Senior Trade Advisor – AgriTech and Advanced Engineering - C4

 United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)

Senior Trade Advisor – AgriTech and Advanced Engineering - C4

Job Category                         Department for International Trade roles (DIT)

Job Subcategory                    DIT

 

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)  

 

Main purpose of job:

The jobholder will work in the Department of International Trade (DIT) team to increase exports from the UK to India in Advanced Engineering Supply Chain (AESC) and Agriculture sectors.  The job holder will be responsible for strengthening trade between the UK and the East and North-East Indian states.  

The job holder should be a self-starter who is highly organised, can plan, self-manage and build productive relationships.  The job holder will be based in the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.

Roles and responsibilities:

Their role will be to achieve DIT Advanced Engineering Supply Chain (AESC) and Agriculture sectors campaign objectives, supporting UK companies looking to export to India or set up a base in India, including joint-ventures with local companies.  They will support the wider activities of the respective sector teams spread across multiple cities in India.

This is an exciting time to be involved in UK-India agritech industry.  Almost half of all Indians work on the land, and the UK is in the process of delivering fundamental reform to its agricultural support system as it has left the European Union.  As the Government of India targets a doubling of farmers’ incomes, UK technology can raise the prospects of people in India and the UK alike.  So, if you like trade which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives, this is an ideal job.  

The job holder will seek out opportunities, ways to improve processes and service to stakeholders, make decisions and manage priorities.  They will also be expected to make a positive contribution to the wider DIT and British government network in India.  They will join a growing team of high-performing and supportive colleagues.  It will be a challenging position, with significant rewards for the right candidate. 

The job holder will:

• Be the lead for East and North East India on Agritech and Advanced Engineering Supply Chain (AESC) .  You will quickly develop knowledge and relationships with state governments and agriculture buyers;
• Build and manage senior level relationship with  Advanced Engineering Supply Chain (AESC) and Agritech companies in UK and India;
• Identify high-value export opportunities for the UK  Advanced Engineering Supply Chain (AESC) (including materials, mining and manufacturing processes) and Agritech companies, support UK companies to get access to these opportunities which have a reasonable chance of being converted into export wins through direct sales and technology transfers;
• Work closely with the UK agritech and  Advanced Engineering Supply Chain (AESC) sector teams, and regionally-based International Trade Advisors, to boost supply of UK companies to the India market
• Lead on one thematic agritech challenge e.g. trade policy and market access, livestock productivity, clean cold chain or soil quality for the network pan India;
• Support market access work, identifying company specific issues and feeding-in to the on going reviews to overcome trade barriers being faced by UK companies;
• Help organise trade missions and events, both in India and the UK, to achieve the above.

Language requirements:

Language: English essential; either Bengali or Hindi.  

Level of language required: Fluent, and good written English.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

Essential on arrival:

Qualifications: Graduate/Post Graduate from reputed University. Candidates without the required educational qualification but with exceptional practical experience will be considered with: 

• Minimum 5 years of solid work history in a relevant commercial and business experience;
• Knowledge of  Advanced Engineering Supply Chain (AESC sector covers Automotive, Electric Vehicles, Advanced Manufacturing, Mining, Maritime and their supply chains) and/or agriculture sectors in the UK and India, major players and factors influencing UK exports and inward investment (FDI in the UK);
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an ability to develop a network and manage the relationship with senior decision makers in government and industry;
• Strong analytical skills to identify relevant opportunities for UK firms in India, and the ability to turn them into contracts for UK businesses;
• Excellent team working skills, with strong ability to build cooperative working relationships across our own network, and outside of the British High Commission network with a wide range of organisations;
• IT competent.  highly competent in standard MS Office tools, such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel and skilled at using digital and social media to gather information efficiently;
• Basic understanding of budget management.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of UK business environment or experience of working/living in the UK;
• Graduate/postgraduate qualification in Business Administration, management, economics or commerce;
• 2-3 years of experience of working in client facing roles in a reputed organisation or foreign embassy/consulate in a trade or investment promotion role;
• Skilled at sharing information in a practical way with key contacts within and outside the organisation;
• Project management and market research skills;
• Experience of working in a virtual team.

Required competencies  

 

Collaborating and Partnering, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace

Application deadline                         27 January 2021

Grade                                                 C4 (L)

Type of Position                    Permanent

Working hours per week      40

Region                                    South Asia & Afghanistan

Country/Territory                 India

Location (City)                      Kolkata

Type of Post                           British Deputy High Commission

Number of vacancies                        1

 

Starting monthly salary (INR)  

INR 110,484 per month plus 12% provident fund and 6% Special Allowance/Superannuation Fund.

Start Date  

1 March 2021

Other benefits and conditions of employment  

 

SALARY PACKAGE:

BHC candidates, the Local BHC Terms & Conditions will apply.

For other than BHC candidates, Basic Salary will be INR 110,484 per month plus 12% provident fund and 6% Special Allowance/Superannuation Fund. 

Additionally the BHC offers a great benefits package that includes annual domiciliary medical cover, plus a Group Hospitalisation Scheme with INR 500,000 floater cover for your immediate family.

No relocation or any other related costs or assistance will be provided. Notional tax will be deducted if you are not liable to pay local tax.

Please note - Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.

The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance. 

Around half of our work forces are women.  We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment. 

This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCDO has anywhere across the globe.  We are aiming to make it the best.

Additional information  

 

Apply: 

Please note applications without (a) and (b) will not be considered.

A.    Complete the Online Application Form

B.    Complete the Motivation and Competency Segment in the Online Application Form

Internal candidates applying for this position need to upload their appraisal forms for the previous 2 years (if applicable) and also inform their current line managers, else the applications will not be considered.

They will accept only online applications by 27th January 2021 – 23:55 IST.  

Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and no telephone enquires will be dealt with.

The appointment will be subject to Police Verification and other checks including references, medical, educational and professional.

We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.

For more information and online application click here