View Vacancy – Global Issues Officer, British Consulate General Houston

The ‘Global Issues Officer’ role is part of a new cadre of individuals which the British Government is deploying in our Consulates General network to support our regional engagement in the United States.  These individuals will be responsible for providing reporting and analysis on some of the key thematic issues between the United Kingdom and United States, delivered from a sub-national perspective: both state and city level.  In addition to this, they will also be closely involved in the wider operations of the Consulates themselves, supporting on high level visits, organising public diplomacy events, and the wider corporate functioning of the office.

As a new role, the successful candidate should expect to be flexible on the core tasks and requirements as the work evolves, doing so with a high degree of initiative in identifying areas of UK interest.  They will also be working closely with existing networks within the Consulate, as well as policy teams based in the Embassy in Washington, DC. The initial range of work is likely to include:

• Economic Security: examining the core issues affecting regional US approaches to economic security, including: supply chain resilience; perspectives on inward and outbound investment; approaches to competition policy; local regulations and legislation which impact on UK-US economic engagement;
• Supporting Global Campaigns: supporting the delivery of key UK prosperity and thematic campaigns, engaging with local stakeholders, and providing policy reporting and analysis on impact and outcomes;
• Bio Economy: engaging with the bio-economy community with a view to supporting UK-US collaboration and trade in this area including: key agricultural partners; agricultural technology firms and policy makers; bio-energy; and prominent research institutions in the field;
• Economic and Social policy: supporting the Embassy’s economic team in providing local coverage of economic and social developments, including engaging with local labour unions and their chapters. Global Issues Officers will necessarily cover a broad range of topics, and the successful candidate is unlikely to have expertise in every field.  The successful candidate will, however, be able to demonstrate clear competencies and skills in the following areas:
• Network Development: being able to engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders and develop positive relationships in support of our policy goals. This role will be focussed on engagement with non-traditional interlocutors across our five state region (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana). Our traditional political engagement is covered by our political team and this role is designed to expand our relationships beyond formalised government. This could include but is not limited to: minority groups, rural/agricultural communities, and religious sectors.
• Analysis and Reporting: able to synthesise a range of data and inputs to present clear reporting and analysis to senior stakeholders, taking account of UK policy perspectives and interests. This role will focus on cross-cutting thematic issues and successful candidate will work alongside our political team to produce nuanced reporting on topical issues on the minds of American voters and business owners.
• Team Working: engaging constructively and effectively within the Consulate team specifically, but also with wider UK policy stakeholders.
• Adaptability and Resilience: Global Issues Officers will be a core part of the wider Consulate team, and as such should be ready to engage across a broad portfolio of UK interests.

• Proven ability to create and maintain networks of key contacts;
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Proactive and self-starter
• Ability to engage professionally with senior stakeholders across a wide range of sectors
• Understanding of key policy issues relevant to the central southern US.