Head, Professional Services Trade Investment and Market Access Position Available In Darlington, South Carolina

Professional and Business Services (PBS) is the largest services sector in the UK and employs around 1 in 7 citizens. The UK has global leadership and comparative advantage in sectors including accountancy, management consultancy, legal services, architecture and engineering; and is second only to the US in terms of export value. The sector’s importance to UK growth has been recognised through its selection as one of the eight growth sectors of the Government’s upcoming Industrial Strategy. This is an exciting opportunity to join the PBS team to help develop and implement the Sector Plan for the Industrial Strategy. You will lead on trade promotion to increase the sector’s exports to key overseas markets and champion the sector’s asks for market access improvements and inclusion in Free Trade Agreements and other trade arrangements. The PBS team sits within DBT’s Business Group and is responsible for managing relationships with the key businesses, professional and trade bodies within the sector. The focus of the role is to develop and implement the PBS Sector Plan, encourage more PBS firm to internationalise and help the legal services, accountancy and management consultancy sectors to thrive in global markets. The role includes working with our overseas colleagues to develop and deliver activities that ensure that more UK businesses benefit from internationalising and more overseas firms successfully open in the UK. The role also holds responsibility for ensuring the voice of PBS sub-sectors is heard at the heart of government in policy making. Working effectively with DBT colleagues, overseas colleagues, other government departments, key external stakeholders and directly with businesses to ensure that developing trade agreements and emerging policies meet the needs of the sector and that market access barriers are identified and resolved. Building effective working relations with key industry stakeholders and businesses to understand the PBS landscape and what is needed to drive growth in this area. Developing and managing trade policy and promotion priorities in the PBS Sector Plan of the Industrial Strategy and DBT’s Trade Strategy. Working with analysts to develop a measurement framework to oversee delivery of the plan’s outcomes and interventions to increase PBS trade. Identifying growth areas that could galvanise export economic value; and developing activity programmes to deliver real change and drive trade, for instance trade missions and networking events with UK lawtech companies in key markets, and leveraging the enabling role of the UK PBS sector in other sector team’s overseas trade promotion activities. Working with DBT colleagues in the UK and overseas to ensure that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement meet the needs of the PBS sector. Deliver for internal teams by encouraging the PBS sector to contribute to consultations, fighting the FPBS corner to ensure the sector receives recognition as a priority growth sector in relevant agreements. Working with overseas colleagues and industry to develop activities aimed at deploying PBS firms in emerging opportunities, for instance sustainability opportunities arising from Memoranda of Understanding with overseas partners. Working with the DBT Market Access Barriers Team to resolve identified barriers and account management of stakeholders in the accountancy, legal and management consultancy sub-sectors. Promoting market access improvements to businesses within the sector. Working with colleagues in Trade Policy to champion PBS sectors priorities for improved access to EU markets. Working with stakeholders to understand the impact of trade negotiations and Free Trade Agreements on the PBS sector and working with the wider team to enable sub-sectors to grasp emerging opportunities.