Vacancy: Director – Client Services Delivery
General Description
The Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA) is a statutory corporation, established under the Trade Export Promotion Agency Act No. 16 of 2013 and operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce, Business Development, Investment and consumer Affairs in Saint Lucia.
As the lead agency mandated to spearhead the island’s National Export Development effort, its overall objective is to increase aggregate volume and value of goods and services exports from Saint Lucia to the rest of the world.
TEPA’s programmes are designed to increase exposure of Saint Lucia products and services in the global market and to promote the national image or brand by providing information, counsel and marketing services to exporters looking to expand into external markets.
TEPA undertakes activities that will improve relationships between buyers and sellers, and enhance the competitive advantage of Saint Lucian exporters
Job Summary
Working under the guidance of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director – for Client Services Delivery takes the lead for design and implementation of initiatives under the Marketing and Promotion, Export Facilitation and Enterprise support components of the TEPA Action Plan. The officer is required to Inter Alia:
- Develop, implement, manage, monitor and evaluates marketing and promotions activities locally and internationally.
- Lead initiatives and teams for marketing and promotion improvements at national and firm levels.
- Supervise the Marketing and Promotion technical staff including officers assigned within specific international markets.
- Play a significant role in the identifying, developing and managing of TEPA’s contacts with other international Trade Promotion agencies, the OECS Competitiveness Business Unit, the Caribbean Export Development Agency and other similar institutions that support the trade promotion function of TEPA.
- Contribute to TEPA’s public relations efforts and knowledge dissemination and utilization, including participation in public fora;
- Undertake regular evaluation and analysis of promotion events to determine effectiveness
- Responsible for identifying the external contacts to support specific program directions and projects; and in particular identify donors for resource mobilization / funding.
- Participate in consultative and other relevant fora
- Provide regular and robust management and metrics reporting;
Primary Duties or Responsibilities
Planning and Programing for Client Management Services
- Develops promotional plans and strategy for the domestic and export markets.
- Ensure national and export promotional plans support and drive the national brand strategy.
- Develops brand/category platform strategic trade plans aligned with sales and marketing objectives for the new item launches and ongoing business matters related to exports.
- Works closely with the Client Services Management team to develop programs and initiatives driven by key consumer insights.
Client Management Services Delivery
- Works with distributors, retailers and suppliers to develop customer and /or market specific promotional events.
- Assists exporters in developing and executing Export Plans and to build sales promotions and product communication.
- Works with exporter’s sales teams to effectively present their brands, the products and the marketing initiatives to their customers.
- Design and execution of export business development initiatives including exporter capacity building / training and Advisory programs;
Customer Service and Quality Assurance
- Responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Quality Management System for the Client Management Services delivery function within TEPA are adhered to and updated in a timely manner to reflect best practices.
- Ensures that the local feedback is taken into account by regularly visiting clients, sales teams, and markets.
Collaboration
- Works and contributes to the preparation of the TEPA Annual Action Plan and related project portfolio;
- Collaborates with the Finance Officer and the technical team for the ideation, planning & budgeting, production and implementation of all marketing and promotion activities.
- Participates in regular Staff meetings, and when required in other Technical Team meetings, and represents the organization at other meetings and committees when required;
- Collaborates with exporters to ensure specific trade plans are in alignment with the national trade promotional plans in order to achieve overall objectives.
- Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to ensure marketing and promotion events are aligned with branding requirements and trade promotional plans in order to achieve the desired objectives.
Research Utilization and Agency Representation
- Assists in writing, editing, and publishing reports, newsletters; and other relevant publications.
- Collaborates with the Market Research staff in the identification and evaluation of emerging and key export development trends and priorities in individual markets.
- Collaborates with marketing intelligence resource to analyze and report results of activities and to provide recommendations and forecasts
- Collaborates with colleagues the identification and evaluation of emerging and key exports trends and priorities.
Resource Mobilization
- Recommends criteria and /or methodology for the implementation of appropriate assistance programmes and projects for exporters;
- Assesses proposals from clients and stakeholders, including conceptual, methodological, operational, evaluative, and financial aspects;
- Identifies and develops export support programmes in accordance with approved policies;
- Incorporates, at the project design stage, plans for collection, analysis, dissemination and utilization of information, and research results;
- Explores the potential for support and participation by the local and international financing (donor) and research communities;
- Develops partnerships with other funding agencies to support project activities;
- Prepares project documents for approval;
- Prepares project reports
Supervision
- Directly supervises the Client Management Services Delivery staff and other technical and administrative and support staff when required and;
- Represent the CEO and fulfil other management requirements including deputizing for the CEO when required
- Perform any other duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer.
Skills & Qualifications
Qualifications
- Graduate degree in one of the following: Business Administration, Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Development, Marketing, International Business, Economics, or related field with at least 2 years work experience in relevant field or;
- Bachelor’s degree in one of the following: Business Administration, Commerce, Entrepreneurship, Development, Marketing, International Business, Economics, or related field with at least 5+ years work experience in relevant field.
Experience
- Exposure to and/or understanding of both the government context for TEPA’s work articulated in the National Export Strategy and the needs of the businesses that we serve and advise;
- Relevant international experience or exposure, which may include professional services, government or commercial business;
- Relevant experience in international, modern companies is needed
- Former Experience/background in Sales is highly recommended
Knowledge
- Knowledge of marketing and trade marketing activities, tools and techniques is needed
- Knowledge of trade channels in any of Saint Lucia’s major export markets (mass market and traditional trade) is highly recommended
- Knowledge of most important IT tools is needed
Languages
- Fluency in spoken and written English
- Language capability with a recognized Proficiency Rating in a foreign language (French or Spanish would be an asset).
Required Competencies
- Capability in building strategic, multilevel and team work relationship
- Capability in dealing with complexity in a multinational environment
- Energetic, organized and business-driven approach is highly recommended
- Engaged and with structured and strong communication skills
- An affective hands-on approach together with fearless of challenges are appreciated
- Good role-based leadership and decision making are highly appreciated
- Ability to deliver results, solve problems, achieve outcomes and provide services of value to clients and stakeholders;
Additional Desirable Skills/Abilities
- Understands the business environment in Saint Lucia key export markets and has experience in interacting with the customers in this environment.
- Ability to work effectively within a fast-paced, complex matrix, changing environment.
- Thorough and extensive knowledge of the export promotion, marketing and go-to-market strategies and process.
- Ability to access information technology applications to improve current business environment.
- Ability to access, assess, interpret and draw accurate conclusions from sales, customer, and shopper data.
- Excellent computer skills, including MS Office applications, database information sources and web applications.
- Ability to communicate to all levels of management.
- Expert ability to synthesize complex data and develop persuasive internal and external presentations
- Any other duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer
Applications inclusive of resume, two-written testimonials and certified copies of relevant educational certificates can be submitted to the following email address: info@tepa.org.lc
or mailed to
Trade Export Promotion Agency
2nd Floor Hewanorra House
P.O. Box CP5524
Castries