View Vacancy – Head of Infrastructure

Main purpose of job:

Lead the Infrastructure Sector Team at the Department for International Trade at the British Embassy Mexico City. You will work with UK exporters and investors in the infrastructure sector to deliver an increase in trade and investment in the sector, You will work across a virtual team (of policy, programme and commercial colleagues) to deliver trade and investment objectives as part of a cross Embassy infrastructure strategy, which includes a focus on clean growth. You will develop excellent relationships with UK and Mexican companies, and deliver an impactful programme of activity focused on developing a robust pipeline of UK exports and investment in the infrastructure sector throughout the supply chain, working to overcome barriers to market access, and to promote Mexico as a destination for UK companies. You will manage relationships with infrastructure business, employing good account management and customer service practice, and identifying opportunities to collaborate across sectors and geographies.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) works with UK businesses to support UK exports and bilateral investment in Mexico. Headquartered in Mexico City, DIT Mexico works across nine priority sectors, with regional offices in Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Lead the Infrastructure Campaign at the Department for International Trade, British Embassy Mexico (65%)

• Build a pipeline of UK companies considering international expansion, and develop business opportunities for these companies throughout Mexico
• Develop relationships with key stakeholders in DIT HQ, and relevant UK and Mexican infrastructure business organisations, building excellent market intelligence on the infrastructure sector in Mexico
• Proactively establish collaboration with Mexican infrastructure stakeholders within State governments across the country in order to map local opportunities, in parallel to working with the Federal government on flagship infrastructure projects
• Develop and deliver a programme of activity to support UK infrastructure companies to do more and higher quality business in Mexico, including high-level visits, trade missions, participation in external events, and account management. This will include being creative with virtual events, given the current global ways of working
• Promote UK expertise in the infrastructure sector amongst local decision makers, and work with DIT colleagues in London to promote Mexican business opportunities to UK industry
• Work with UK companies to overcome barriers to trade, leveraging relationships with government and regulators
• Ensure alignment with DIT country and regional (Latin America and the Caribbean) strategies, with a focus on quality and delivery of outcomes in step with colleagues across LATAC
• Work with other DIT sector teams (e.g. Tech, Defence & Security) to identify overlapping opportunities of scale

Lead the DIT Infrastructure contribution to the Embassy Future Cities Strategy (25%)

• Work with Prosperity Fund colleagues to identify, develop and deliver commercial opportunities for the UK in line with the primary benefits of the Future Cities programme (higher quality and better access to public services in mobility and city planning)
• Engage with Prosperity Fund colleagues, and the programme implementers, from the outset of project implementation, working to inform and influence the focus of the programme
• Develop a pipeline of Clean Growth solutions in infrastructure that complement the Future Cities programme’s green objectives, align with the UK’s clean growth ambitions, and introduce UK expertise in sustainable and innovative solutions to the Mexican market
• Contribute to the effective functioning of the Embassy Future Cities Virtual Team, collaborating with colleagues across programme and policy teams to find synergies and deliver cross-cutting work

Manage the team in line with Embassy values, contributing to the overall Embassy corporate objectives and ensure good financial, project and procurement management (10%)

• Effective line management of 1 x Trade and Investment Officer (A2 grade), through SMART objectives, uptake of L&D opportunities and high quality appraisals
• Ensure good financial, project and procurement management of work in the team
• As part of the DIT leadership team, deliver work in line with Embassy Values (Honesty, Professionalism, Inclusion & Respect)
• Contribute to the corporate objectives of the Embassy

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Resources: 1 x A2(L)

Budget: Sector team budget £~10k

• Account management, excellent stakeholder management skills and project management
• A BA degree in business or a related field
• At least four years of relevant business development experience and a solid understanding of the Mexican business environment
• Clear motivation and personal commitment to meeting challenging targets with a proven track record of achievement
• An excellent network of industry contacts in the Infrastructure sector in Mexico or the ability to develop such a network, including the ability to develop strategic relationships with key stakeholders
• Valid passport; the ability to attend official functions outside of office hours; and the ability to undertake domestic and international air travel, including overnight stays
• Line Management experience
• Language requirements: Fluent written and spoken English and Spanish