Job Title: Middle East Manager

Reporting to: Established Markets Manager

Closing Date for Applications is 7th August 2018

Job Purpose:

To manage the development, implementation and measurement of Bord Bia’s Route to Market and Buyer Engagement Services, to deliver sustainable business lead conversions for Irish food and drink exporters in the sectors of strategic priority in the Middle East.

Key Organisational Relationships

Established Markets Manager, Director of Markets, Food & Beverage Sector Managers, Global Key Account Manager, Talent Development Manager, Director Strategic Planning Food & Beverage, Origin Green, Strategic Insights team and the Marketing and Communications team.

Key External Relationships

Client food & drink companies, key local importers, distributors and customers, industry representative bodies, Irish Ambassadors & Embassy Officials, Honorary Consuls in these markets, third party agencies and consultants, local trade media and key opinion leaders

Key Accountabilities

1.To lead the development and annual review of Bord Bia’s strategy implementation plan in the Middle East.

2.To shape and deliver Route to Market client services that are instrumental in the growth of Irish food and drink exports to the Middle East in line with the new Route to Markets and Plan to Grow structure.

3. To proactively build a network of trade contacts across the Middle East for priority sectors across all channels and in various roles (notably buyers, innovation & marketing teams, CSR teams) within identified key accounts to increase the awareness of Ireland’s sustainable food and drink supply base and build the reputation of the Irish food industry.

4. To lead the implementation of effective communication tools in line with the new Bord Bia marketing way to ensure optimum reach for Bord Bia’s trade messaging on industry capabilities and our unique sustainability credentials.

5.To develop and implement a Middle East Market Insights service to collect and disseminate relevant and timely market and sector information, to client companies and to share knowledge with colleagues in line with the best practice set out by The Thinking House.

Main Duties

1.Work with Irish food and drink client companies’ in the development and implementation of their local commercial marketing strategies in partnership with the sectors and insights teams.

2. Based on the client segmentation model, assist Irish food and drink clients turn their commercial marketing strategies into effective local implementation & activation plans.

3.Set the standard for how clients should engage with their key accounts in the Middle East, actively fostering stronger commercially focused relationships between clients and the trade through peer-to-peer key account management, mentoring and wider networking events, including local trade fairs and inward buyer visits.

4. Actively encourage Irish food and drink exporters to consider business opportunities in the Middle East by organising regular market study visits to the region and managing the implementation of Bord Bia Marketing Fellowship assignments in the Middle East.

5.Proactively identify, meet and establish relationships with existing Middle East customers for Irish food and drink products in priority sectors as well as seeking to grow the office’s network of key trade influencers (including media), channel partners and decision makers.

6.Drive the delivery of key market insights in priority channels and sectors for clients, colleagues and other stakeholders by attending local industry conference, analysing local industry trade journals, research and reports; and disseminating this information in line with the Thinking House best practice to grow categories exponentially in partnership with the Irish food and drink industry.

7.Seek out speaking opportunities to present Origin Green and position Ireland’s unique sustainability credentials at key industry seminars and forums in Middle East and actively engage and participate in sustainability debates with key opinion leaders in the market.

8.Develop and implement multiannual plans in line with job description, strategic objectives, market growth priorities and allocated resources.

9. Identify and deliver relevant buyers and journalists for inward buyer visits to Ireland.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications:

• Degree level qualification in relevant discipline, e.g. Business, Marketing
• Specialisation in international marketing an advantage
• Membership of relevant professional bodies e.g. Marketing Institute of Ireland or other appropriate is advantageous

Experience:

• 5 + years’ experience operating in an export marketing, sales or business development role in Ireland, Britain or international markets
• Experience building and distilling market insights
• Successful implementation of high profile marketing events or projects
• Knowledge of the Irish Food, Drink and Horticulture sector
• Proven record of working independently in an export market
• Proven ability to manage people and budgets.
• Proven experience of building credible professional relationships with suppliers, trade customers, media, diplomats and politicians both in Ireland and the Marketplace
• Proven experience operating professionally in different culture

Required Skills:

• Local language, Arabic in this instance, an advantage
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with strong verbal and report writing ability in English and ideally the local language
• Highly tuned influencing and negotiating skills adapted to the local culture
• Proven organisational skills and practical application of project management tools and techniques.
• Proficient business use of the full Microsoft 2013 suite, social and Word Press content management tools and Google Analytics and social media online monitoring tools.

Personal Attributes:

• Commercially minded, highly motivated self-starter who works well in cross functional teams
• An individual who excels when he/she must work independently
• An ability to manage people and programmes to deliver clear results
• Positive, solutions driven individual
• An innovative person who seeks out new challenges and opportunities
• Can adapt to changing environments easily and is willing to travel
• A passion for food, Ireland and agriculture are an advantage

*Closing date for applications is 5.00 pm on Friday 6th July 2018*