead on FPS promotional events and engagements including during relevant trade shows, trade missions, and VIP visits.
• Prepare annual business plans and strategies for the sector and regularly update sector reports.
• Provide written and oral visits for high level visits quickly whilst under pressure.
• Devise and run VIP programmes for ministers and senior DIT staff visiting.
• Play a full role within the British Embassy team, including in areas such as Consular and Crisis response planning.

Key competencies required:

• 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.
• 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. Being visible; managing and engaging with people in a straightforward, truthful and candid way, and upholding the reputation of the Department and the Civil Service
• Managing a Quality Service – Valuing and modelling professional excellence and expertise to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. Effectively planning, organising, and managing time and activities to deliver a high quality, secure, reliable and efficient service, applying programme and project and risk management approaches to support service delivery. Creating an environment to deliver operational excellence and creating the most appropriate and cost effective delivery models for services.
• Delivering at Pace – Focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. Working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. Building a performance culture where staff are given space, authority and support to deliver outcomes, keeping a firm focus on priorities and addressing performance issues resolutely, fairly and promptly.

• FPS and/ or investment background in a similar role or business development role.
• Excellent relationship development and management skills, capable of operating at all organisational levels. Experience of developing relationships and building influence with multiple stakeholders in public and private sectors. Recognises the importance of developing a strong business network.
• Cultural awareness and business knowledge of the relevant market. Functional knowledge of local business community and trends.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Ability to coordinate and contribute to strategy development and business planning.
• Flexible, resilient, decisive, and calm under pressure. With a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines.
• Excellent organisational ability, with proven ability to manage, plan, and prioritise tasks and workload; and a proactive approach to problem solving.
• Team player who is capable of working on their own initiative and manage others.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams).