Job Category
Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
Job Subcategory
DIT
Job Description
The UK Department for International Trade (DIT), operating from the British High Commission network, is looking to fill a vacancy in our trade & investment team at the British Deputy High Commission Chandigarh. The UK Department for International Trade objectives are to secure UK and global prosperity by promoting international trade and investment, and championing free trade. The UK and India are currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. UK - India economic relationship is strong with trade of over £18bn in 2020, supporting nearly half a million jobs. India is already the UK’s second largest source of investment in terms of number of projects. In 2022, UK and Indian businesses accounted for more than £1 bn in new investments and export deals in areas from software engineering to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the UK. This is an exciting time to join.
This role will work towards two objective areas.
Agriculture, Agri-tech and Food & Drink sector trade:
Agricultural technology (Agri-Tech) is a rapidly growing sector helping to improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture which is more resilient to the vulnerabilities of climate change and supports the clean growth agenda. Food & Drink is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector and is central part of the UK -India trading relationship.
The job holder will have to work on the three pillars: Commercial Opportunities, Market Development and Market Access in order to achieve this. You will bring with you, or demonstrate how you would quickly acquire, an in-depth knowledge of the Agriculture and Food & Drink sector, ideally both in the UK and India. You will support a strategy based on this knowledge to turn the long-term potential of the sector into a pipeline of opportunities for UK business. To do so, you will identify and build relationships within the sector and build a pipeline of validated projects for UK business, particularly large or high-value deals which would require UK government support or involvement to win. You will then work with the DIT team in the UK and in other markets to bring UK companies to India and support them to win business, delivering towards the UK government’s commercial targets and wider trade objectives. You will also be expected to support the Senior Sector Manager (based in Chandigarh) and First Secretary/Agri Counsellor (based in New Delhi) with wider reporting and understanding of the Indian agricultural landscape.
Key sub-sectors of interest:
Agriculture and Agri-tech: Precision Farming, Dairy Technologies, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Cold Storages and Food Processing
Food & Drink: Healthy foods (gluten free, sugar free), Dairy products, Vegan products, Short breads and confectionery, Apples and alcoholic beverages - spirits and wine.
Investment
The job-holder will promote UK as ideal investment destination for potential and existing Indian investors from the region, working with them to help them set up or expand further operations in the UK. The role will be expected to ensure annual investment targets for the Chandigarh region are met and that a healthy pipeline of future investment projects is developed. The job holder will also be responsible for building solid links to, and working in partnership with, the UK Government’s investment partners and multipliers in the UK (London and Partners, Local Enterprise Partnerships etc.) to ensure potential investors are provided with seamless end-to-end service.
Wider responsibilities will also include collaborating with colleagues to contribute to business plan(s), strategic priorities to deliver DIT high level objectives, and, organising events and other kinds of tested activity, using project management techniques, with partner organisations such as TiE, NASSCOM, CII, FICCI, etc, in order to deliver campaign plans.
You will also be expected to assist and support the senior Inward Investment adviser and the team in effective delivery of VVIP, Ministerial, and Sector specialist’s etc. visits by organising meetings with new and existing investors both within the UK and India.
The British Deputy High Commission in Chandigarh is a small but friendly and high-performing team. The UK in India network has a strong L&D offer and culture aligned with the values of “Respect, Include, Excel.” The job holder will need to be a self-starter and collaborator with the confidence to represent the British Deputy High Commission with external stakeholders. You will work with colleagues across the British High Commission network In India, UK Government colleagues, Indian Government, business and industry stakeholders.
Roles and responsibilities:
Identify, validate and deliver a pipeline of high value projects and opportunities; plan and deliver activities to connect UK business to these opportunities and provide bespoke support to UK companies to win business. In doing so, meet DIT’s internal targets for both Trade and Investment, strategic relationship management business wins, return on investment and customer satisfaction/quality. With the wider team, build and manage senior level relationships with companies, government departments, trade associations, investment bodies and multipliers in the UK and Northern India
Trade
Inward Investment
Delegations and Ministerial Visits
Language requirements:
Language: Excellent written and spoken English is required; Spoken Hindi and Punjabi are desirable.
Level of language required: Fluent
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
Qualifications:
A graduate/postgraduate degree or equivalent qualification. Candidates without the required educational qualifications but with exceptional practical experience will be considered.
Essential:
Desirable:
Application deadline
12 July 2022
