View Vacancy – MOR – Deputy Sector Director, Education (HEO)

The British Embassy Rabat has a vacancy for Deputy Sector Director for the Education sector under the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), job grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO).

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the Trade Promotion and Negotiation Organisation for the UK. We promote UK businesses overseas and attract foreign investment. 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.

This is an exciting time to join DBT. Our aim is to promote British trade and investment across the world, which is vital for the prosperity of the UK. DBT brings together policy, promotion, and financial expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment in markets across the world to help businesses succeed. This is a great opportunity to be part of an international team that contributes to the success of the UK’s trade goals.

The jobholder will join the DBT’s Africa Network, providing crucial leadership and expertise as part of our expansion. You will be networked closely with colleagues from across His Majesty’s Government (HMG) working on prosperity issues as DBT can only successfully deliver our commercial ambitions by working seamlessly as part of joint and coordinated prosperity teams alongside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). 

Duties and responsibilities:

• You will work closely with the Sector Director, Country Directors, and country teams to drive the implementation of a pan-Africa sector plan, focussed on outcomes and with clear priorities, goals, milestones, and deliverables.
• You will organise sector-focussed events, follow up with key buyers and with UK companies, and drive closer teamwork with our country teams, helping them to understand and access expertise on UK capability.
• You will ensure we have a clear understanding of the interests of major UK firms active in Africa, shared with country teams.
• You will ensure our pipeline of key projects reflects key upcoming opportunities, working with our country teams to do this.
• You will help drive teamwork, drawing on your inputs and research, to ensure all members of our pan-Africa sector team are working in close alignment.
• You will work together with UK and African stakeholders across government, the private sector, and sector bodies and associations to advance UK interests, including where UK expertise can be used to develop African capability.
• You will have, or further develop, expert knowledge of national and federal education reform programmes in our priority markets and identify where commercial solutions could deliver the desired outcomes in areas such as curriculum reform, assessments, teacher training, and skills for employability.
• You will support the development of Trans National Education (TNE) partnerships between African and UK higher education institutions, helping to improve the accessibility of quality tertiary education to local populations, and to drive economic growth through ensuring talent development matches the economy’s needs.
• You will also support the development of schools partnerships in countries including in the Francophone region to complement and support government reform efforts.
• You will support our strong programme of relationship management with major UK companies in the sector. You will provide analysis of their key interest in potential leads and on the market access barriers they may face (regulatory and practical) to strengthening education provision, for example, around the provision of online learning, and work closely with Market Access Advisers to implement solutions to address these.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager or head of section. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis. 

Key behaviours required:

• Leadership – Show pride and passion for public service. Create and engage others in delivering a shared vision. Value difference, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring fairness and opportunity for all.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.
• Managing a Quality Service – Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise, and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
• Making Effective Decisions – Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications, and risks of decisions.

Eligibility:

Applicants must already have the right to work and live in Morocco.

• Relevant experience working in an education or trade and investment role (and preferably in both), ideally for at least three (3) years.
• Knowledge of and a keen interest in the education sector and the UK offer to businesses seeking to invest/ export to Africa.
• Experience of working in or with government departments, NGOs, and similar institutions and having established a strong network within the field.
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills, comfortable dealing with high-level officials and contacts.
• Fluent communication skills in English, Arabic/ Darija, and French, both spoken and written. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Team player who is capable of working on their own initiative and manage others. Ability to effectively work and collaborate across teams and stakeholders based across multiple locations.
• Collaborative approach to colleague and stakeholder partnerships. Ability to drive delivery of outcomes and overcome obstacles, especially when working with and through others.
• A positive, resilient, flexible, and adaptable “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges.
• Holds at least an undergraduate degree and other relevant professional qualification or experience.
• Strong IT skills and well-versed in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).