About the job

Job summary

Origination and Client Coverage (OCC) is the internationally facing business development and client relationship arm of UKEF. We are primarily responsible for delivering new business opportunities in overseas markets suitable for UKEF financing and building strategic relationships with key stakeholders and customers. We do this by:

• Engaging with British exporters and overseas buyers to build up the business pipeline of opportunities suitable for UKEF support.
• Developing business development strategies for overseas markets of interest by connecting with current and potential clients both in the UK and globally
• Coordinating the activities of our international team of export finance executives based in British Missions across the world.
• Delivering a client coverage functionality in the department through a customer relationship approach
• Collaborating across Whitehall, working closely with DIT, HMT, FCDO and others to make sure the UKEF offer is front and centre in HMGs trade promotion and diplomatic activities.
• Aligning to UKEF’s broader strategy including public policy priorities to translate strategic intent into commercial outcomes, particularly focused on clean growth and sustainability.
• Delivering a client coverage functionality in the department through a customer relationship approach.

Job description

We are looking for a dynamic senior business development professional to support our international engagement and new project development activities. You will be working in an outward facing team based in London which acts as a HQ to colleagues across the globe.

As Regional Head, you will support the Co-Heads of the division to develop, foster and maintain relationships with exporting companies and their overseas buyers, British Embassies and High Commissions abroad, other Export Credit Agencies, SMEs, and international banks to find and scope out new export opportunities for UKEF to support. In showcasing the capability and future prospects originated by the OCC division, you will share responsibility for managing the London HQ team in taking a data-driven approach to UKEF’s deal pipeline. Although the job is commercially focused, the impact of our work and seniority of stakeholders involved means you will need to develop diplomatic skills and consider wider UK interests overseas. You will also need to have a strong understanding of HMG’s policy priorities as a representative of a ministerial government department.

We regularly host high profile incoming delegations from across the globe and conduct meetings with senior commercial leaders.  The role of Regional Head involves travel overseas when required to engage with foreign buyers, including governments and corporates as well as our export credit agency counterparts, multilateral development banks and international and regional banks and financial institutions.

You will report to the Co-Heads of Origination, playing a proactive role in shaping the new business prospects across your region(s). This will involve extensive contact with UKEF’s overseas network, a diverse team of experienced ex-banking and finance professionals based in British Embassies and High Commissions across the world.  As Regional Head, you will manage a small team in London and will join a dynamic and growing team with amble opportunity to shape the direction of the division The work will be highly varied, requiring agility and stamina.  An example week could include:

• Analysing several new project opportunities to determine if they are ‘bankable’ enquiries and liaising with technical teams within UKEF.
• Coordinating your teams across the world on projects and potential deal structures.
• Hosting an all-party call with an international project sponsor, financial advisors, and participating banks to discuss the progress of a major transaction.
• Deputising for the Co-Heads of Origination at industry conferences and cross-government forums.
• Meeting with a foreign Ministry of Finance to discuss how you can help finance a major infrastructure project.
• Liaising with the relevant British Posts and DBT Country Directors providing them with updates on the transactions in your regions.
• Actively engaging and influencing at a senior level with internal stakeholders (strategy, policy, underwriting and origination, and risk) in order for UKEF to provide our external clients and customers an efficient client experience. 

Person specification

The Regional Head will be responsible for,

• Working under the leadership of the Co-Heads of Origination to develop and implement the regional business development strategy for focus markets.
• Undertaking initial assessment of prospects to assess their commercial viability and eligibility for UKEF support, conducting the preliminary bankability review, with the supervision of the Co-Heads of Origination, on new leads and opportunities.
• Managing key client relationships in your region, to coordinate UKEF engagement and drive business development.
• Taking a data driven approach to the monitoring, evaluation, and segmentation of UKEF’s deal pipeline, showcasing important trends and developments in region-wide deal pipeline data across monthly, quarterly, and annual intervals and based key sectors.
• Enhancing the knowledge and capability of the London HQ team, with a particular focus on the commercial imperatives of the parties on pipeline transactions and the strengths and reputation of UK exporters overseas. 
• Coordinating and liaising with the teams across UKEF, including Strategy, Underwriting and Risk, to present a preliminary overview of new transactions before they are brought to documentation and negotiation phase.
• Managing (along with the other Regional Heads, and under the supervision of the Co-Heads of Origination) the London HQ unit.
• Reporting to the Co-Heads of Origination to support their role in overseeing UKEF’s international network.

 Personal attributes, skills, and capabilities

• Confident speaker with strong presentation skills.
• Robust command of the UK supply chain, particularly in sectors of strategic importance.
• Understanding of and experience in structuring financial transactions including export financing.
• Track record of building and maintaining business relationships to originate new deal opportunities.
• Experience progressing early-stage deal opportunities into negotiation phase, with sensitivity to the types of commercial stakeholder involved and their needs and motivations on-deal.

This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,430, UK Export Finance contributes £15,236 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

You will be invited to complete the online application form. The application form must be completed by 23.55 on the day of the closing date for it to be accepted.

All applications will be sifted against our minimum selection criteria outlined in the personal specification.

You will be asked in the relevant sections of the application form to provide examples of evidence against a range of the success profiles (refer to appendix 1).  Where applicants are asked to apply with a personal statement, you should fully articulate in 750 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.

For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:

1. Experience
2. Ability
3. Technical

In the event of large number of applications, there will be a pre-sift where you will be assessed on the following essential criteria:

• Understanding of international financing and risk appraisal. (A)
• Experience in dealing with senior stakeholders either in commercial or public sector setting. (A)

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview; this will include the following assessment:

1. Behaviours/Technical/Experience - a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all four behaviours highlighted and your technical ability to successfully carry out the role.
2. Technical - a 10-minute presentation (this will be on a topic determined by UKEF and will need to be prepared in advance).

Details of interview panel members will be e-mailed to all successful candidates who are invited for interview.

Given the volume and frequency of face-to-face client meetings, the successful candidate will be expected to be in the London office at least 3 days a week and more frequently as required.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.