View Vacancy – VNM (HCMC) – Financial and Professional Services Trade Manager, EO

Main purpose of job:

This is a hugely exciting role at a vital time for the UK-Vietnam relationship. The UK and Vietnam celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2023 and the bilateral trade relationship continues to strengthen and deepen. The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2020, has substantially reduced barriers to trade and deepened cooperation across trade policy areas. The UK is committed to further deepening its ties with Vietnam and the wider APAC region, including through access to the CPTPP trade bloc. More recently, Vietnam also committed to a green energy transition following COP26 in Glasgow and as part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership, co-led by the UK, which will require substantial mobilisation of sustainable finance and further deepening of Vietnam’s banking and capital markets. 

This role will see you leading on a priority sector at the heart of the UK-Vietnam trade partnership. The UK has a world leading financial and professional services industry, financial technology sector, and thematic expertise in areas like Green Finance. In this role you will represent the UK’s industry offer in financial and professional services, promoting UK expertise in banking, capital markets, financial regulation, and financial technology, and promoting the interests of UK financial and professional services companies looking to build their operations in Vietnam’s exciting market. You will be part of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Vietnam team. You will be based at the Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City and will work closely with colleagues in the British Embassy in Hanoi with occasional travel required. 

You will:

• Lead DBT activity across the financial services sector, proactively building and maintaining a strong network of relevant commercial and government contacts.
• Promote UK industry and policy expertise, leveraging this to strengthen Vietnam’s capability in financial services and fintech.
• Lead key workstreams including delivery of the UK’s support for Ho Chi Minh City’s aspirations to become a regional financial centre.

Throughout these duties you will ensure effective join up with political and development colleagues across the Consulate and Embassy to build a coherent and effective network approach to our financial services activity. You will have excellent relationships with UK businesses and key Vietnamese stakeholders. Your role will contribute significantly to Vietnam’s long-term development aspirations. 

The successful candidate will need demonstrable knowledge of the financial services sector.  You will need to be able to communicate this to a British audience, be able to articulate the opportunities for British companies to increase their exports to Vietnam and identify opportunities for relevant UK-funded technical assistance and sharing of UK best practice. You will need to be a self-starter, able to manage your own time effectively, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions – knowing when and how to seek advice from others.  You will also be expected to make a positive contribution to the wider DBT and One-HMG team across the Vietnam network.  Regular travel to Hanoi will be required.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Your primary role will be to assist UK companies in the financial and professional services sector to do business in Vietnam, including management of our strategic relationships with relevant Government departments and with key stakeholders in the sector. You will be expected to identify new projects and opportunities relevant to UK expertise and work with the UK to source that expertise.
• You will be the stakeholder manager for UK financial services firms, including fintech companies, operating in Vietnam. The UK’s financial services sector is at the heart of its international trade offer. You will maintain positive relationships with leading UK firms, supporting them with market access issues, and helping them to build productive relationships with key Vietnamese partners.
• You will lead on engagement with DBT London on relevant financial services activities. You will liaise with UK Export Finance (UKEF) in the UK to identify possible areas for collaboration and viable projects for UKEF funding. You will be expected to seek out new and emerging opportunities in Vietnam through research and engagement with relevant contacts. You will keep an eye on inward investment opportunities that arise when collaborating with Vietnamese counterparts.
• You will deliver a steady programme of trade-related promotional activity to champion UK expertise in financial and professional services, e.g. trade missions, fairs, VIP visits, seminars, receptions. You will be an effective project manager, delivering on time and within budget.

This role is ideally suited to someone who is proactive and comfortable working under limited supervision – coming up with their own solutions to problems – but knowing when and how to seek advice from others. You should also be a strong networker who seeks out new relationships while maintaining current relationships. You will also be expected to make a positive contribution to the wider DBT and British government team which will include working closely with colleagues in the Embassy in Hanoi and British Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City, British Chamber Vietnam and the wider ASEAN region. 

• Proactive self-starting approach to work with the ability to deliver effectively with limited day-to-day supervision in a fast-paced environment;
• A network of industry contacts in the financial services sector in Vietnam, or the ability to develop such a network;
• Relevant experience in or demonstrable awareness of the financial and professional services sectors;
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills;
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines;
• IT proficiency, including Office and the ability to learn FCO applications/systems.

Language requirements: 

Language: English and Vietnamese

Level of language required: Excellent written and oral communication skills in both English and Vietnamese are essential for this role.