Export Support Service – Hub & Operations Manager at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Responsibilities include:

Delivery:  

• Working with the Head of the Africa International Markets Team, you will support the running of the Africa Enquiry Hub which essentially manages directs and triages all SME enquiries for Africa to the International Market advisors throughout Africa.
• You will provide overall governance and oversight for the operational effectiveness of the ESS-IM Africa Hub, driving continual improvement of the service. Improvements and oversight will come from ensuring the people, process and tools available to the ESS-IM Africa team are effective, for example managing the Operations Officer, to planning on staffing and recruitment linked to changes in enquiry volumes.

Strategy:

• You will provide operational assessments (essentially what are the key growth countries and sectors within Africa) into the team’s strategy, working with colleagues in ESS-IM UK team to ensure ESS-IM Africa’s support for UK SMEs contributes to growing UK exports to the region.
• Leading the Africa operations hub team to ensure the hub provides actionable intelligence in support of decision making in the HMTC Africa team and for the ESS-IM service.

Leadership:

• You will manage one member of the hub team, while leading the approach to triage, data management, performance and reporting.
• You will promote the profile of the ESS-IM team within the Africa network by communicating the hub team’s work and demonstrate potential opportunities for collaboration on shared objectives.

Communications & Insight:  

• Promoting ESS-IM internally, such as through secretariat of the ESS-IM Africa and UK working group, and identifying opportunities to boost client referrals to ESS-IM Africa, using  communicating the hub’s operational data to meet its engagement objectives.
• Act as an advocate for the ESS-IM Africa team externally and internally where needed

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• 1x A2

Essential qualifications, skills and experience 1 

• Experience of working in a commercial, business-focused team to deliver value for money outcomes
• Line management experience or task management experience
• At least three years’ experience working in trade and investment
• Experience managing a team working remotely
• Fluent in written and verbal English 

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 1 

• Experience of operational delivery in triaging and allocating staff to work schedules
• Experience and/or understanding of DBT Africa’s priorities and activities
• Experience of working with UK SMEs to enter African markets
• Experience working in an international organisation