Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)
Northern Ireland Bureau / Northern Ireland Group / Invest Northern Ireland
Main purpose of job:
Based in the office of the British Embassy/Consulate in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, the job holder will be the key Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) representative in China of Invest Northern Ireland (INI). Reporting to the Regional Director of China based in Shanghai, the post holder will drive investment activities and generate new investment from companies in China into Northern Ireland (NI).
The post holder will work on their own accord and with the existing INI team and UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) in China to identify prospective FDI companies. The post holder will also identify and work strategically with senior business and government stakeholders in China as well as other external organisations and industry bodies to help develop relationships, build collaboration and enhance Northern Ireland’s reputation with the ultimate goal of securing Foreign Direct Investment into Northern Ireland.
The post holder will also be required to monitor expenditure and deliver activities within a pre-allocated budget. The post holder will work closely with the wider Invest Northern Ireland teams based in its Belfast headquarters, Asia Pacific and other locations.
The post-holder is expected to undertake travel on a regular basis within China, and when required, travel to the UK and other countries.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:
Proactively identify FDI prospects through market intelligence, personal and business connections, and research. Promote the Northern Ireland investment proposition and capability to key decision makers within these FDI companies so that they consider NI as an investment destination and ultimately invest in Northern Ireland.
- Develop a China FDI strategy to promote Northern Ireland capability which contributes to the overall goals of the Asia Pacific territory. Implement the most appropriate methods for improving brand awareness and perceptions of Northern Ireland and generating new prospective investment leads among companies in China. These could include (but is not limited to) the use of social media, seminar events, trade fairs, NI sector specialist visits, Ministerial roundtables and cooperative projects;
- Support the Regional Director of China to build Northern Ireland’s reputation alongside local and regional colleagues and develop a programme of activity to enhance the perception of Northern Ireland as a place to invest and do business with;
- Work with INI APAC Marcoms Director and the wider Marcoms team to develop marketing strategies for FDI in China to raise awareness and promote Northern Ireland
- Develop strong C-level relationships with targeted companies, government, stakeholders and influencers in China.
- Identify and attend investment conferences in the region, deliver in-market seminars and virtual webinars to promote Northern Ireland as an FDI destination;
- Build strong relationships within the British Embassy and Consulates, the UK Department of International Trade (DIT), the British Council, The Northern Ireland Bureau in China, Northern Ireland government representatives and other key stakeholders/business organisations in order to leverage their expertise and connectivity to promote NI as an FDI destination directly to their prospects;
- Tap into the network of NI ex-pats living and working in China and work with Northern Ireland’s global diaspora association Northern Irish Connections (NIC) to deliver economic returns to Northern Ireland;
- Manage relevant information sources and maintain accurate recording of customer and stakeholder information on Invest NI’s CRM and management systems;
- From time to time and in collaboration with the INI China team and wider INI APAC team, support Northern Ireland companies interested in the region by providing information they require to make informed business decisions by handling market research and assessment enquiries, conducting visits and setting up appointments and writing appropriate reports.
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
The post-holder is not required to manage staff. The post-holder will be required to manage and deliver specific events within a pre-allocated budget.
Essential on arrival:
- Educated to degree level ideally in a business or related function;
- Minimum 7 years’ experience in private or public sector organisation, of which at least three years were in a sales environment in China;
- Excellent communication, interpersonal & organisational skills;
- Experience in analysing information and preparation of reports;
- Fluent in Chinese – spoken and written;
- Fluent in English – spoken and written;
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint).
Language requirements:
English Other Languages: Chinese/Mandarin
Spoken: Excellent/Highly Proficient Spoken: Excellent/Highly Proficient
Written: Excellent/Highly Proficient Written: Excellent/Highly Proficient
- Investment sales background or a Foreign Direct Investment sales background;
- Knowledge of Northern Ireland, key sectors and economic drivers.
Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Delivering at Pace
5 September 2021
C4 (L)
Fixed Term, Full-time
35
24 months
Asia Pacific
China
Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai
British Consulate General
1
Chinese: CNY 29,488 ; British: CNY 38,425
27 September 2021
Internal LE Expatriate Candidates
The pandemic means it may not be possible to transfer between posts on the same residence permit. Rules differ by city. CB expatriate candidates should speak to HR about potential eligibility constraints before applying.
We offer a competitive package, which includes basic salary, good leave entitlement, and insurance plan, etc. The gross starting salary (before all deductions) for this position is RMB 29,488/ month for Mainland China Nationals and an abated monthly salary of RMB 38,425/ month for British Nationals and spouses/ partners (all nationalities) of diplomats who are ‘W’ (diplomatic) visa holders and meet passport criteria.
We also offer excellent development opportunities and a 22-day annual leave entitlement in pro rata. Conditioned working hours is 35 hours/ week from Monday to Friday and flexible working can be arranged upon personal needs. For more details on our Total Rewards Package, please visit our website http://www.gov.uk/government/world/china.
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
Induction training will be provided at Invest Northern Ireland’s Head office (subject to travel restrictions) and locally in China. The post-holder is obliged to undertake certain L&D mandatory courses offered through INI’s e-learning platform and also non-mandatory L&D courses delivered through this platform. From time to time L&D courses will be offered to the post holder as part of INI APAC continuous learning.
The British Embassy or Consulates have a wide range of learning and development opportunities for employees at all levels. All employees all strongly encouraged to invest in their own learning and development.
The jobholder will have access to a range of e-learning and face-to-face learning opportunities made available via the FCDO’s ‘International Academy’ and through Learning & Development programmes organised by FCDO China network. There will also be other formal and informal opportunities for professional development, eg. job shadowing, mentoring
Any other information (or specific local Post requirements):
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are locally recruited by the British Consulate General are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to Chinese local employment law.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. Any costs related to obtaining or renewing permits and visas are the responsibility of the successful applicant.
The British Consulate General is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on grounds of ethnic origin, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
This position is being advertised as a 24 months fixed-term position in Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, and will be extended subject to performance and availability of funding.
Working patterns:
Due to time difference with the UK, the post-holder may be required to work some evenings in order to meet deadlines or attend conference calls.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested.
We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
REMINDER:
Applicants are required to fill out the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, motivational segment and the competency based questions. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage so please ensure you provide information requested. Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core competencies listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time.
Indicated start date is provisional and subject to successful completion of reference and security checks.
To those applicants not short-listed, we extend our appreciation for considering the British Government as a potential employer.
To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate on the application form /in your cover letter where (ngotenders.net) you saw this job posting.