View Vacancy – Beijing or Shanghai: DIT China and Hong Kong – Deputy Head of Marketing and Communications, C5 (L)

The Department for International Trade (DIT) embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation. DIT China would value applications from people from the widest possible diversity of background, culture, experience and gender. 

Main purpose of job: 

This is a dynamic and highly collaborative role for an exceptional individual to join the Marketing and Communications team in The Department for International Trade (DIT) China. Working closely with colleagues and stakeholders you will play a key role in supporting the DIT China region (China & Hong Kong) achieve its objectives as articulated in the Regional Trade Plan, of which the over-arching ambitions are:

Objective 1 – Driving and inspiring UK exports to China, significantly increasing the UK market share of China’s goods imports, and more than double the value of UK services exports.

Objective 2 – Strengthened trade policy engagement with China to achieve incremental market access, mitigate business risk and prepare for future trade deals

Objective 3 – Broadening and deepening the UK-China investment partnership, positioning the UK as the top European destination for Chinese investment and providing strong support for UK investors.

Context

The Department for International Trade (DIT) operates in 108 countries. Establishing new relationships around the globe, DIT promotes UK trade to ensure the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us, securing and improving economic well-being, stability, and helping to create tens of thousands of jobs.

DIT has one of the largest representations of the 18 government departments working in China, which are coordinated and led by Her Majesty’s Ambassador who is responsible for the UK’s relationship with China. Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) is responsible for Trade and Investment work in China, one of nine global regions and the largest DIT overseas network in the world. With c.190 staff across six posts – Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan – DIT, as part of the UK government network in China offers a fast-paced place to work at the heart of UK-China Government relations.

Detail

We are seeking an exceptional communicator and team leader who is expert, engaging, enterprising and inclusive.  The ideal candidate is strategically-minded, competent at multi-tasking, skilled at relationship building and can flex their communication style to manage and motivate a diverse team.  Solid strategic communications and campaigning experience is important, in addition to having an ambitious and confident outlook and excellent organisation/planning skills.  In depth knowledge of the Chinese business-media scene, B2B social media channels and experience in digital marketing is highly desirable.   As is the ability to manage multiple, integrated comms projects and to deliver at pace.  

This role requires considerable line management and stakeholder management experience and comprises of a balance of outward and inward facing responsibilities. The job holder will be directly line managing a team of three and will need to build relationships across the UK Government China Network, as well as with DIT HQ in the UK to ensure alignment and engagement with global GREAT marketing campaigns. A confident speaker and presenter, the successful candidate will be a key representative of the team internally as well as to externally. Robust programme management with a keen eye on detail, ROI and evaluation of spend is essential.

Roles and responsibilities: 

Marketing and Communications Planning and Delivery 40%: Lead the creation and oversee the implementation of a strategic marketing and communications strategy for DIT in the Mainland China and Hong Kong region

• Responsible for leading the team to create a coherent, visible programme of marketing and communication activity for DIT China and Hong Kong, ensuring the plan is fully developed, mapped out, with clearly defined milestones, deliverables, robust evaluation criteria, ROI, cost envelop and risk management plan.
• Create and work with the team to deliver a digital strategy and action plan aimed at increasing DIT’s digital footprint in China and developing DIT’s impact on digital and social channels.
• Inspire the team to think creatively to produce quality and engaging content and ensure content is amplified through key stakeholders, media and KOLs.
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications Directorate in DIT HQ to ensure that global strategic Trade and Investment paid media and organic campaigns, such as Ready to Trade, are adapted to market.
• Provide cohesion and visibility with the China and Hong Kong One HMG network by ensuring that strategic network wide campaigns are shared and included in overarching communications plans.
• Develop strong evaluation methodologies and ensure that evidenced based evaluation is conducted on all activity as standard;
• Deliver a performance dashboard that provides monthly management information to the DIT China and Hong Kong Senior Leadership team.
• Use insight, evaluation and research as the basis for campaign planning and proactively seek opportunities to pitch for research funding, contribute to international perception research projects and to run local strat comms research in collaboration with partners or other government departments.

Team Management 20%: Provide guidance and support to the Marcoms team as a whole, but more specific leadership and effective team management of the campaigns team. 

• Support on leadership of the team to deliver on team goals and ensure excellent line management of the Campaigns team in line with the organisation’s goal of building a well-managed network.
• Upskill the campaigns team and support them on L&D to develop their capabilities, fill gaps and to support their performance development plan. 
• Work closely with the DIT press officer, providing guidance on strategic campaigns, core scripts and briefings.  

Relationship Management 20%: Develop excellent and fruitful relationships internally and externally by:

• Effective and dynamic liaison with key marketing and communications stakeholders, including FCDO Communications Network, Other Government department colleagues, Regional Marketing Hub and DIT HQ Marketing to ensure interdependencies are identified and opportunities to collaborate are maximised.
• Participate in key cross-government communications and campaigns working groups to ensure network-wide visibility, engagement and collaboration.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with DIT Directors, Sector teams, Strategy Team and Trade Policy Unit and cross China network senior stakeholders, delivering against the needs of DIT China and Hong Kong.
• Run the DIT Marketing and Communications Cadre of MarComms Champions, running the training programme, embedding key skills and understanding within sector teams and ensuring smooth communication between sector teams and MarComms team.
• Drive an external stakeholder strategy, working with the team to build and maintain strategic external relationships with relevant media, KOLs and other partner organisations to benefit DIT marketing and communications activity.

Resource and Financial Accountability 10%:  Define and implement improved and robust mechanisms for resource and financial accountability by:

• Work closely with FCO colleagues to manage the marketing and communications bidding approach on behalf of the wider network to ensure access to the various funding streams for the network as a whole, including the support and approval process for network wide GREAT Challenge Fund bids as well as into DIT HQ.
• Create robust bids for campaign funding that demonstrate excellent ROI and return on influence and once funding is secured, ensure the evaluation is done and submitted on time and according to DIT insight and evaluation standards.
• Create a centre of excellence for bid creation and submission, providing expertise and insight to ensure first rate quality of marketing campaign bids generated across the China and Hong Kong network.
• Build robust, challenging and wide reaching suite of metrics and measures into all bids to ensure ROI.
• Ensure that all financial responsibilities are executed to government standard timelines and that financial data is maintained with 100% accuracy.

Corporate Contribution 10% – Play an active role in embedding the ‘DIT Spirit’ by identifying and progressing opportunities to promote the department’s values of being Expert, Engaged, Enterprising and Inclusive.   Proactively representing the DIT Marcoms project on strategic projects such as HMTC transition strands.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Line Management of 3 team members (2x C4L, 1x B3L)

Lead on campaign spend, budget tracking and evaluation

Strategic communications-written and verbal skills; proven campaign planning and evaluation experience; line and project management experience; media relations experience.