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This recruitment is continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be located in the new Department for Business and Trade. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role.

This is an exciting time to join the Department for International Trade (DIT) as we promote UK trade and investment around the world. This important work is vital to UK’s economic growth.

Within DIT, the Investment Directorate focuses on attracting inward investment into the UK’s most attractive and transformational projects and sector clusters. This role sits within the High Potential Opportunities (HPO) team, within a sub-directorate of the Investment Directorate focused on business development. You will be directly contributing to delivering on the Government’s science superpower, levelling up and net zero objectives.

As Senior Investment Opportunities Advisor, you will be supporting the promotion of investment opportunities from the HPO programme, which focuses on promoting emerging sub-sectors, technologies and other strategic opportunities as well as more widely, as the team expands its business development function to support the rest of the department. You will primarily be working with a contracted provider ensure the provision of high quality investment leads.

This is a role that covers a variety of different responsibilities from managing your own portfolio to supporting colleagues by providing practical support on lead generation as well as expert advice. It requires the ability to manage competing priorities and different stakeholders effectively, at pace.

In return, you will learn about the different types of investment DIT supports, build a wide-ranging network across different specialisms and support the sub-directorate’s vision of being the experts at generating high value investment pipelines promoting our best-in-class investable propositions.

The successful candidate will report to the Head of the HPO team and, depending on the candidate, have some line management responsibility. They will also work closely with a sister team focused on the promotion of DIT’s portfolio of investable opportunities through the Investment Atlas.

In this role, there is ample opportunity to learn about the UK’s sectoral and regional strengths, as well as where further investment is needed to realise the UK’s ambitions across different priorities, such as attaining net zero by 2050. DIT is an international department and we embrace diversity in all its forms. If this role excites you, please apply!

This role requires strong stakeholder and project management skills and the ability to work with a diverse range of organisations with different objectives. Key responsibilities include:

• Business Development: Working with a contracted provider, supporting DIT’s investor facing teams in HQ and overseas promote investable opportunities through managing the provision of high quality leads. A lead is a company with potential interest in setting up or investing in the UK. This involves setting the criteria for targeting such leads, providing quality assurance that these leads fit the relevant profile and providing advice on engagement strategies for teams to contact these leads. You will work with colleagues across the team tracking the progress of these leads;
• Lead Generation and expert advice: Support the wider transformation of the team’s work to enable more investor facing colleagues to use lead generation tools and relevant propositions in building their pipelines of potential investors to ensure DIT’s objective of pursuing high quality leads over quantity is being delivered;
• Investment Promotion: Support the Head of the HPO team promote the wider HPO portfolio by working with investor facing colleagues, Marketing, DIT’s Nations and Regions teams and local partners such as Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). This includes educating teams about the HPO portfolio, for example, though arranging webinars and holding them to account on promoting the opportunities through their campaign plans. You will be expected to lead on a selection of HPOs as part of the wider team.
• Investment Promotion: Contribute to the wider team’s promotion of DIT's key investor-facing website - the Investment Atlas. Also contribute to the ongoing creative development and evolution of the website, which is an Investment Directorate priority.
• Possible Line Management of one or two 2 Higher Executive Officers (HEO) (dependant on candidate), providing appropriate coaching and development to support their growth and performance
• Team Player: Be flexible when required to support the wider team and sub-directorate’s work, representing and/or deputising as required in various investment-promotion related forums including in meetings with internal and external stakeholders, Ministers and HMG senior officials.

Essential Criteria

• The ability to set clear plans in order to successfully manage a broad suite of competing priorities effectively with focus and drive
• The ability to deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account diverse customer needs
• An effective communicator, with an aptitude to engage with external stakeholders as well as senior leaders/Ministers, adapting the message as required
• Form effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders and from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support

Desirable Criteria

• Well-developed understanding of inward investment would be useful
• Experience of working in a project or programme delivery environment
• Business Development experience would be helpful

Personal Attributes & Skills

To be successful in this role, you'll need to be a team player who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment.

Your communications skills will help you to build positive working relationships with a variety of people at all levels.

You'll be comfortable juggling priorities, helping people find deliver their objectives.

Hybrid working

The role will be based in either Darlington or London. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.

Informal hybrid working arrangements will be available as agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Most DIT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in an office, on average. If your office location is London, you will be eligible to receive London weighting.

Appointments will be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences.

Support in applying for our vacancies is available by joining a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job contact :

Name :
Matt Ashworth
Email :
[email protected]

Recruitment team :

Email :
[email protected]