View Vacancy – SIN – Director of Applied Insights, Communications and Marketing, G7

Main purpose of job:

The British High Commission Singapore is hiring a Director of Applied Insights, Communications and Marketing for DBT’s Asia Pacific business . The role will report into DBT APAC’s Chief Operating Officer and ultimately into His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific. 

The role will coordinate trade and investment communications across 15 markets and will provide strategic direction and leadership on marketing across Asia Pacific trade teams.

The role countersigns line management and oversees 15 communications and marketing professionals in Asia Pacific using a standard set of capabilities and objectives.

The individual in it will manage a centralised marketing budget under the direction of the DBT APAC Chief Operating Officer and advise on all marketing spend by DBT across Asia Pacific, including bids to the Great Challenge Fund.

The role will also use data and innovative techniques and technologies to model, analyse and shift external perceptions of UK trade and investment, including implementing the recommendations of the Harrington Review to move investment promotion from reactive to proactive; capturing and managing investor feedback and polling; and using broader APAC market insights to unlock new areas of opportunity for DBT to pursue.

It will model and capture data journalism on trade promotion approaches through data scraping, horizon scanning and other forms of analysis to combine with insights from the Head of Strategy. As applied insights lead, it will use insights and commercial strategy to lead DBT engagement in new areas of opportunity and develop go-to-market strategies to complement our traditional account management model. 

The role requires you to engage and influence an international business and government audience with strategic trade and investment messaging through a combination of media, digital communication and strategic campaigns. 

This role is with the British High Commission based out of Singapore. You will work with and through bilateral communications teams in the UK’s overseas network of Posts in Asia Pacific, including in Singapore. In the High Commission in Singapore, you will be working in close partnership with other communications staff in the mission.  All staff at the British High Commission in Singapore are expected to play an active role in the life of the Mission in line with our values of Collaborative, Opportunity, Respect and Excellence. This will include being a part of the Mission’s crisis arrangements and making a regular contribution towards the collective culture and leadership of the Mission.
 
DBT operates in 108 countries. Establishing new relationships around the globe, DBT promotes UK trade to ensure the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us, securing and improving economic well-being, stability, and helping to create tens of thousands of jobs. His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) is responsible for Trade and Investment work in the APAC region. With over 280 staff across 15 markets, DBT APAC is a fast-paced, exciting place to work at the heart of UK-Asia Pacific relations.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

Main objectives for this role:

1. Marketing

• Manage DBT marketing across Asia Pacific; through building new capabilities and approaches in promoting exports and investments;
• Develop DBT Asia Pacific’s Regional Communications and Marketing plan to support the delivery of the wider HMG Asia Pacific Regional Trade Plan, through analysis and understanding of regional and global marketing and communications trends;
• Set the strategic direction for a remote marketing team embedded across 15 Asia Pacific markets;
• Advise on and oversee APAC marketing spend from the Department for Business and Trade to ensure that it aligns to the priorities set out in key strategic documents;

2. Applied Insights

• Oversee the DBT APAC communications network to ensure high quality strategic communications plans that meet clear trade and investment objectives, as determined by the DBT country plans in Post;
• Build and develop an applied insights function to learn from external initiatives that are best practice;
• Represent the region to HQ as the lead international communicator and form part of the international communications network for the DBT;
• Provide advice on strategic communications priorities for issues under HMTC’s remit by developing, implementing, and evaluating an annual communications plan for the HMTC and the priorities set out in the Regional Trade Plan;
• Advise HMTC and senior leadership in the network on strategies to reach target influencers in key APAC markets including providing guidance on deploying HMTC as a spokesperson for the trade and investment agenda across the region, working closely with and through HMG communications leads in each Post.

3. Leadership

• Lead a team of 4 regional communications and marketing professionals (two at HEO grade and two at EO grade) to deliver data driven communication and marketing campaigns to ensure targeted, objective-driven marketing that achieves strong value for money;
• Lead a Bangkok Campaigns Hub to use data and insights to promote our wider trade and investment objectives;
• Monitor outputs and outcomes to maximise resource efficiency; apply flexible leadership styles to deliver through others and support staff development.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
 
Management of DBT APAC comms budget reporting into the Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific. Direct management of 4 staff, and countersigning/oversight of 15 marketing professionals across Asia Pacific through standardised objectives.

• At least 5 years public or private sector experience in media, PR or the communications industry;
• Strong understanding of the business and investment climate in the UK and Asia Pacific;
• Experience and understanding of current digital media tools and channels.
• Prior experience of leading and managing teams.
• A willingness to work out of hours including on regional travel, on an occasional basis.
• Strong media contacts and/or ability to leverage influencers for achieving communication objectives.
• Engaging and resilient leader, able to empower colleagues and build capability;
• Budget management skills and experience.