Senior Market Advisor

Job description / Role

Our Client is a Western European Semi-Governmental body focused on bringing home country businesses to this region. We are recruiting a key person to help develop the growth of Construction, Energy Services (including Oil/Off-shore sector and Sustainable Energy), Mining and associated Engineering services exports from a European country into Saudi Arabia and the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. The person appointed will work as a core member of a dynamic team; consulting and advising client companies on their strategy for development & growth; proactively working with businesses to ensure they grow their exports to the Saudi Arabia and MENA.

Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the post holder will help shape the direction and speed of growth of target sectors client companies selling into Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world across the Middle East and North Africa, both where there are immediate opportunities and shaping the medium-term strategy.
The purpose of this role is to pro-actively work with and advise a range of companies (in said European country) to help them prepare for and achieve sales, marketing and growth objectives for the Saudi Arabia and MENA market through the design, management and implementation of sales and marketing led programmes. The post holder will also be expected to work with the wider team to influence the strategic development of the sector.

Requirements

You will be a strong relationship builder who will target Saudi Arabia and MENA based companies, government departments, specifiers and buyers. You will proactively identify for each client, new sales opportunities that will lead to increases in employment and advice client companies on the most effective ways for them to develop, build and communicate their capabilities in the Saudi Arabia and MENA market in order to best achieve sustainable growth.

You will develop key networks across Saudi Arabia and MENA of value to client companies, and you will identify and introduce business advisors and coaches to client companies that will speed up their market entry and accelerate their penetration
Working closely with inter agency colleagues, in particular within the Embassy, the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, the Industrial Development Authority and European based colleagues to engage with clients in collaborative diagnosis of capability across a range of business areas in order to assist companies build robust scalable business plans suitable for market conditions in the region. You will promote the Saudi Arabia and other MENA markets to our key client companies and to ensure that our client base is educated about the ways and means of succeeding in the region and you will develop and implement a range of services and programmes to support client sales activities, ensuring that activity is aligned with achieving agreed targets. There would be a representational requirement role for this person at client, buyer, Global Network and Ministerial level as the year develops.

Functional Competencies
• Recent commercial experience in Saudi Arabia and/or other MENA markets, in an industry sector relevant to clients.
• Must possess an existing business network and contacts list that could be leveraged by clients seeking to win new business particularly in the selected target sectors.
• Experience and knowledge of business development with strong consulting skills and a demonstrated ability to assess and challenge business plans for SMEs to help them grow their business.
• Demonstrated capacity to rapidly assimilate the key drivers in business sub-sectors and niches.
• Has the ability to deal with multiple sectors and assimilate a large amount of varied sectoral information
• Results orientation and “can-do” attitude; good organisational skills.
• Ability to influence and rapidly build credibility with clients and buyers.
• Has an understanding of supports and services delivered through the overseas office network.
• Has experience of implementing business development strategies in companies.
• Ability to work on own initiative and also to manage projects.
• Has a track record of achieving results
• A relevant 3rd level business qualification would be an advantage
• An ability to speak and communicate in Arabic would be preferred

About the Company

GG Selection is a search partner with an international presence, clients in diverse industries, and a network of talent for all levels of seniority and experience. We’re not limited by industry or geography, and we treat every brief and every client like the individual case it is — never making assumptions or taking anything for granted, and always tailoring our service to the needs we discover.