View Vacancy – AUH/ DXB – Inward Investment Officer A2(L)

The British Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have a vacancy for an Inward Investment Officer under the Department for International Trade (DIT). The jobholder will promote, attract, retain, and increase investments into the UK. This position is an exciting opportunity for an outgoing, proactive and creative individual. Given the client-facing opportunities for this role, strong organisational and communication skills are key requirements.

The Inward Investment Officer is responsible for supporting the Director of Investment for Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan (MEAP) plus the wider investment team to secure investment into the UK from Foreign Direct Investors (FDI) and supporting engagement with capital investors.  This will include working with family offices, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), venture capital funds, and UAE companies looking to expand their business into the UK. The jobholder is also responsible for promoting the UK as a wider inward investment destination.

The successful candidate will be an integral member of a three-person investment team, reporting to the Senior Investment Advisor and supporting the day-to-day work of the Director of Investment for the region.  The jobholder will also work closely with investment team members across 12 countries in the MEAP region, though most closely with teams in the GCC, as well as a range of local partners and stakeholders.

The jobholder will also form a strong network with DIT’s London-based Investment Services Team (IST), Capital Investment Team, and other key UK government departments, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as the economic development agencies from the Devolved Administrative regions (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

To help land investment wins, the jobholder will be responsible for the account management of foreign direct investment (FDI) plus all related business development work. They will react to investor interests by proactively supporting FDI projects to land in the UK and by conducting market research by attending events, conferences and representing DIT at major exhibitions.

The job can be based in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai with an expectation of travel between the two Embassies as work demands.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Support the Middle East Region’s Director for Investment on the planning and delivery of the MEAP Capital Investment Strategy, which comprises both large and growth capital investment projects, with a core focus on strategic delivery in the UAE.
• Support the Senior Investment Adviser in achieving the Embassy’s targets for High Value investment campaigns. This includes business development work with top-tier UAE investors.
• Increase the profile and understanding of UK capital investment propositions, working closely with DIT counterparts in London plus colleagues from other central UK government departments, such as Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
• Take responsibility for managing new and existing accounts and act as the first point of contact for all FDI and capital investment from those clients.
• Build-up knowledge and understanding of the UK’s FDI sectors, policy messages, the UK capability, and UK/ MEAP business environment, as well as the business models of MEAP target companies, investor profiles, MEAP’s growth sectors and government support.
• Record and report in a timely manner on Data Hub (the UK government’s database for all trade and investment work) and update the IST and growth capital teams of any new project leads.
• Support visits by senior government officials by securing high-level meetings, organising activities, and contributing to briefing materials.
• Provide regular reports on market and MEAP investment team performance, and report on outcomes of key events and marketing activities in the region on an ongoing basis.
• Support regional investment work for MEAP by managing Gulf-wide investment activities (e.g., multi-country projects and funds), arranging the semi-annual Gulf Investment Conference, coordination of investment training for the region, and leading on external conferences and exhibitions that require a DIT Gulf investment presence.
• Work with the Marketing and Communications team to help develop campaigns, building awareness, and promoting sector strengths and capabilities of the UK in the target business sectors.
• Support the production and execution of a campaign and strategy to leverage EXPO 2020 for the purposes of promoting the UK as a world-leading investment destination.

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 required:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

• Successful track record and experience in lead generation, business development, and sales (including market research, analysis, client relationship and account management, and delivery).
• Strong track record of team work and collaboration experience leading to commercial outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken, and networking/ relationship building skills. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Proven organisational, planning, and presentation experience.
• Ability to work at pace, prioritise tasks, and work independently to delivery high quality outcomes while meeting deadlines.
• Possess a proactive, agile and can-do approach.
• Strong IT skills with advanced MS Office skills, particularly in the use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.