Infrastructure Sector Lead for Colombia, Bogota

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

**Main purpose of job**:
This is an outstanding opportunity to lead the British Embassy’s support to British infrastructure companies doing business in Colombia, and interface with other Latin American markets to support UK companies growing their exports. Key subsectors will be railways, airports, social infrastructure and ports. As well as daily interaction with senior business stakeholders, you will also work closely with the embassy’s sustainability team to lever UK knowledge through co-operation programmes that will benefit Colombia’s infrastructure strategy in the medium and long term.

**Roles and responsibilities**:
The Embassy’s commercial team (Department for Business and Trade, DBT) works with other UK Government departments bringing together programme, policy, promotion and financial expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment, and to support UK companies to succeed in Colombia. This role will lead the infrastructure effort from the embassy to deliver an increase in UK exports to Colombia. You will work with colleagues across the embassy in Colombia and more widely in the Latin American and the Caribbean region to develop and deliver a programme of activity that will support UK infrastructure companies to do more, and higher value business in Colombia. This will include trade missions, account management and ministerial visits. You will promote the opportunities in Colombia to British companies, and promote UK companies in Colombia, drawing on the UK’s policy expertise, innovation and commercial experience in the sector; highlighting the UK as a key partner in delivering sustainable and inclusive growth in Colombia, driven by infrastructure.

Lead on Infrastructure in Colombia (90%)
- Plan and deliver a programme of activity (e.g. trade missions, events, visits) that supports UK companies to engage early, and win projects in Colombia. Source and strengthen a pipeline of opportunities in the infrastructure sector (with a focus on railways and social infrastructure), developing relationships with key stakeholders in both the public and private sector. Match key UK strengths with opportunities presented by national and regional Colombian authorities. Encourage UK businesses to look into infrastructure related opportunities in Colombia.
- Work with British companies to engage with each other, and build consortia to bid for local projects. Work closely with Export Finance, and Infrastructure Exports (IE:UK) offer to promote UK content and collaboration.
- Work with UK companies to overcome barriers to trade and investment in Colombia, developing a structured plan to tackle barriers, lever relationships with government and work with UK co-operation programmes. Develop close relationship with existing British investors in the Colombian infrastructure sector.
- Share expertise with infrastructure colleagues in the Andean subregion, identifying ways to add value and multiply effect for British companies in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile.
- Work with the DBT Sector Team in London, promote business opportunities to British industry. Develop and maintain excellent market intelligence in the Colombian infrastructure sector working with trade associations and sector experts.
- Support the senior management team (regular information sharing and reports as requested by the Ambassador, Country Director, HQ Global operations, ministerial visits, briefings, performance reports, etc).
- Manage budget to ensure value for money and on-time spend.

Line management (10%)
- Effective line management of 1 x Medellín-based officer and 1 x intern, through SMART objectives, uptake of L&D opportunities and high-quality performance management, regular feedback and evidence-based appraisals.
- Ensure good financial, project and procurement management of work in the team. Actively engage in the wider Embassy activities, participate in committees and events. Any other task that might be required as part of the team’s activities.
- This post will be based at the embassy in Bogotá.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

**Essential on arrival**:

- At least 7 years work experience.
- Fluent Spanish and English (both written and spoken);
- Previous work experience with the infrastructure sector;
- Previous experience of managing staff and budgets;
- Proven ability to form professional relationships and build trust with a wide range of contacts from different backgrounds including at senior levels;
- Line management experience
- Excellent IT skills, including MS Outlook, Word and Excel.
- Must have the legal status to live and work in Colombia.

**Language requirements**:
Language: English, Spanish

Level of language required: English and Spanish, spoken and written to at least CEFR C1 level or equivalent.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

**Desirable**:

- Previous work experience and knowledge of the Colombian and/or UK infrastruc