JOB DESCRIPTION

View Vacancy – AUH – SDI Senior Trade Specialist, Energy Transition (HEO)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Category

Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)

Job Subcategory

SDI (Scottish Development International)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The British Embassy in Abu Dhabi has a vacancy for a Senior Trade Specialist under Scottish Development International (SDI), job grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO). This is for a fixed-term contract for three (3) years, with possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance and on on-going business requirement.

Scottish Development International (SDI) is Scotland’s trade and inward investment agency responsible for delivering on the Scottish Government’s ambitious international trade strategy. SDI are looking for a Senior Trade Specialist to join our EMEA Energy Transition team to develop further our trade activities within the Energy Transition sector.

The Scottish energy supply chain has a lot to offer the world. International trade, as well as international collaborations, are key to a successful global energy transition, and the UAE is an important partner in Scotland’s internationalisation strategy.

The main objective of this position is to develop and maintain strategic relationships that will help increase Scottish exports, and to identify new export opportunities in the UAE (80%) and surrounding markets (20%). This will also include leading the delivery of complex projects such as trade missions, providing specialist support to Scottish companies seeking to do business internationally, and working closely with internal and external stakeholders.

The FCDO is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We do not discriminate on any basis, including categories protected by law. In keeping with the FCDO’s commitment to disability inclusion in the workplace, hiring managers must incorporate the principles set out in the FCDO Disability Confident scheme job applications in the CBS recruitment process. Our CBS are recruited by Missions in-country in line with local employment laws.

Duties and responsibilities:

As part of the EMEA Energy Transition Team, the successful candidate will:

• Advance and maintain strategic relationships with key private and public organisations in order to identify trade opportunities for Scottish companies.
• Deliver strategic guidance and expert support to Scottish companies seeking to access and grow within energy markets in the UAE (+ GCC region).
• Deliver against Scottish Government export targets and raise the profile of Scotland as a leader in low carbon and renewable energy technologies, building-up on recent high-profile initiatives such as COP28 and Scotland Week in the UAE.
• Deliver key events and activities which support Scottish trade work in country, including (physical and virtual) digital workshops, roadshows, trade delegations and missions.
• Lead on the development of effective partnerships and networks with stakeholders such as local Chambers of Commerce, the Energy Industries Council (EIC), trade associations, procurement organisations, industry bodies, and GlobalScots.
• Collaborate regularly in a meaningful manner with Partners from across other Government departments including the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), as well as national/ regional and local entities.
• Support and leverage visits into the region by Scottish/ UK Ministers and senior officials with existing investors, prospects, customers, and public and private stakeholders.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required.

Key behaviours required:

• Communicating and Influencing: Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses, and opinions of others.
• Working Together: Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.
• Delivering at Pace: Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
• Seeing the bigger picture:Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.

 

Eligibility:

• Applications will only be considered from those who are currently residing in the UAE and with a current and valid UAE resident visa. Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of their UAE resident visa/ Emirates ID.

• Applicants must be available in a full-time capacity.

 

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• University degree in business/ economics/ engineering or equivalent business development experience of at least five (5) years.
• A strong understanding of the UAE Energy transition market (decarbonisation technologies such as CCS & Hydrogen; decommissioning, renewables) with existing and proven energy networks and relationships in the UAE and in the GCC region.
• Proven project management skills.
• Flexible, resilient under pressure, and decisive, with a proven track record of working quickly and reliably with attention to detail and with limited supervision. Strong organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and to take the initiative as well as being able to work well as part of a larger team to deliver results.
• A collaborative team player who can work successfully within a regional and ‘virtual team’ to achieve common objectives. Ability to initiate and maintain a wide range of working relationships.
• A confident communicator with excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills. Proven ability to engage at all levels internally and with external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook).

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Arabic language skills (both written and spoken).
• Knowledge of the Scottish economy and its contribution to UK prosperity.

Required behaviours

Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together

Application deadline

14 December 2025

Grade

Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Type of Position

Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal

Working hours per week

40

Region

Middle East & North Africa

Country/Territory

United Arab Emirates

Location (City)

Abu Dhabi

Type of Post

British Embassy

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

AED

Salary

26,395

Type of Salary

monthly

Start Date

2 February 2026

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Working hours and remuneration:

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role, which includes 25 days of leave per annum (calculated pro-rata).

The salary for this role is AED 26,395 per month.

There are no other allowances payable as part of this package. No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

This role is for a full-time employment, on a fixed term contract basis for three (3) year, subject to six (6) months’ probationary period. The contract may be extended, subject to satisfactory performance and on on-going business requirement.

The Embassy is open from Monday to Friday from 0700 to 1800 hrs. The Employee’s normal weekly working hours are forty (40) Monday to Friday (inclusive). This is inclusive of one-hour paid rest break for each five (5) hours worked; the timing of the rest break shall be approved by the Employee’s Line Manager and in accordance with operational requirements.

Whilst the role is based in Abu Dhabi, the jobholder will be required to visit the Embassy in Dubai occasionally. The jobholder must also be available for occasional travel within the region and further afield to the UK for business/ official purposes. The successful candidate must be able to secure visas for these countries.

The jobholder will be required to be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out of hours (evening/ weekend) during visits and events.

The Embassy has an active Learning and Development Committee, and the whole of Post is committed to providing the time and resources for staff to develop personally and professionally. The 70/20/10 learning and development model is applied in a flexible manner, with extensive informal and formal opportunities readily available.

The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassy”s sponsorship.

Additional information

How to apply:

Interested candidates must ensure that the following is fully completed:

1. Fully completed online application form which must include:
2. Fully completed education details and employment history
3. Fully completed experience, professional skills and behaviour-based sections in the online application form. Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

Please note: It is mandatory that all applicants complete the online application form including the employment and educational details, technical, skills and experience sections and the behaviour-based questions. Applications that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered whilst shortlisting for the next stage.

Closing date for applications is at 23:55 UAE local time on 14 December 2025.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Internal candidates (i.e., those employed by the British Embassies in Abu Dhabi & Dubai) applying for this position are advised to inform their current line managers upon submission of their application.

Process:

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around two to three months. The security clearance process includes checks available in country and with UK, dependant on the security level required for the role and the candidate”s profile and UK footprint. You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption.

Due to the large number of applications, we receive, only those shortlisted for the next step of the recruitment process will be contacted.

The start date mentioned in the job advert is tentative and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures before employment can begin. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

The FCDO operates an agile approach to delivery. To facilitate an agile workforce, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require. The British Embassy Abu Dhabi is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.