View Vacancy - Senior Trade Policy Officer – Market Access

The Department of International Trade (DIT) at the British Consulate General in Casablanca invites applications for the position of Senior Trade Policy Officer - Market Access grade C4 (L).

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic self starter, with excellent commercial awareness and creativity, to help UK and Moroccan companies enter and expand into each others markets.

This is an exciting time to join Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) in Morocco. The Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are working closely together on trade policy to deliver HMG’s international trade and investment strategy, under the stewardship of the UK/Morocco Association Agreement.

As the Senior Trade Policy Officer with a principal focus on addressing Market Access Barriers, you will have the  opportunity to work on trade policy, including market analysis, dialogue with companies, trade promotion and financial issues to help break down barriers to trade and investment.

Main purpose of the role:

To deliver trade policy elements of the DIT Country Plan for Morocco, and DIT Regional Trade Plan for Africa. Using leadership and commercial expertise, you will identify, examine and seek to address market access issues in Morocco, and support implementation of the UK/Morocco Association Agreement.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Examine market access issues – including those linked with non-tariff barriers, behind the border barriers (e.g. regulation), and public-private sector interface – and design strategies for prioritising and addressing these barriers.

Through this work, identify and exploit opportunities to increase trade with and through Morocco in line with the delivery of the UK/Morocco Association Agreement, and support both countries to make full use of preference privileges.    

Lead collaboration with development colleagues to ensure that opportunities are identified to deepen the trade relationship, for instance through a focus on exports to the rest of Africa and making better use of existing preference utilisation.

Work closely with the Embassy’s economic, trade and programme teams who are already working to identify where the UK can provide technical assistance to support the ease of doing business. The job holder might also support or manage programmes which contribute to these objectives, where funding is available.

Develop relationships with key internal and external stakeholders that can support your work. You will work as part of a wider network of trade policy officers, supporting the North Africa region. There will be an expectation that specialist skills (e.g. specialist sector knowledge) should be developed and used across the region.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs.

Key Competences:

• Collaborating and Partnering – People skilled in this area create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service to help get business done. 
• Achieving Commercial Outcomes – Being effective in this area is about maintaining an economic, long-term focus in all activities. It’s about having a commercial, financial and sustainable mind-set to ensure all activities and services are delivering added value and working to stimulate economic growth.
• Delivering at Pace - Effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. It’s about working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way.
• Leading and Communicating – Effectiveness in this area is about leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. It’s about supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of citizens.

• Graduate with a university degree in a relevant subject (e.g. business, economics, international relations, etc.)
• 4 years recent experience in the trade / commercial sectors; experience in trade policy sphere desirable;
• Strong oral and written English and French communication skills;
• Ability to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines;
• Resourcefulness in solving problems;
• Strong interpersonal skills and comfortable dealing with senior officials and business people; and developing networks;
• Flexible, adaptable and resilient;
• Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail;
• Superior professionalism and judgment;
• High IT proficiency (Microsoft platform).