View Vacancy – SIN – Trade Manager (Defence, Security and Aerospace), EO

Main purpose of job:

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive and motivated individual to join the Department for Business & Trade (DBT) team in the British High Commission in Singapore as the Trade Manager for Defence, Security & Aerospace. DBT supports UK-based businesses to export globally and encourages overseas investment across all parts of the UK.

This position will support the delivery of the new Defence, Security and Aerospace export campaign, bringing assistance to companies looking to export to Singapore across the spectrum of these sectors, including cyber, defence-tech, space and other sub-sectors identified as key areas of opportunity for UK exporters. 

Reporting to the Senior Trade Manager for Defence, Security and Aerospace, the successful candidate will build expertise of these sectors and opportunities in Singapore, develop knowledge of the supply chain in the UK, supporting UK companies to win business. You will work closely with the Senior Trade Manager in support of the delivery of DBT’s strategic objectives and develop positive working relationships with DBT teams across the APAC region, and in the UK.
 
Located within the British High Commission (BHC) in Singapore, the UK Department for Business and Trade supports UK-based businesses to export globally and encourages overseas investment into the UK. In Singapore, in addition to Defence, Security and Aerospace, our 15-person team focuses on the priority sectors of Energy Transition, Infrastructure, Technology, Financial Services and Maritime. In addition to working with teams across the APAC region including the Regional Defence & Security Lead based in Manila, this role will complement and reinforce existing workstreams undertaken by teams across the British High Commission in Singapore i.e. the Ministry of Defence, UK Export Finance, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and Devolved Administrations (Scottish Development International and Invest Northern Ireland). This role will also work closely with UK Defence & Security Exports (DSE), part of DBT based in the UK. 

We reserve the right to review and amend roles and responsibilities from time to time to reflect business needs.

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

1. Delivering strategic trade opportunities (Defence, Security and Aerospace)

• Work closely with the Senior Trade Manager in the development, implementation and evaluation of the strategy to support exporting the Defence, Security and Aerospace offer to Singapore.
• Actively support the development of the pipeline of trade opportunities for Defence, Aerospace and Security in Singapore, working with colleagues across the APAC region and the UK to match these with UK capability and strengths.
• Support UK business to secure projects in Singapore. Work collaboratively with colleagues across BHC Singapore, APAC posts and the UK, to ensure opportunities are maximised across the network. This will support the delivery of an ambitious export target across these sectors.
• Make suggestions about ways of improving working methods, systems and processes.
• Ensure relevant information is included in our CRM tool (DataHub).
• Monitor Singapore government policy and regulation to anticipate new challenges as well as opportunities, liaising as appropriate with UK players to identify and report any short term or substantive barriers to UK exports to the Senior Trade Manager.

2. Effective relationship management

• Develop a portfolio of key UK companies which have the interest and capability to secure business in Singapore, providing practical, expert advice and matching relevant, high-value opportunities in Singapore.
• Complementing existing work and relationships across BHC Singapore in support of wider UK Government objectives, alongside the Senior Trade Manager, develop a network in the Singaporean military, police, government, security agencies and private sector to develop an in-depth understanding of their strategic intentions and business requirements.
• Develop relationships with colleagues across the High Commission including the DBT Inward Investment team, the Science, Innovation and Tech Team, and the Defence Team to understand areas of collaboration, and further understanding of the UK and Singapore Defence, Security and Aerospace landscape.

3. High impact visits and events

• Support the development of propositions for, and help to deliver, high-level visits from UK to Singapore and from Singapore to the UK that complement and support the delivery of the Defence, Security and Aerospace campaign plan.
• Design and execute events and other activity, virtual/physical/hybrid, primarily in Singapore which promotes UK capability and positions UK players to win business; and consider opportunities to link up with events or marketing/comms initiatives in other parts of the region.
• Play a part in a diverse range of work such as planning and delivering Ministerial and VIP visits, running major events and engaging the business community.
• Support the provision of timely briefings and reports, and work with other teams in the BHC to support events, trade missions and high-level visits.

4. Knowledge & Skills Development

• Proactively develop and continuously build knowledge of Defence, Security and Aerospace in Singapore, through relationships with local stakeholders, reviews of trends, analysis and opportunities.
• Undertake continuous learning and development, including on-the-job opportunities, to deepen knowledge and understanding of the sectors of focus, the UK capability landscape, and the regional business environment.
• Learn proactively on the job from colleagues, others across government and the wider teams, as well as through formal training courses.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

The candidate will be expected to manage budgets including travel or trade activities (as applicable) reporting to the Senior Trade Manager. 

• Proficient in written and spoken English;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build strong relations across BHC Singapore and senior public and private stakeholders;
• A proactive, can-do approach, combined with high standards for delivery and meeting deadlines;
• Ability to work independently at pace and to prioritise appropriately;
• Desire to learn more about Defence, Security and Aerospace and its impact in the region, in the UK, and globally; and
• Good judgement and political awareness.