Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Economic and Prosperity
Main purpose of job:
The UK Government’s £1.2bn Prosperity Fund aims to promote economic growth in developing countries. Brazil has been identified as a priority partner country and has up to £80 million of funding available across various programmes.
The Global Trade Programme (GTP) is the largest in the PF portfolio and will provide technical assistance and other support to facilitate free trade and open markets for Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible Middle Income Countries (MIC), enabling greater investment and interaction with global value chains to create jobs and prosperity, thus reducing poverty. The GTP will deliver secondary benefits through increasing market access for international business, including from the UK, as well as building bilateral partnerships on trade related issues with key emerging markets in support of the UK trade strategy.
The British Mission in Brazil is seeking to hire a Prosperity Fund Global Trade IP Policy Officer to deliver IP projects under the GTP in Brazil, quality assure deliverables, and maintain a close relation with Brazilian institutions to support and advance UK’s intellectual property objectives in in Brazil. The Policy Officer will initially be working on a £3-4m project to improve Intellectual Property (IP) rights granting processes in INPI (Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial).
This role will work closely with INPI, the Programme Delivery Partner and GTP Programme Manager in Brazil, to ensure any activities which are undertaken are well structured and have the right focus and quality to meet the programme objectives. The post holder will work with delivery partners and the GTP Programme Manager to ensure that the project remains on track and within scope. They will identify and highlight any workflows that need to be adjusted, accelerated, escalated or stopped. The post holder will report to the UK’s IP attaché to Latin America, the GTP Programme Manager in Brazil, and relevant project boards monthly, or earlier if needed. In addition, the post holder will help identify and develop new IP-related project ideas, and work alongside the IP attaché and GTP partners to develop these into firm proposals
The jobholder will also work closely with the Brazilian Government to identify capability gaps and develop technical assistance programmes, in partnership with internal stakeholders (e.g. colleagues from UK government agencies and Embassies), and UK businesses.
The jobholder will apply their IP technical knowledge (e.g. protection, commercialisation, enforcement) to play a key role in building IP capacity and expertise for Brazil. The role is full time and may involve some regional travel (flexible).
This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for the successful candidate to be part of a high profile and strategic UK Government development initiative to improve economic development and trade, and foster deeper relations between the UK and Brazil. The successful candidate will be based in Rio de Janeiro and be part of a worldwide network of 230 Posts representing British prosperity, security, and consular interests overseas. It is a vibrant international organisation committed to diversity and staff development.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:
The cross-government Prosperity Fund (PF) was established under the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) with the primary aim of supporting growth in recipient countries and thereby reducing poverty. As such, it represents a key component of the prosperity pillar of the UK Aid Strategy. But the Fund uniquely focuses on promoting growth in ODA-eligible middle income countries, which are home to around 60% of the world’s poor and where the development challenges remain significant, but at the same time are important business partners and drivers of prosperity. By delivering high impact, strategic multi-year programmes, across high opportunity countries, regions and sectors, the Fund will help create opportunities for international business, including UK companies. As the UK leaves the EU, an even more outward-looking global Britain investing and trading with the fastest growing markets will become increasingly important.
Around 25 multi-year programmes have so far been endorsed by the Ministerial Board. These cover trade, anti-corruption, infrastructure, business environment, health, future cities, education, financial services, energy and outward investment. For more information, see the Prosperity Fund Annual Report 2018/2019.
We are looking for an energetic and pro-active individual with a keen understanding of Intellectual Property (IP) issues to deliver a high value project with INPI, designed to improve its rights granting function. The post holder will also develop and deliver other IP capacity building and technical assistance projects to Brazil.
Main Duties:
- Manage relationship with INPI as the project progresses, ensuring that all the defined milestones are delivered.
- Act as the primary point of contact between INPI, the GTP team in Brasilia and other delivery partners.
- Quality assure project deliverables to make sure the programme meets in intended objectives.
- Work closely with the GTP Programme Manager in Brazil to report on programme progress, mitigate risks, support to write programme reports.
- Attend all INPI, GTP, and IPO project panels and provide insight into how project delivery is progressing. Identify any gaps that emerge and work with partners to proactively find solutions.
- Work with Regional IP Attaché to build and maintain networks and relations with government officials and policy-makers in Brazil.
- Work with the IP attaché to Latin America to identify opportunities for further technical assistance project, and assist with delivery.
- You will also be expected to act as a gender champion in your role, ensuring Gender Equality Act (2014) compliance and supporting the implementation of gender policy and guidance so that, at the least, no harm is done and gender inequality is not worsened. You will actively support PF and GTP ambitions on women’s economic opportunities, inclusive growth and poverty reduction through your department / team.
- At least 3 years’ experience in developing, implementing, and delivering training or technical assistance programmes/projects, preferably in a regional or international co-operation context.
- Strong knowledge of IP policies in Brazil and international best practices, including from the UK.
- A sound understanding of how IP supports innovation and development in Brazil.
- Knowledge of project management skills. Experience working on government projects is an advantage.
- Good interpersonal skills with a focus on customer service and relationship management.
- A university degree in Law, International Relations, Business Administration or co-related areas. Specialisation in Intellectual Property is an advantage.
- Excellent written and spoken English and Portuguese.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
- Creative problem solver with strong initiative and drive.
- Able to front projects, have quick turnarounds, and work independently and/or as a team.
- Understanding or knowledge of curriculum development and training.
- Able to travel occasionally (flexible arrangements).
Collaborating and Partnering, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Delivering Value for Money, Engaging Internationally
3 November 2020
B3 (L)
Full-time, Permanent
36
Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean
Brazil
Rio De Janeiro
British Consulate General
1
R$ 8,103.66
4 January 2020
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
Staff: No direct line management is envisaged at this time. However, candidates with strong drive and initiative with good project management and creative problem solving skills are preferred given that the jobholder will be working (mostly) individually to deliver the project outcomes.
Resources: No direct budget management is envisaged at this time. However, the jobholder will support GTP Manager in Brazil to oversee and financially manage IP projects in Brazil, which have a total budget of £3.6 million.
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to developing its staff. There will be opportunities for formal training alongside collaborating with a wide range of colleagues delivering on-the-job learning:
- Working in a diplomatic mission;
- Understanding how UK international development assistance is managed / implemented;
- Understanding effective programme management through FCDO Prosperity Fund Programme Training.
Working patterns:
This is a full time post. The post holder would be able to work flexibly in the following ways:
- Altered working hours (e.g. starting early or late), provided the post holder was able to make calls with colleagues in the region and in the UK when necessary and able to travel as required; and
- Some regional travel will be required (flexible arrangement).
The British Embassy Network offers a strong benefits package. This package includes generous vacation and leave time, flexible working patterns, and an enriching learning and development opportunities. Eligibility to work and live in Brazil is required.
This position will be based in the British Consulate in Rio de Janeiro.
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