International Infrastructure Partnerships & Finance Manager

at  Department for Business and Trade

JOB SUMMARY

This role is part of the Infrastructure Partnerships Team, in the Department for Business & Trade (DBT). The Infrastructure Partnerships Team helps UK businesses to win work on infrastructure projects in key international markets, thereby supporting UK exports and contributing to the government’s priority of UK economic growth. We focus on complex, high-value infrastructure projects, and we use a range of partnership approaches to bring UK businesses into such projects.

Within this team, the “International Partnerships & Finance” team focus on developing two types of infrastructure partnerships:

• Partnerships with other countries that have complementary capabilities in infrastructure (such as Japan), to jointly deliver projects in other markets – for example, enabling Japanese and UK businesses to collaborate on an infrastructure project in Indonesia.
• Partnerships with key providers of infrastructure finance, such as multilateral development banks or private sector banks.

Through these partnerships, we open-up opportunities for UK companies to export to other countries, while also supporting the development, energy transitions and climate resilience of those countries. We work in a range of emerging markets, across a variety of infrastructure sectors (including energy, transport, water, social infrastructure and resilience).
DBT is a fantastic place to work, with wide-ranging responsibilities across the UK economy, providing the chance to make a positive difference to peoples’ lives. Our team is fun, friendly and supportive. We are committed to creating a positive and inclusive working environment for everyone; we’re looking for people who can contribute to this culture, as well as to what we deliver.

JOB DESCRIPTION

In this role, you would work alongside the head of International Partnerships & Finance, and play a key part in developing the two types of partnerships described above and implementing them in infrastructure projects in other countries. A key part of this work involves collaborating with teams across DBT, other government departments, and UK embassies. The role may provide occasional opportunities for travel.

Key role responsibilities include:

• Engage with other governments to understand their priorities, pitch UK collaboration, and develop mutually beneficial partnerships. You will often lead these engagements, and will be the primary coordinator with UK embassies in our partner countries. As the expert in these partnerships, you will also contribute to strategic discussions across our group – e.g., regarding priority markets or the most effective ways to promote UK exports.
• Play a major role in designing and implementing our partnerships with other countries. This may include: delivering diplomatic arrangements such as Memoranda of Understanding and working groups; arranging knowledge-sharing events and business engagements; or facilitating collaborations in specific infrastructure projects.
• Engage with multilateral development banks and key financial institutions, to secure and implement collaborations with these finance providers (with a view to helping UK firms work on projects that these institutions are financing).
• Develop a strong understanding of infrastructure finance and (together with the team lead) advise other DBT teams on finance aspects of their infrastructure work.
• Conduct (and in some cases lead) policy assessments regarding infrastructure finance. These would involve assessing new options to support UK exports, through different forms of infrastructure finance.
• Develop strong relationships with businesses and other DBT teams, and effectively articulate the strengths of UK businesses to a range of audiences – all to ensure our work facilitates tangible UK export opportunities.
• Prepare briefings and submissions regarding our work, including for senior officials or Ministers. You would also input into various cross-government initiatives relevant to our partnerships, and work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and UK Export Finance.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS:

• Highly collaborative, and strong at working with others to pursue shared goals
• A commercial mindset, and would enjoy working with industry and other DBT teams to ensure our work delivers tangible opportunities for UK businesses
• Excellent at working autonomously and proactively driving forward projects
• Excellent communicator and influencer, confident in pitching to others and able to “find ways through” to enable agreement
• Comfortable working at pace, managing competing priorities and overcoming setbacks
• An inclusive and empathetic team member, helping to foster a positive working environment

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Key role responsibilities include:

• Engage with other governments to understand their priorities, pitch UK collaboration, and develop mutually beneficial partnerships. You will often lead these engagements, and will be the primary coordinator with UK embassies in our partner countries. As the expert in these partnerships, you will also contribute to strategic discussions across our group – e.g., regarding priority markets or the most effective ways to promote UK exports.
• Play a major role in designing and implementing our partnerships with other countries. This may include: delivering diplomatic arrangements such as Memoranda of Understanding and working groups; arranging knowledge-sharing events and business engagements; or facilitating collaborations in specific infrastructure projects.
• Engage with multilateral development banks and key financial institutions, to secure and implement collaborations with these finance providers (with a view to helping UK firms work on projects that these institutions are financing).
• Develop a strong understanding of infrastructure finance and (together with the team lead) advise other DBT teams on finance aspects of their infrastructure work.
• Conduct (and in some cases lead) policy assessments regarding infrastructure finance. These would involve assessing new options to support UK exports, through different forms of infrastructure finance.
• Develop strong relationships with businesses and other DBT teams, and effectively articulate the strengths of UK businesses to a range of audiences – all to ensure our work facilitates tangible UK export opportunities.
• Prepare briefings and submissions regarding our work, including for senior officials or Ministers. You would also input into various cross-government initiatives relevant to our partnerships, and work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and UK Export Finance