Trade and Market Access Officer at Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Job Description

• Outreach to exporters, importers and investors to monitor and identify the challenges faced by companies trying to access the Ghanaian market (e.g. local content requirements, customs clearance procedures, intellectual property issues, etc). Understand the scale and impact of those barriers, especially from an inclusive growth and sustainable development perspective (as well as specific commercial opportunities identified by DIT) and understand the Government of Ghana’s motivations for introducing them.
• Develop and manage HMG’s political response to these challenges by working with colleagues in DIT, the FCO and DFID.  Prioritise barriers and devise strategies to overcome them through a mixture of different instruments (lobbying, technical assistance, high level interventions, etc).
• Feed into centrally run systems aiming to bring coherence into DIT’s work into Market Access barriers (the Digital Market Access Service) and ongoing Ministerial-level dialogue on Economic Development between the UK and Ghana. This includes using the Digital Market Access Service in Ghana to recognise the top 10 barriers faced by UK business when exporting/investing into the Ghanaian market, through uploading newly identified barriers, update with progress on resolution, working closely with the DIT Market Access colleagues and analysts in London to aid the resolution and in the longer-term prioritisation of the barriers in terms of their economic and strategic value.  
• Develop networks with key partners to get a deeper understanding of Ghana’s regulatory bodies having a bearing on trade and investment. Partners will include:
• Relevant government ministries
• Ghanaian businesses and international firms operating in Ghana
• Academic institutions
• Business organisations  

Requirement/Skills

• Undergraduate degree in economics, commercial law, or related fields.
• At least three years professional work experience – preferably with exposure to policymaking.
• Proven analytical skills, ability to understand and communicate complex policy issues effectively to non-specialist audiences.
• Excellent collaboration skills, including the ability to work with colleagues in other departments.
• Knowledge of, and a keen interest in, sustainable development.
• Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  
• Postgraduate degree or professional qualification in, economics, commercial law, or related fields.
• Experience of policy-making, particularly in trade policy or economic policy-related fields.

Starting monthly salary  :GHC equivalent to USD 1,576.87
Start Date :1 September 2019
Other benefits and conditions of employment 

• The successful applicant will have access to a range of Learning and Development opportunities with in-house and e-learning, with the potential for overseas training.
• From time to time there will be requirements to assist other teams within the Embassy, West Africa prosperity/ DIT teams, and the wider UK Government, working with other members of the team to build your overall experience.

Working patterns:Flexible working can be considered for the right candidate.