Job Description

Main purpose of job:

The British High Commission is looking for a pro-active, engaged individual to lead on deepening the UK-Singapore trade relationship. Singapore is the UK\'s largest market in ASEAN by a significant margin, accounting for over half of UK exports to the region. The UK is also Singapore\'s largest global provider of services and its fifth largest inward investor. Equally for Singapore, the UK is an important market. The UK is a top twenty export destination and a location of significant outward investment.

The jobholder will lead on driving UK\'s trade policy priorities forward by further deepening UK-Singapore business and trade ties, including on digital trade. The role involves working closely with UK government ministries - particularly the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and HM Treasury - as well as significant engagement with Singapore government departments where the job holder will own the working relationship.

The successful candidate will need to sustain and grow networks of contacts in both countries and be comfortable working with and influencing senior stakeholders, setting strategic priorities, supporting high-profile Ministerial visits and meetings and operating in a fast-moving and sensitive political space.

We welcome candidates with strong experience and knowledge in trade policy and in international collaboration. There is plenty of scope for the jobholder to have a significant real world impact in terms of developing the trade UK-Singapore relationship. There will also be opportunities to contribute in other work streams within the High Commission, widening the skills base of the successful candidate and providing the significant leadership opportunities while managing complex work.

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

The jobholder will have the opportunity to steer the strategic direction of UK\'s engagement in a wide range of areas including:

1. Trade Policy

• Leading the UK-Singapore Economic and Business Partnership - a Permanent Secretary level dialogue for economic and trade opportunities between both governments.
• Providing Post advice and support for the UK-Singapore Bilateral Investment Treaty negotations.
• Leading on the UK-Singapore FTA implementation including arrangements for meetings of its institutional bodies and the trade policy elements of the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement.
• Leading for the High Commission on UK CPTPP accession and implementation.
• Leading on new opportunities for trade policy cooperation with Singapore including for instance on supply chains and broader economic security issues.
• Maintaining a network of contacts with other embassies to share/gather intelligence on regional trade/digital trade policy developments.
• Supporting DBT on the trade policy elements of inward visits by UK trade ministers.
• Supporting the Regional Director for Economic and Trade Policy SEA with regional work when required.

2. Business Engagement and Market Access

• Work closely with DBT colleagues to develop plans to resolve barriers.
• Ensure that our trade promotion campaigns are identifying, prioritising and capturing market access issues and that plans are in place to address them.
• Engage businesses on trade policy to aid their business planning and to inform HQ\'s trade policy development. Keep companies informed about opportunities deriving from the UK-Singapore FTA implementation.
• Provide oversight to the trade policy and economic officer in their capacity as lead liaison point with Singapore Food Agency to support UK companies achieve and maintain approvals to export food and beverage to Singapore.
• Lead the BHC\'s approach to addressing market access barriers, including managing the Post Market Access Board, empowering teams and individuals to develop plans to resolve non-tariff barriers.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

You will line manage and be supported in your tasks by an Economic and Trade Policy Officer (EO).

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Essential on Arrival:

• Experience working on trade policy issues, institutions and priorities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; the ability to draft high quality materials to short deadlines and to present with confidence to senior stakeholders
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Strong leadership skills and able to work within a varied team environment.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Desirable:

• Experience working on trade negotiations and/or market access issues
• Experience working with Singapore government systems
• Economics/analytical skills and experience

Required behaviours

Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together

Application deadline Application deadline - day Application deadline - month Application deadline - year

10 July 2023

Grade

Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

Type of Position

Full-time, Permanent

Working hours per week

37.5

Region

Asia Pacific

Country/Territory

Singapore

Location (City)

Singapore

Type of Post

British High Commission

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

SGD

Salary

8,658

Start Date Start Date - day Start Date - month Start Date - year

4 September 2023

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Benefits:

We offer a competitive package, which includes basic salary of SGD 8,658 subject to experience per month and a generous annual wage supplement (as part of total guaranteed remuneration) of an additional 2 months\' salary paid out in December each year, Central Provident Fund (CPF) payment in lieu for non-Permanent Resident foreign nationals, 23-days annual leave entitlement and a health insurance plan. The basic salary is non-negotiable.

We have a generous leave offer including: 23 days annual leave, increasing to 25 after 5 years\' service, with the option to carry over up to 10 days into the subsequent leave year; 13 public holidays; generous maternity and paternity leave; and childcare leave. We encourage volunteerism and offer up to 3 days paid volunteer leave.

We offer medical insurance to support staff with the high costs of healthcare in Singapore and periodic reimbursement for the cost of eye tests and replacement eye wear.

Learning and development opportunities:

The British High Commission is committed to developing its staff. There will be opportunities for formal training alongside collaborating with a wide range of colleagues delivering on-the-job learning, including:

• Working in a diplomatic mission;
• Understanding how UK international development assistance is managed / implemented;
• Understanding effective programme management; and
• Application of gender priorities to infrastructure projects.

We offer time and financial support for the successful candidate to take advantage of professional learning and development opportunities inside and outside of the organisation.

The BHC has an active Learning & Development Committee which works hard to provide a comprehensive L&D offer. There is a wide range of options available for personal development including training courses, coaching and mentoring, job-shadowing, presentations and learning sets. Staff have access to a wide variety of online resources through the International Academy and Civil Service Learning. Staff are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all available opportunities.

All new hires undertake a workplace induction and there are a number of mandatory e-learning courses that must be completed in order to pass probation.

Working Patterns:

Normal working hours are 37.5 per week. BHC Singapore supports and promotes flexible working as a crucial part of our inclusive offering.

Please note that the High Commission is currently operating on the basis that all staff will work from the office for a minimum of 60% of their time. The post holder may also be required to work flexibly to staff in-person events and visits out of hours, subject to operational requirements. Flexible working hours and time off in lieu arrangements apply in these circumstances.

Due to the nature of visits work, there will be occasional calls for working outside of the normal hours. Time off in lieu can be taken to account for this.

Other information:

In addition to the duties which this job normally entails, you may from time to time be required to undertake additional or other duties as necessary to meet the needs of the High Commission, including playing a part in the corporate life of the mission and supporting any crisis response.

No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. You must have or be able to obtain a local work permit, which we will sponsor.

Staff recruited locally by the British High Commission are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Singapore employment law.

Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment checks. Only short-listed applications will be called for personal interviews.

The British High Commission is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on grounds of ethnic origin, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, gender or sexual orientation. Our values of Collaboration, Opportunity, Respect and Excellence (CORE) are our guiding principles. We aspire to live our values consistently in order to make the British High Commission a great place to work where staff feel valued, supported and inspired to be their best.

Please note that all successful candidates will be expected to serve a minimum of 6 months in their new role before being eligible to apply for further positions within the British High Commission.

Additional information

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field \xe2\x80\x9cApplication deadline."

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.

Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a \'reserve list\'. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

For inclusivity and diversity, please remove the following personal information when uploading your CV: name, address, email address, age, date of birth, gender, and nationality.

The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

HM Government