C4(L) - Head of UK Trade and Investment, Kenya

A vacancy has arisen at the British High Commission for a C4(L) Head of UK Trade and Investment, Kenya. The British High Commission Nairobi consists of 360 employees with a wide variety of experience and job roles, representing 10 government departments working within Kenya and Somalia.The position is graded at C4(L) for which the current salary starts at Ksh. 304,212/- per month before deduction of tax. Where the successful candidate is not liable to Kenyan tax, the salary will be abated under HM Treasury regulations to Ksh. 219,076/- per month to take account of the tax they would have paid.The job requires candidates to have Security clearance to OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE level before the start date.This new position will lead the 5 member UKTI team in Nairobi, having direct managerial responsibility for two Trade Development Managers. UKTI is the United Kingdom Government’s international business development agency. The UKTI team in Kenya is charged with trade development between the UK and Kenya, assisting Kenyan companies looking to set up operations or expand in the UK and alerting and informing British businesses about opportunities in Kenya. The team also contributes to Her Majesty’s Government’s work on the Prosperity agenda through working alongside Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development colleagues, providing high quality advice and analysis regarding the business environment and commercial potential in market.This is a great opportunity to work in an exciting and challenging environment on a high profile agenda within the British High Commission. The Head of Trade and Investment will be a confident self-starter, have excellent communication, team leadership and management skills, ability to network with a wide range of contacts and manage staff and budgets effectively. The role will involve some international travel.Lead and manage the Nairobi UKTI team, while reporting to the Head of UKTI, East Africa and also to the British High Commissioner and Deputy Head of Mission. Responsibility for the UKTI budget.Promote Kenya as a destination and ensure that the profile of the Kenya market is raised in the UK to ensure that exports to Kenya increase; that UKTI Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and market research targets are met through promotion of UKTI services; and other pre-determined targets are met.Lead on Trade Missions, Ministerial and other VIP visits, as well as conferences and events.Maintain an effective network of contacts, especially in the priority sectors (Energy, Infrastructure, Financial Services, Agriculture, ICT), across Kenyan government ministries, relevant organisations/associations and the private sector, as well as with the other East African UKTI posts.Provide advice to potential investors and businesses highlighting commercially related opportunities and developments.Support the UK’s Commercial Diplomacy agenda through robust analysis of the business climate and relevant reform agendas and by working with FCO and DFID colleagues on improving the business climate in Kenya, through active participation in the Growth and Prosperity Group.Support the set up and running of a British Chamber of Commerce jointly with the British Business Association of Kenya.Provide support and work alongside the Regional Head of UKTI East Africa, contributing towards the two large priority projects: East Africa Oil and Gas High Value Opportunity (HVO) and LAPSSET HVO.The successful candidate will be a competent and dynamic manager, with experience of international/regional/Kenya trade and investment issues and a proven track record of fostering business relationships or a demonstrated understanding of commercial enterprise. They should have excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work autonomously to deliver a wide range of responsibilities whilst remaining engaged with a wider team of colleagues across HMG, as well as the ability to speak credibly with senior representatives of public and private sector organisations. The chosen candidate should have fluency in written and oral English, have energy, drive and a willingness to work under time pressure and able to prioritise, effectively manage and execute multiple tasks to a high standard, both through individual and team delivery.The candidate should be able to demonstrate the following civil service competencies:Seeing the Big Picture - having an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives and the wider public needs. It is about scanning the political context and taking account of wider impacts to develop long term implementation strategies that maximise opportunities to add value to the citizen and support economic, sustainable growth.Making Effective Decisions - being objective; using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. Leaders will be creating evidence based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions.Collaborating and Partnering - creating and maintaining positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the High Commission to help get business done. It requires working collaboratively, sharing information and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions.Building Capacity for All - having a strong focus on continuous learning for oneself, others and the organisation. Being open to learning, about keeping one’s own knowledge and skill set current and evolving.Managing a Quality Service – being organised to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. People who are effective plan, organise and manage their time and activities to deliver a high quality and efficient service, applying programme and project management approaches to support service delivery.Delivering at Pace - focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. Working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. Building a performance culture to deliver outcomes with a firm focus on prioritisation and addressing performance issues resolutely, fairly and promptly.The British High Commission has not appointed any agents to process job applications or arrange interviews for this position and expects no fees to be paid to anyone.Applications – (CV plus completed application form) clearly marked: “C4(L) Head of UKTI Kenya” should be forwarded to the following address:Applications should be received on or before 4pm Monday 12 May 2014. Only successful candidates will be contacted for interview.Your application will not be acknowledged. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Selection will include a paper application review process and interview.