Senior Director, Project Planning

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.

We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law.

We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
The role involves delivering the trade policy that significantly impacts both nations' economies.

If you're passionate about international relations, policy, trade, and investment, and ready to take on a leadership position that matters on a global stage, we encourage you to apply.

You will develop a strategy to shape and deepen the UK's trade policy priorities fin New England, including at State level.

You also will lead a team of 11 (with direct line management for seven) to increase US investments into the UK in key economic sectors, including life sciences, financial and professional business services, capital investment, technology and clean energy.

You will work closely with senior management at post, acting as the senior point of contact and advisor to the Consul General on regional trade policy and investment opportunities.

Leading regional trade policy.
Leading a team of 11 trade and investment officials at post (direct line management for seven).

You will also build and maintain a strong network of senior level contacts across the region to assist you and your team with their delivery work.

Trade Policy:

You will lead the Consulate's work to deepen the UK's trading relationship with States in your region, including building an influencing campaign for a future UK-US Free Trade Agreement.

This includes understanding and influencing trade policy at a state level to align with UK policies; leading the delivery of trade policy strategies for your States; and, building support for trade liberalisation with the UK across your region.

You will become the expert on the trade policy issues in New England and act as the lead point of contact for the Trade Policy Team at British Embassy Washington to deliver regionally focused trade policy campaigns.

The UK Government has committed to a programme of reaching agreements (Memoranda of Understanding or MOUs) that are negotiated with, and unique to, individual states.

provide frameworks to help address trade barriers, increase trade and investment and enhance business networks; In New England, there are two such arrangements:

one with Maine on clean energy; Working closely with the team in Boston, the Trade Policy Team in Washington, and State governments, you will play a key role in maintaining momentum on these existing partnerships as well as negotiating new MOUs.

Beyond our work on MOUs, you will be responsible for influencing policymakers in State Governments to adopt the UK's policy priorities on mutual recognition of professional qualifications, including making a strong case where States require changes to their legislative statutes.

You will also be responsible for building networks with key procurement leads within State Procurement Offices and State Purchasing Divisions to deliver UK policy on procurement access.

This will include identifying the key players across the States in your consular patch and establishing new networks to understand their priorities.

You will identify commercial opportunities, working with State authorities where necessary as well as with the UK's Science and Innovation Network and with trade policy leads in Washington.

Your team will manage a range of high-profile key accounts of the largest US investors into the UK and you will support them to build strong pipelines of new investment and export projects to deliver in the future.

You will also lead your team so that their work on trade and investment delivers against the opportunities unlocked by your trade policy work, with a particularly focus on sectors named in the State level MOUs.

You will take your people leadership and management seriously and recognise that good management is part of our corporate culture.

You will manage the regional budget in line with DBT's financial requirements.

Stakeholder management:

You will bring and develop an extensive network of relationships across policy makers, think tanks, and influencers across New England.

You will be responsible for maintaining a strong relationship with the Consulate's key stakeholders on trade policy, including within State governments.

You will also be the Consulate's key point of contact for the business community in the region with a strong network across business organisations including chambers of commerce, trade associations and senior business leaders.

You will model outstanding key account management for your team, supporting them to discover and develop new relationships with key business investors and influencers.

You will contribute to broader Consulate, British Embassy and UK initiatives in support of prosperity, innovation and economic growth by ensuring your team maximises the Consulate's wider political, cultural and promotional activity for your business, investment and trade policy stakeholders.

In addition, you will play an active role in the senior leadership team in the Consulate, including responding to crises if and when they arise.

We employ over 150 people across North America, all united by our mission: we are redrawing the UK's rules to ensure businesses thrive and markets are competitive, securing investment into the UK, advising and supporting British businesses to grow and export, opening up new markets globally and promoting free trade, economic security, and resilient supply chains.

Build an understanding of and expertise in state trade policy across all key sectors in New England; negotiating with and influencing State level counterparts on a range of policy areas including MOUs.

Build and maintain strong networks of relevant contacts for trade policy and promotion (state-level administration, legislators, business policy representatives, senior business leaders, commercial organisations, think-tanks, media and other interest groups).

Develop an influencing strategy to build regional support for key UK-US trade policy priorities, including a Free Trade Agreement and adoption of mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Translating trade policy priorities into an effective trade and investment strategy for the region, including supporting your team to deliver against State-level MOUs, including the UK-Maine MOU and the UK-Connecticut Insurtech Corridor.

Leading the DBT team in your region to deliver high quality programmes for Ministerial and senior UK Government visits to New England.

Management of regional department budget.

Leads a team of 11 with direct line management of 7 Senior Trade and Investment Officers each representing a different priority sector.

Excellent management and leadership skills with the ability to deliver results through others.
Proven competence in leading strategy development and business planning.
Excellent stakeholder management abilities.
Proven advisory and influencing skills at senior levels.
Excellent interpersonal, presentation and networking skills.
Manage budget and make resource recommendations to senior leadership.

An excellent network of industry contacts and the ability to develop new networks with senior business and industry leaders.

Must be able to attend events outside of office hours and undertake travel in the US and internationally for up to 10% of your time.

Language requirements:

Language:
English

Level of language required:
Full-time, Permanent
Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories
British Embassy
This role is 40 hours a week.

The British Embassy and its US Network embraces hybrid working You are required to work from the office 3 days a week.

We are an organization that also recognises the critical value of teamwork, and we embrace and endorse collaboration by ensuring that all staff attend the office flexibly yet regularly.

Learning and development opportunities:
The British Embassy and its US Network is committed to all employee's ongoing learning and development needs.

We offer a comprehensive platform for personalised learning for everything from soft skill development (communicating with impact, handling difficult conversations, time management) to more technical or professional skills necessary to complete your job (software training, formal qualifications etc.).

The UK Government operating in the US offers a substantial benefits package including generous leave, a choice of medical insurance, 401(k) matching up to 7%, extensive learning opportunities and a great work/life balance.

Generous leave package plus public holidays
Paid sick leave
Generous parental leave policy
A great work-life balance including flexible start and finish times and a hybrid working model with staff splitting their time between working from home and the office
Short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance coverage
High quality L&D services with global sessions and events every day to help you develop and meet organisational needs, including up to 5 days paid leave each year to pursue your professional development
All new team members learn about how they can contribute to an inclusive environment and the importance of diversity and inclusion
Please no phone calls. Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, e.g.

some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

The British Embassy is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and to creating a diverse working environment, free from discrimination, where everyone is included and treated fairly, based on merit alone.

We are an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions without regard to race, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or any other criterion protected by law.

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents, A and NATO visa holders with EAD cards, and L2 visa holders with an up-to-date I-94 form.

You may refer to our website for additional information:
. net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official site.

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