His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for South Asia & Deputy High Commissioner (4809066)

His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia & Deputy High Commissioner

Location Mumbai

Salary £125,000+Allowances

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) helps UK businesses to export and secures inward and outward investment. Their work is of crucial importance in leading the UK’s strategy as an independent trading nation. Their aim is to grow UK exports every year until over a trillion pounds of goods and services are sold annually to the world by 2030. 

DBT require an exceptional leader who will report to the High Commissioner to India and be accountable to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. The successful candidate will lead the UK's trade and investment agenda across South Asia, helping deliver the Government's growth priorities in one of the UK's most important markets. In particular you will:

• Unlock commercial opportunities arising from the UK-India Free Trade Agreement.
• Lead a high-performing international team of approximately 170 colleagues across South Asia.
• Drive exports, investment and market access across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan.
• Build influential relationships with ministers, senior officials, ambassadors and business leaders.
• As Deputy High Commissioner Mumbai, lead the India Network's second-largest post, alongside pan-India responsibility for the Growth pillar of the UK-India partnership. You will be one of the India Network's three most senior leaders, with responsibility for representation, stakeholder engagement and leadership of DBT and FCDO teams across India.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide visible, inspiring, strategic and operational leadership to a team of circa 170 staff and the wider HMG India network, building high performing, expert, engaged and inclusive teams; ​
• Develop and deliver an ambitious strategic plan for the region to ensure that British businesses and the UK economy gain maximum benefit.
• Lead regional policy initiatives to improve business operating environment by addressing market access, regulatory and legislative challenges, and developing strategies to remove trade barriers in key sectors;
• Build and maintain strategic, load bearing relationships with influential stakeholders including UK and South Asia business leaders, government ministers and officials, investors, and senior officials across UK government departments;
• Direct commercial teams to forecast and deliver high-value export and investment programmes, effectively leveraging UK Government resources and expertise;
• Coordinate cross-sector efforts to attract direct investment into the UK in alignment with government strategic priorities;
• Provide strategic insight, analysis and advice on pursuing an ambitious economic relationship across South Asia;
• As a member of DBT’s leadership team, contribute to the strategic and operational direction of the department, as well as acting as a very senior representative of HMG in the region.
• As a senior member of the India Network leadership group, set vision and ensure delivery of the UK Government’s Vision 2035 partnership with India.
• As Deputy High Commissioner Mumbai, act as the primary interface with key states in Western India; represent HMG; build and maintain strong relationships to support the delivery of political, commercial and consular objectives, and provide strategic leadership for the Deputy High Commission.

Essential Criteria:

• Leadership: Experience of leading a complex, matrixed organisation, providing strategic leadership to geographically dispersed teams, managing significant budgets and empowering others to deliver organisational goals. You will need a proven ability of leading through change, navigating tensions and building effective cross-cultural relationships with empathy and influence.
• Commercial Understanding: Highly developed commercial acumen and judgement, with a track record of successful delivery across a variety of commercial issues and opportunities, an understanding of the issues facing businesses overseas, and experience of making decisions and delivering deals based on a strong understanding of trade and investment issues;  
• Innovation: Proven ability to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, capitalising on technological developments and emerging opportunities to deliver transformational outcomes at pace and scale.
• Strategic Collaboration: Experience working in complex political and commercial environments, collaborating across multidisciplinary teams, bringing together diverse objectives and perspectives to influence and achieve shared outcomes. Skilled in building trusted relationships at a very senior level, applying sound judgement, commercial awareness and diplomacy to align stakeholders and deliver sustainable results.
• Public Engagement: Outstanding communications skills with the ability to advocate the UK’s position effectively to a range of different audiences, and the confidence and expertise to undertake public engagements, including media.​

Why this role? This opportunity offers breadth and profile, complexity and challenge, and the chance to shape the UK's future economic relationship with South Asia. As HMTC you will be one of nine key leaders of DBT’s overseas network, delivering HMG’s investment, export and trade policy priorities in one of our most significant markets: India.

For further information about the role, please contact Andrew Timlin (07887777735) or Owen Quant (07867695217).

Contact information

Department Business and Trade

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