View Vacancy – Trade Adviser B3 – (DIT) (04/21 YAO) – Maternity Cover – (Temporary Position)

About the Department:

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is the Trade Promotion and Negotiation organisation for the UK. We promote UK businesses overseas and attract foreign investment to our shores. We have 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries. Our aspiration is to address some of the challenges facing the UK, by helping British businesses to internationalise and grow overseas.

DIT Africa is one of the nine DIT global networks and is led by Emma Wade-Smith, HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa. The Africa Region is exciting and energising and UK firms have a strong presence here, making the UK the second largest investor on the continent. With some of the strongest growing economies in the world and booming population growth there are numerous more opportunities for UK firms; from tech start-ups in the West to infrastructure in the East. The Network’s role is to promote these opportunities and position the UK as the continent’s number one trading partner and investor.

You will join the Department for International Trade’s Africa network. This role will provide crucial leadership and expertise to enable the expansion.

Main Purpose of Role

Your role will have three elements: 

1. You will help build interest, offer advice and give support to British businesses seeking to trade and invest in Cameroon.
2. You will develop and manage a database of specialised sector information, maintain relations with relevant public and private experts and decision makers, and maintain channels to facilitate business between the UK and Cameroon through interventions in trade policy, as well as trade and investment promotion.
3. Assist the DIT Country Director in delivering against market targets, recording transactions, reporting activities and communicating within the wider DIT Africa network.

Roles and responsibilities (things the jobholder is expected to achieve):

Reporting to the DIT Country Director, you will help identify and deliver on opportunities for both new and existing UK business. Your routine will entail maintaining a network of operational level contacts across government and private sectors, processing and sharing information with internal and external stakehholders, monitoring procurement opportunities and proactively contacting British businesses, ensuring a good quality service is provided to them. Key responsibilities will include:

• Engage directly with British companies who have expressed an interest in exploring exporting opportunities in Cameroon in order to help deliver their trade and investment aims.
• Produce good quality and detailed reports providing market insights and sector- or product-specific information and analysis, charging where appropriate.
• Engagement with a multitude of  Government departments, agencies, companies and other organisations, at all levels, to ensure maximum co-operation and understanding of their current needs and aspirations, engaging credibly to build strong and meaningful relationships with stakeholders and clients in the UK and Cameroon;
• Develop a plan and prioritise for key sectors and areas of opportunities for UK firms – possibly sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, fintech, agritech, healthcare and education sectors.
• Assist in planning and running trade missions from the UK into Cameroon; 
• Use the various DIT databases and platforms to ensure good recording and reporting of in-country interactions and activities undertaken by the country team working on trade and investment; 
• Collaborate with colleagues across the DIT Africa network and DIT HQ to maximise opportunities, increase the impact of inward missions and other visits from the UK.    
• Support the DIT Country Director in preparing trade briefings, trade statistics, and pipeline of opportunities to include in annual business planning.
• Assist with VIP visits including responsibility for programme and logistics;   
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on economic and sector developments in Cameroon relevant to trade and working closely with One HMG partners in the High Commission to identify barriers to business.
• Attending various after work events, such as receptions at which many senior contacts will be present.
• Upload market access issues onto DMAS, a tailored digital platform for recording challenges encountered by companies trading internationally.

• At least three years relevant professional experience.
• You will need to be a self-starter with good sense of initiative and a healthy reporting culture.
• Excellent drafting skills in English, and fluency of written and spoken English is a prerequisite. Good working knowledge of French will be tested.
• Relevant postgraduate degree and / or undergraduate degree and other professional qualification.
• Be highly motivated, a keen problem solver, show strong organizational skills and be resourceful as a dependable team player.
• Demonstrate strong work ethic, ability to work amid tight deadlines and good professional judgment.
• Experience of trade and / or investment work, with good networking skills and demonstrated ability to establish and maintain contacts to deliver progress around business requests.