View Vacancy – Head of Financial and Professional Services

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow

About the Department for International Trade in North America

You will join the Department for International Trade which promotes exports to the North American continent of British goods and services, two way investment between the UK and North America, and mutual improved market access to help grow our bilateral trade. (See www.gov.uk/DIT for further information).

Within British Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates across North America, the Department for International Trade has 150+ members of staff spread across 14 locations, forming a dynamic team that focuses on various sectors including advanced engineering, technology, financial services, life sciences, food & drink, retail and energy & environment. The North America team works closely with our Headquarters teams in London, regional and local colleagues, representatives of the three Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, with a key objective of driving transatlantic trade and foreign investment into the UK. This is an exciting time to work for the Department for International Trade (DIT). Our mission is to promote British trade and investment across the world which is vital for the prosperity of the UK. DIT brings together export promotion, investment attraction and market access policy work to break down barriers to trade and investment to help businesses succeed.

This is a great opportunity to be part of an international team that contributes to the success of the UK’s trade goals.

Main Purpose of Role

This is a challenging and rewarding job. The jobholder needs to provide strong leadership of a high-performing sector team, good judgement in prioritising competing demands and keeping their teams focused on the delivery of the North America network’s strategy and objectives. They will also need strong communication and influencing skills and commercial awareness in order to perform their client-facing role and be credible with senior stakeholders in business and government.

The Head of Financial and Professional Services leads DIT’s work in a sector that is vital to the success of the UK economy in our most important market. The role is responsible for strategic planning, setting ambitious performance goals and implementing a diverse program of work that drives increase inward investment to the UK and grows UK exports to North America.

The Head of Financial and Professional Services is also responsible for aligning DIT’s work in North America with other UK Government Departments (HM Treasury, BEIS, FCDO) to ensure our teams in North America are doing all they can to maximise exports and investment, to address market access barriers and improve our trading relationship with the US and Canada.

Roles and responsibilities:

Leadership and   Management

• Provides strategic leadership for the North America Financial and Professional Services team to deliver HMG priorities on trade and investment, drawing on a deep understanding of sector macro and micro economics, policy considerations, US-UK and Canada-UK business dynamics, direct client relationships, and oversight of the team’s resources and capacity.
• Leads the annual business planning process for the Financial and Professional Services Team in order to set strategic priorities, identify event support, steer team direction, and allocate resources, and to align with the priorities of their UK counterparts, policy teams and other UK Government colleagues in North America, reporting to HM Trade Commissioner’s Advisory Group.
• Co-ordinates sector-related Learning & Development based on training needs of the Financial and Professional Services Team.
• Provides in-person and virtual support across North America, including other geographical regions in which they are not based, around major events, VIP visits, key account management or high value investment and export deals.
• Identifies new market opportunities in North America and the UK that will help drive increased export revenue for UK companies and new investment from the US and Canada.
• Demonstrates strategic leadership working with partners in the Network on matters relevant to the businesses ranging from the UK-US, UK-Canada and CPTPP Free Trade Agreements (FTA), the UK’s ambitious climate goals, and UK-US and UK-Canada collaboration help each country Build Back Better from the Coronavirus pandemic.
• Creates and executes new approaches that may increase overall economic opportunity for Financial and Professional Services firms and drive new business.
• When applicable, advise the UK’s Ambassador to the US and High Commissioner to Canada and their respective teams on the key commercial opportunities in Financial and Professional Services.
• Manages sector budgets to within 1% of overall allocation.
• Work closely with the DIT Regional Director in New York to provide regional leadership including in support of Consul General and Deputy Consul General engagement, to develop and deliver regional trade and investment strategies, and to provide corporate leadership for the wider DIT team at Post

Delivery

• Accountable for delivering the Financial and Professional Services Integrated Sector Plan in North America and for meeting export and inward investment targets. Maintains and regularly reviews progress against targets with team members regularly reviews investment and export pipelines. In doing so, the role works closely with Financial and Professional Services counterparts in DIT’s headquarters in the UK, wider UK Government Departments, Economic and Financial Services colleagues at the British Embassy in Washington DC and High Commission in Ottawa, and the North American Network’s senior leadership.

• Demonstrates strategic leadership working with partners in the UK Government’s broader priorities in North America, including the UK-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the UK’s climate ambitions including our upcoming Presidency of COP26, and UK-US/UK-Canada collaboration to ‘build back better’ following the Coronavirus pandemic. This includes working with businesses to gather intelligence, supporting policy colleagues to address market access barriers, influencing businesses on commitments to net-zero, and collaborating to identify and build long-term strategic economic initiatives to underpin innovative economies of the future.
• Proactively works with Strategic Communications and Marketing teams to initiate, develop and implement sector plans including digital campaigns, PR and collateral development to ensure DIT maximises impact from successful investment and export wins, and showcases UK leadership and innovation in key sectors. Provide advice and guidance to GREAT campaign and public affairs teams in the North American market.

• Leads on key account management of existing and potential high value investors and trade partners, at CEO/Board level from North America for the Financial and Professional Services sectors.
• Ensures effective frameworks are in place and responsibilities agreed with other senior leaders across the network including Consuls-General, Deputy Trade Commissioners and Regional Directors, and that business intelligence is used to inform business planning and pipeline development.
• Oversight and delivery of large-scale activities and events when needed.
• Liaises with key contacts across trade organisations, English regions and Devolved Administrations (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), and major event producers to align interests and delivery objectives.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Strategic leadership of the North America Financial and Professional Services Team (approximately 15 people)
• Financial responsibility for multiple programme activities from various sources including other Government Stakeholders and commercial sponsorships. 
• Management of local team running cost budgets.    

Essential on arrival:

• Undergraduate degree.
• At least 10 years professional experience, gained within a business development or economic development role, ideally in asset management, wealth management, private equity or a related field.
• At least 5 years leadership experience, ideally in asset management, wealth management, private equity or a related field.
• Proven competence in leading strategy development and business planning
• Proven advisory and influencing skills at senior levels, able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• An understanding of international relations and UK Government policy. Ability to build, manage and foster a highly productive, team-oriented, agile culture.
• Ability to influence others and gain buy-in at the team, peer and executive level.
• An excellent network of industry contacts in the sector and the ability to develop new networks, including demonstrating the ability to develop strategic relationships with senior industry figures.
• Proven experience delivering creative and innovative solutions to business challenges.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and networking skills.

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents or A visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at our office. Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa. All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work.
*A visas are acceptable at the Embassy and Consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas, and British Defense Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas.