View Vacancy – Private Secretary / Chefe de Gabinete to Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for LATAC & Consul General Sao Paulo

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is the Trade and Investment Promotion and Negotiation organisation for the UK. We promote British trade and investment across the world, we support UK businesses overseas and attract foreign investment to our shores. We have 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries.

DIT divides the world into 9 regions, each led by Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC). The Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAC) HMTC is based in Sao Paulo and is responsible for a Network in 19 Posts with a team of over 140, as well as being Consul General for Sao Paulo.

We are looking to recruit a Private Secretary (Chefe de Gabinete) to support the HMTC in all their activity. This is a challenging role for an experienced candidate to work in a fast paced and high-profile environment in an important central role. It will suit a self-starter who is resilient under pressure and capable of working with multiple changing priorities. This position requires excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, tact, discretion and sensitivity.

Roles and responsibilities

HMTC / Consul General Support (70%)

• Drive forward the HMTC’s priorities and goals for the region, as set out in the Regional Trade Plan.
• Be the “gate-keeper” and first point of contact to the HMTC; managing the flow of information to and from HMTC. Ensure matters are prioritised on importance, deciding when to involve HMTC and/or others in the Network so that decisions can be made in a timely fashion. 
• Use your relationships, judgement and understanding of the wider context to support the HMTC in their work and to add value to the process and substance of decision making.
• Identify the main issues in complex problems, clarify understanding or stakeholder expectations, to provide the best advice to HMTC.
• Work with the Deputy Consul General and her team to ensure the Consul General functions and actions are appropriately actioned and/or deputised as needed.
• Plan, coordinate and execute all HMTC’s external and internal activity.
• Work with teams across the Network to ensure that HMTC is appropriately briefed and ready for the full range of engagements. Commission, coordinate and quality-control briefing (as necessary) from across the Network for the full range of stakeholder engagement, visits, media interviews, and external meetings and events.
• Organise, manage and prioritise the HMTC’s diary of programmes and commitments.
• Build constructive relationships with internal and external senior and working-level colleagues across LATAC network and the UK in order to deliver on HMTC and the region’s objectives.
• Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels to convey clear messages on behalf of the HMTC. 
• Manage HMTC’s expenses budget, ensuring spend is value for money, within guidelines and budget. Complete expenses on behalf of the HMTC. 
• Oversee the Sao Paulo Executive Office, managing the Sao Paulo Executive Assistant and DIT LATAC Ops Team Intern, to build a high-performing team that works across internal and external stakeholders.
  

Special Projects (20%):

• Contribute to add hoc LATAC focused projects. This includes, but not limited to: coordinate senior HMG Visits at a regional level and deliver the Trade and Prosperity annual Regional Conference.

Other (10%):

• Provide support to the COO and Deputy Trade Commissioner as needed.
• Act as Secretariat to the DIT Senior Leadership Team, ensuring information is prepared and circulated to attendees, and ensuring accurate meeting minutes are captured and key messages promptly circulated to attendees.
• Work with the COO to set the agenda for senior leadership meetings and all staff town halls.
• Work as a flexible member of the Consulate to support wider Consulate work as needed, including but not limited to, Crisis Work and other cross Mission work and activities.
• Be an active member of the regional DIT LATAC team.
  

• Undergraduate degree and other relevant professional qualification or experience.
• At least three years previous experience of EA, PA or similar work
• An excellent standard of written and spoken English;
• Ability to work quickly and reliably and to deliver at pace with limited supervision;
• Excellent self-management and organisational skills;
• Excellent team work and interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships;
• Ability to work in a high pressure, high workload environment;
• Flexible and positive approach to working in a forward thinking, modern and motivated organisation;
• Ability to manage upwards.