View Vacancy – Market Access Officer EO (DBT) – (46/24 JHB)

Context

We are the department for economic growth. We support UK businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. 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 and as well as helping African businesses better engage with the UK and the world.

DBT Africa is one of the nine DBT global networks and is led by HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa. The Africa Region is exciting and energising and UK firms have a strong presence here, making the UK one of the largest investors in the continent. With some of the strongest growing economies in the world and booming population growth there are numerous more opportunities for UK firms. The Network’s role is to promote these opportunities and position the UK as the continent’s number one trading partner and investor.

DBT in South Africa is based in Johannesburg and is also the base of the HMTC. We are a core part of the wider British High Commission Economic Growth team comprising DBT and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), all working to alleviate poverty, improve economic development, and enhance investment and trade between the UK and South Africa.

Roles and responsibilities: 

• Developing a market access strategy for South Africa: you will work with the pan-African market access team (based in Accra) and Sector Directors, your trade adviser colleagues in DBT SA, a Defra attaché, UK businesses and the British Chamber of Business (BCB) for Southern Africa to develop and implement a market access barrier resolutions strategy for SA.
• Market access analysis and prioritisation: you will be responsible for identifying and prioritising policy and regulatory trade barriers (cross-cutting and sector specific) that are impacting / likely to impact UK-SA business investment and international trade growth, including monitoring and analysing changes in relevant South African law. In addition, you will update the information on the Department’s internal monitoring systems. You will work closely with the DBT team and wider BHC to develop strategies to address trade barriers facing businesses.
• Manage key stakeholder relationships: you will develop and maintain relationships with existing and incoming business stakeholders, cross-High Commission teams, as well as officials and senior representatives of the South African government and relevant government agencies, facilitating meetings for His Majesty’s High Commissioner and/or His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner where appropriate.
• Support delivery of the UK’s Economic Partnership Agreement with the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique (UK-SACUM EPA): to the extent relevant for market access, you will support the Trade Policy Officer, and where necessary, take the lead in the preparation and delivery of key events under the EPA, including committee and council meetings. You will advise on motivations on policy decisions, implementation and advising on the wider economic and political context. This may also include providing support on engaging the Government of SA to work with the UK Government on trade policy issues which further UK business market access.

All of this makes for an exciting, meaningful and varied job, actively paving the way for UK business success in South Africa, with the resultant investment and wider benefits for the South African economy. Working directly to the Country Director, who is also a senior member of DBT Africa’s Strategic Leadership team, you will have access to high level stakeholder interactions. You will be expected to contribute to wider strategic decision-making in DBT Africa and as part of a wider network of Trade Policy and Market Access leads in Africa.

You will require strong interpersonal and organisational skills, with the proven ability to influence and build relationships; the confidence to negotiate between senior internal and external government stakeholders will be of particular benefit.

The jobholder will be a confident self-starter, a team player with excellent communication skills, and the ability to network with a wide range of contacts at senior levels in government, international agencies and the private sector. In addition, they will be expected to provide high quality analysis and advice on sector-specific developments.

You will have good communication and organisation skills, and a proactive, creative attitude to overcoming challenges and making progress. The role will require close teamwork with UK High Commission and FCDO regional colleagues, lending corporate support where necessary. You will be skilled in navigating diverse social and cultural environments and committed to creating an inclusive workplace.

A proportion of your role will be devoted to professional capability development and corporate responsibilities. You will have access to Learning and Development opportunities which will be invaluable in your personal and professional development.