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Job Title:    Country Director DIT

Organization: British High Commission (BHC)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Salary: UGX 10,995,000 /=

About US:

The British High Commission is the diplomatic liaison office that aims to develop and maintain close bilateral relations with Uganda, in accordance with British government policies. The British High Commission is responsible for the political relationship between the UK and Uganda, and we provide advice and guidance on political and governance issues. BHC provides assistance and documentary services to British nationals in Uganda.

Job Summary:  The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) is the government department responsible for securing UK prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment, and championing free trade. In Uganda, DIT is a key  team within the British High Commission. It identifies, creates and supports new business development in Uganda for UK companies, supports new market entry and success in Uganda in winning export contracts for the UK, and helps UK companies to make successful business investments in Uganda, contributes to trade policy and market access issue resolution and develops close relationships with key buyers in Uganda.

The Country Director in Uganda leads the DIT team, builds commercial relationships between the two countries, drives UK exports to Uganda, and supports the cross-government agenda in fostering a better business environment in Uganda.

Job Summary:  This is an exciting, challenging and high profile opportunity at the British High Commission (BHC) in Uganda. The Department for International Trade is responsible for promoting British trade interests around the world. We provide operational support for exports and facilitate inward and outward investment. With the promotion of prosperity lying at the heart of the British Government’s policy in Uganda, this is a critical role. The challenge lies in understanding the right approaches to progress projects in the complex business environment that is Uganda, and in helping UK companies to create the right strategies to win support for their projects, including at the top level of the Ugandan Government. The Country Director will be a senior advisor on trade development within the BHC team, advising on strategies to increase sustainable trade for the long-term, representing UK business issues to the wider BHC team. There is also a challenge in developing the right strategies to overcome market access issues, bringing together political, business environment, local and international perspectives, identifying the right approaches to reach success. The Country Director must have the right access to people to determine which projects will be successful, and the methods to increase probability of success.

This is an outward facing, relationship management role, the success of which will be in developing key relationships with Ugandan government officials, regulatory and trade agencies, business stakeholders and the wider embassy growth team. The job holder will build and utilise a significant support network in Africa and the UK, across both government and trade bodies, as well as international trade and development organisations with the aim of supporting successful business investment and trade access between the UK, Uganda and internationally.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Deliver export and outward investment wins for British businesses in Uganda with a main focus on key priority sectors namely infrastructure, renewable energy, agritech and health. The role entails direct leadership of the infrastructure sector in Uganda and oversight of renewables, agritech and health leads. This role requires strategic awareness, significant engagement with business and government, and good team management. A key component of the role will be to engage with key stakeholders involved in developing and structuring UK-led financing for projects including UK Export Finance, UK Government DFIs and UK private sector capital. The post holder will need to be able to build and maintain an extensive network of contacts both in the private sector and the Ugandan Government, and to advise UK companies effectively on the nature of opportunities across the range of sectors.
• To lead the team’s delivery on Trade Policy and Market Access by providing strategic leadership in identifying key areas of engagement that will further develop the UK-Uganda trade relationship for shared prosperity and develop G2G, G2B and B2B engagements that will lead to key outcomes. A key focus will be in promoting a UK-Uganda G2G trade forum and identifying and resolving market access and business environment barriers affecting bilateral trade. The post holder will need a high level of strategic awareness of trade issues and the ability to decide when and how to bring in seniors, including the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda and UK Ministers. This role will require close collaboration with FCDO colleagues and the Senior Leadership Team at the British High Commission in Kampala.
• Lead and manage the DIT team in Uganda, while reporting to, and coordinating corporate responsibilities within DIT Africa and the British High Commission in Kampala. The post holder will have responsibility for the DIT Kampala budget and manage the team currently comprised of three staff, including the Country Director. The post holder will need to build on the team’s capabilities and key strengths to achieve its objectives, develop the team’s resilience and increase the team’s capabilities through learning and development in line with DIT’s mandate and ambitions.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal candidate for the British High Commission (BHC) Country Director job placement must hold a Degree in business, economics, management, finance or related field, post-graduate qualifications in a related field will be an added advantage
• Five or more years of experience in developing new business and structuring commercial projects in the Ugandan private sector
• Strong understanding of Ugandan market
• Experience in business investment issues, and understanding of issues for exporters to Uganda
• Management experience particularly delivering through others.
• Experience of working successfully with the Ugandan Government on commercial projects
• The ideal candidate should be an excellent manager, able to deliver through others to exceed a challenging set of targets for export and ODI wins for UK companies, making use of project management skills and developing a systematic approach to maintain focus and momentum and achieve results. They will have drive and proven ability to work autonomously to deliver a wide range of responsibilities while remaining engaged with a team of colleagues across the UK Government and will need to be self-sufficient and proactive, possessing the ability to resolve complex problems, and to drive the team forward without the need for regular oversight.
• An important aspect of the team’s work is to contribute to the British Government’s broader economic and development agenda, by working alongside FCDO colleagues in particular by taking a leadership role on the Mission’s growth agenda. The successful candidate will need to be able to see the bigger picture of how their team’s work fits into a broader whole, identify and promote UK business interests in this context, collaborating closely with colleagues in other government departments. Through effective prioritisation, and identification of solutions to business issues, they will ensure that the DIT office contributes corporately to the rest of the Mission’s work.
• The successful candidate will have experience of international and Ugandan trade and investment issues and possess demonstrable commercial expertise, with a track record of fostering business relationships in order to deliver a high standard to their customers. These will be backed up by excellent networking abilities, particularly in DIT Kampala’s priority sectors (infrastructure, renewable energy, agritech and health), and the ability to be a credible representative of the UK Government to senior representatives in both the public and private. They will have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with impact, including to senior figures in Post in a high-profile Mission.
• Competencies: Making Effective Decisions, Leading and Communicating, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Managing a Quality Service

How to Apply:

All candidates who wish to join the British High Commission should apply online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 16^th February 2022

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