View Vacancy – Head of Energy and Infrastructure

Lead the Energy and Infrastructure Team at the Department for Business and Trade at the British Embassy Mexico or one of the British Consulates in Monterrey or Guadalajara. You will work with UK exporters and investors in the energy and infrastructure industries to deliver an increase in trade and investment in the sector. You will work across a virtual team (with policy and programme colleagues) to deliver trade and investment objectives as part of a cross-embassy energy strategy. You will develop excellent relationships with UK and Mexican companies, and deliver a programme of activity focused on developing a robust pipeline of UK exports and investment in the energy and infrastructure sectors throughout the supply chain, working to overcome barriers to market entry, and to promote Mexico as a destination for UK companies. You will manage relationships with energy and infrastructure companies, employing excellent account management and customer service practice, and identifying opportunities to collaborate across sectors and geographies.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works with UK businesses to support UK exports and bilateral investment in Mexico. Headquartered in Mexico City, DBT Mexico works across priority sectors, with regional offices in Guadalajara and Monterrey.

The ideal candidate should be able to provide excellent leadership related to events and initiatives managed by the DBT Energy and Infrastructure Team, covering renewable energy, environmental services, and the energy transition. The successful candidate will collaborate and partner with internal and external stakeholders to achieve the energy team’s strategic activities, including but not limited to promoting UK capabilities in Mexico, communicating opportunities for UK companies in Mexico, generating business leads, and developing commercial strategies. 

The successful candidate will have strong organisation and communication skills, will be able to prioritise flexibly, and will use their own initiative to deliver to deadlines. He/she will also have strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively with Embassy teams and different stakeholders.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Lead the Energy and Infrastructure campaign at the Department for International Trade, British Embassy Mexico (65%)

• Build a pipeline of UK companies across renewables and decarbonisation services considering international expansion, and develop business opportunities for these companies throughout Mexico

• Develop and deliver a programme of activity to support UK infrastructure companies to do more and higher quality business in Mexico, including high-level visits, trade missions, participation in external events, and account management. This will include being creative with virtual events, given the current global ways of working

• Develop relationships with key stakeholders in DBT headquarters in London, and relevant high-level UK and Mexican government, company and business group contacts, building excellent market intelligence on the energy and infrastructure sectors in Mexico

• Develop and deliver a programme of activity to support UK energy and infrastructure companies to do more and higher quality business in Mexico, including high-level visits, trade missions, participation in external events, and account management. This will include being creative with virtual events, given the current global ways of working

• Proactively establish collaboration with Mexican energy stakeholders within State governments across the country to map local opportunities for British companies, in parallel to working with the Federal government on flagship energy and infrastructure projects

• Promote UK expertise in Energy sub-sectors (Energy Efficiency, Bioenergy, Smart Grids, Wind, Solar, alongside Clean Tech) amongst local decision makers, and work with DBT colleagues in London to promote Mexican business opportunities to UK industry   

• Work with UK companies to overcome barriers to trade, leveraging relationships with government and regulators

• Ensure alignment with DBT country and regional (Latin America and the Caribbean) strategies, with a focus on quality and delivery of outcomes in step with colleagues across LATAC

• Work with other DBT Mexico sector teams (e.g. Security and Cyber, Agritech) to identify overlapping opportunities of scale

Lead the DBT Energy contribution to the Embassy Energy Strategy   (25%)

• Work with teams across the Embassy to identify, develop and deliver commercial opportunities for the UK in line with the primary benefits of the Energy and Infrastructure programmes (including higher quality and better access to greener energy as well as sustainable infrastructure)

• Engage with programme colleagues, and the programme implementers, from the outset of project implementation, working to inform and influence the focus of the programme

• Develop a pipeline of Clean Growth solutions in energy that complement the Energy programme’s green objectives, align with the UK’s clean growth ambitions, and introduce UK expertise in sustainable and innovative solutions to the Mexican market

• Contribute to the effective functioning of the Embassy Energy and Infrastructure Virtual Team, collaborating with colleagues across programme and policy teams to find synergies and deliver cross-cutting work

Manage the Energy and Infrastructure team in Mexico City in line with Embassy values, contributing to the overall Embassy corporate objectives and ensure good financial, project and procurement management (10%)

• Effective line management of 2 x Trade and Investment Officers (EO and AO grades) and interns, through SMART objectives, uptake of Learning & Development opportunities and high-quality appraisals

• Ensure good financial, project and procurement management of work in the team.

• As part of the DBT leadership team, deliver work in line with Embassy Values (Honesty, Professionalism, Inclusion & Respect)

• Contribute to the corporate objectives of the Embassy

Resources Managed:

1 Senior Infrastructure Trade Officer (EO)

1 Energy Trade Officer (AO)

1 Energy and Infrastructure Intern (INDIV)

• Excellent account management, stakeholder management and project management skills

• Significant experience of business development experience and a solid understanding of the Mexican business environment

• Clear motivation and personal commitment to meeting challenging targets with a proven track record of achievement

• An excellent network of industry contacts in the energy and infrastructure sectors in Mexico or the ability to develop such a network, including the ability to develop strategic relationships with key stakeholders

• Valid passport; the ability to attend official functions outside of office hours; and the ability to undertake domestic and international air travel, including overnight stays

• Line Management experience