SG -Head of Financial, Professional and Business Services for Asia Pacific, SEO

Main purpose of job: 

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) supports UK based businesses to export globally and encourages overseas investment across all parts of the UK. This is an opportunity to join our team in the British High Commission in Singapore as the regional sector lead for DBTs Asia Pacific (APAC) Financial, Professional and Business Services (FPBS).

In this senior specialist and leadership role, you will drive and support DBTs FPBS work across Asia Pacific. Applying deep sector expertise and strong relationships with companies and regulators is a vital part of this role. You will need to build a productive network of country leads across the region and work closely with DBTs UK-based Financial and Professional Services Sector Team. You will harness links to related priority sectors (e.g. Technology) and to key areas of UK Government activity including the upcoming industrial strategy.

This is a varied leadership position with exposure to multiple markets, diverse teams, senior stakeholders and complex commercial and policy issues. It will allow you to further develop your expertise, grow as a leader and make a tangible impact by unlocking commercial opportunities for UK businesses.

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

The role has two key components. Firstly, you will support DBT activities across the entire Asia Pacific region, taking a leadership position in driving the FPBS agenda forward and facilitating opportunities for UK businesses operating in this sector.

Secondly, you will dedicate around 33% of your time specifically to leading FPBS work in Singapore. Here, the focus will be on unlocking commercial opportunities and providing on-the-ground support to UK FPBS businesses looking to enter or expand in the Singaporean market.

Asia Pacific Regional Lead for Financial, Business and Professional Services (66%)

1. Develop APAC strategy for FPBS. You will work with DBT country teams and APAC leadership to develop and implement DBT APACs overall strategy for FPBS to maximise commercial opportunities for UK businesses in the region and to support the objectives of the UKs industrial strategy.

2. Support in-country teams based in our network of Embassies and High Commissions to deliver our shared objectives for exports, market access/market shaping and investment. You will work as an enabler, adviser, and mentor for DBT country teams across the region. Specific activities could include providing technical advice, supporting regional events, trade shows, and senior official and political visits to the region - always ensuring that our activities are delivering value for UK companies. 

3. Develop and lead an APAC network of experts. Beyond supporting individual teams, you will lead an internal network of FPBS experts to ensure we deliver our regional strategy, share best practice, and foster cross-market collaborations.

4. APACs centre of FPBS expertise. You will establish yourself as a centre of expertise on FPBS. You will proactively share and embed knowledge across regional colleagues to enhance teams performance. You will also lead regional research and analysis on FPBS market trends, policy developments and commercial opportunities to provide strategic advice to APAC leadership.

5. Develop and leverage a strong UK FPBS network. You will lead on engagement with UK Government teams and companies in the UK. You will develop a strong UK commercial and policymaking network and share this with colleagues across the region to proactively support the development of a pipeline of trade opportunities and resolve market access barriers.  You will ensure that APAC team work in a joined-up way with other UK Government colleagues in market and in the region.

6. Shape regulatory frameworks. You will work with country teams to help them shape future markets for UK industry in APAC. This will involve working with UK industry, government departments, and regulators so they can advise teams on the most effective ways to design and implement campaigns to influence and support the development of regulatory frameworks in APAC markets, so as to best position UK companies to participate.

FBPS Sector Lead for Singapore (33%)

1.Develop and implement strategy for FPBS that will encourage and support more UK businesses to grow and export to Singapore.

2. Develop and manage relationships with key UK and Singaporean FPBS stakeholders; lead on specific events and activities to promote UK FPBS industry in Singapore.

3. Identify barriers to trade across the FPBS sectors which present challenges for UK companies to do business. Bring together teams across UK Government to develop a strategy to identify routes to resolve and simplify these issues.

How the role holder is expected to deliver

To deliver these responsibilities effectively, we are looking for someone with the following capabilities or behaviours:

•  You will have strong leadership skills so you can develop and articulate a clear vision for the UKs FPBS agenda in APAC.
• You will be able to engage confidently across multiple UK missions and Government departments to influence and drive activities in line with the APACs FPBS strategy.
• You will be able to proactively build trusted and impactful relationships with multiple internal and external stakeholders across government, within industry and across different countries.
• You will be a confident communicator capable of representing the UK government in external discussions with industry and governments as well as exercising judgement and discretion with commercial in confidence data.
• You will have a strong commercial acumen and be able to use data and analysis to quickly understand which opportunities offer value to UK companies.
• You will be an effective team member, with a strong sense of collaboration and a proven ability to work with and bring diverse groups together.
• You will hold (or be capable of developing) strong, trust-based relationships with stakeholders in the region and in the UK - in order to build deep insights into market opportunities, UK strengths, and areas for government and commercial collaboration.

Please note that the role holders job specification may be subject to change in line with evolving business priorities.

Information :

• Company : British Consulate-General Hong Kong
• Position : SG -Head of Financial, Professional and Business Services for Asia Pacific, SEO
• Location : Singapore
• Country : SG