Trade Policy Officer HEO - (34/24 PTA)

Main Purpose Of Job:

The British High Commission in South Africa (SA) delivers a portfolio of activities to support broad-based and inclusive growth for poverty reduction in SA. You will work in the Economic Growth team, with responsibility for implementing the Economic Partnership Agreement in SA, overcoming bilateral market access barriers, managing export promotion activities, and delivering on shared priorities for the global multilateral trading system. You will play a key role in ensuring the UK trade policy in SA contributes to UK international development and economic growth objectives, reporting to the Grade 7 Regional Trade for Development Adviser for Southern Africa.

The UK and SA recognise the importance of economic growth to drive jobs and create prosperity for our people and are committed to working together to support corporations and people do business. The UK-SA trade relationship is very significant, accounting for over 10.5bn per year and with over 20bn of UK corporate investment supporting growth, jobs, and innovation in SA. The UK supports the SA governments efforts to drive structural economic reform to increase inclusive, economic growth, including through international trade.

The UKs Economic Partnership Agreement with the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique (UK-SACUM EPA) is the cornerstone of the UKs trading relationship with SA, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique and Namibia. Our EPA is principally focussed on increasing trade to promote sustainable growth and poverty reduction in Southern Africa. As part of the agreement, the UK committed to providing duty-free, quota free access to approximately 96% of goods imported from SA.

On the multilateral stage, it is crucial that the UK and SA work together and with the membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ensure that the rules-based international trading system continues to be a vital component to all countries trading relationships and economic development. Key milestones at the WTO, including the next Ministerial Conference, bring our Trade Ministers together to progress discussions on some of the most complex and important issues facing the global trading system and shared UK and SA interests.

Roles And Responsibilities:

Your role is business and government-facing. You will represent the UK on trade policy with SA. You will also work with programming colleagues to support the design and delivery of UK trade programmes in SA to ensure that programme outcomes align with UK trade policy objectives. You will be supported to invest in your own trade policy expertise, develop your professional capabilities, and support other colleagues learning and development. You will also play a full role in the corporate responsibilities of the British High Commission.

Your Primary Objectives Will Be:

• Implementing and improving the regional Economic Partnership Agreement in SA (35%)

You Will:

• Engage key decision makers in the SA government and export-orientated businesses in SA to effectively implement the EPA in SA and understand how the EPA can be improved to benefit inclusive development through trade, including through growing intra-regional trade;
• Lead on the delivery of EPA committees in South Africa, and contribute to those held elsewhere in the region (with the opportunity for duty travel);
• Hold presentations and other activities to promote awareness of, and gather feedback on, the EPA.
• Export promotion activities in SA (25%)

You Will:

• Support design of a new ODA-funded trade programme to promote export-led growth in South Africa;
• Explore how the UK could better stimulate imports from SA to best promote pro-poor economic transformation;
• Raise awareness of the EPA and other UK trade policy and programmes designed to promote economic diversification and development, and provide advice on improvements.
• Overcoming bilateral Market Access Barriers (15%)

You Will:

• Lead on the UK-SA Trade and Investment Review Committee to tackle market access barriers and promote investment to support inclusive economic growth in SA;
• Support DEFRA colleagues and DBT sector leads to progress resolution of Priority Barriers in trade and investment faced by UK companies in SA, including in the agriculture and healthcare sectors, utilising EPA structures where appropriate;
• Develop and maintain a strong network of SA business contacts to promote UK-SA trade and investment relations.
• Promoting shared priorities for the global trading system (15%)

You Will:

• Deliver reporting and analysis on SA priorities at the WTO;
• Engage the SA government on UK interests and the WTO and build shared understanding;
• Promote more structured and systematic engagement with SA on issues facing the global trading system, including trade and climate, e-commerce and agriculture.

Ten percent of your role will be devoted to professional capability development and corporate responsibilities. The British High Commission in South Africa is committed to supporting staffs professional growth through, for example, annual Study Grants.

All of this makes for an exciting, meaningful and varied job. You will have good communication and organisation skills, and a proactive, creative attitude to overcoming challenges and making progress. You will have a proven ability to build good relationships with stakeholders and clients. You will be skilled in navigating diverse social and cultural environments and committed to creating an inclusive workplace. You will be an excellent team player, able to work closely with colleagues across the High Commission and in HQ to ensure strategic activity is joined up, and have the confidence to represent to interests of the High Commission and its people.