View Vacancy – Regional Specialist – Life Sciences NPH

The Department for International Trade (DIT) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets and encourage the best companies from the US to look to the UK as their global partner of choice. You will act as a Regional Specialist for Life Sciences promoting investment opportunities into the North of England. Operating across the South Central US region, your territory will include the states of TX, LA, AR, OK, NM, and you will be based in Houston. This forms part of the UK government’s agenda to increase US investment into the UK regions and support the UK economy. 

DIT’s network in the United States is a high performing and highly respected team of experts spread across 9 cities, covering all 50 states. The US is consistently the most important bilateral trading partner for the UK and its most important source of inward investment.

You will lead on promoting Life Sciences investment into the North of England known as the Northern Powerhouse region (NPH). You will work closely with the UK Regions Investment hubs, DIT Sector teams, regional specialists, IST (Investment Services Team) and local partners to achieve this. 

Main Purpose

The post advertised is for a Regional Specialist Life Sciences position based in the British Consulate General in Houston, working remotely during COVID -19 office restrictions, in the Life Sciences sector. The successful candidate must be located within commutable distance to the British Consulate in downtown Houston.

Reporting into the Regional Director for the South Central US region with direction from the Trade and Investment Officer (TIO) for Life Sciences, the successful candidate will identify, engage, and account manage potential investors into the UK. They will develop a deep understanding of the Life Sciences sector and be able to clearly communicate UK opportunities to US businesses looking towards international growth. They will use the DIT account management framework to grow and maintain a client pipeline through outreach and lead-generation.

To be successful, the job holder will need to be innovative, detail-oriented, and proactive. They will have exceptional organizational skills, be deft at relationship management with both external clients and US/UK government stakeholders, be able to analyse emerging market trends in order to respond to new opportunities, and have some experience in sales and/or business development. They will also need to develop new contacts, leads, and deepen relationships. They will be required to attend official functions outside of office hours and undertake occasional travel (US and UK) when safe to do so. They should be confident in using virtual platforms to engage clients and be creative in how they use them.

Alongside a competitive salary compared to similar economic development organizations, DIT offers exceptional benefits. These include approximately 3 weeks paid vacation to start (increasing with tenure) plus public holidays, excellent healthcare options, and parental leave. DIT also offers the opportunity to be part of an inclusive and diverse team of people. DIT strives to be a place where people can bring their whole selves to work and to make teams reflective of the cities in which they’re based.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Forge strong relationships with business leaders, trade associations, and interlocutors both in the UK and the US.

• Build and maintain current knowledge of market trends, incentives, and centres of excellence in both the U.S. and the UK to identify commercial opportunities and provide informed advice to clients

• Provide comprehensive account management to key US prospects looking to set up in the UK, and support US companies already active in the UK to grow their footprint.

• Build and manage a pipeline of high value, knowledge-driven projects.

• Develop and implement impactful, targeted marketing programs and events in conjunction with partners and stakeholders to build DIT awareness, promote key messages, and showcase UK competitiveness.

• Track and report on US life sciences trends, identifying potential Market Access Barriers

• Develop and host roundtables, VIP visit programs, speak as a panellist and or keynote.

• Proactively contribute to cross-team activities, programs and support a collaborative and transparent workplace

• Plan, deliver and monitor targeted sector campaigns to showcase the business opportunities in NPH. Generate leads and provide exceptional client service to investors actively considering the North of England. 

• Develop a good understanding of the NPH propositions and opportunities and present as options to potential investors.  

• Ensure regional opportunities and expertise are fed into campaigns being run in local markets which are relevant to the strengths of NPH. 

• Set up a business network of Northerners working locally who can help to champion the region’s strengths. 

• Scope out and organise roundtables/seminars which UK regional sector specialists can deliver and ensure a strong audience of potential investors. 

• Scope out relevant inward missions to NPH and recruit participants, working with UK based teams to organise and deliver the programme. 

• Provide DIT sector specialists, UK Regions colleagues and local partners with in-country support including (but not limited to): contributing to briefing and reporting as required, facilitating official programmes, webinars and events, connecting visitors with senior stakeholders in market. 

• Act as the point of contact for VIP visits/missions from NPH and ensure there are company and senior level meetings in place. 

• Provide a monthly update on activity to local partners NP11 to ensure alignment with local ambitions and targeted local support. 

• Develop and maintain strong working relationship with DIT UK Regions Investment hubs, regional sector specialists, DIT Sector colleagues and specialists, regional partners, the Investment Services Team (IST) and colleagues at post. 

• Contribute to wider Embassy reporting. 

• Provide support to British Nationals when the Consulate is in crisis mode in the circumstances such as but not limited to hurricanes, floods, pandemics and other unexpected events.

• Knowledge of Life Sciences sector.   

• Minimum 3 years’ commercial experience. 

• Cultural awareness and functional knowledge of the local business environment.  

• Experience of developing relationships and building influence with multiple stakeholders in the public and private sector. 

• High-quality day-to-day data management. 

• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken.  

• Ability to draft succinct reports and provide briefing for generalist and specialist audiences, including for ministers, often to very tight deadlines.  

• Good interpersonal skills.  

• Team player who can work on their own initiative and across virtual teams.

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.