Location: Dubai, UAE
Reports to: CEO
Target start date: September/ October 2017
Number of reports: 2
Overview
The BCB is a business-to-business professional services company established with the mandate to provide operational support and market entry services in the UAE to British companies.
We work alongside the British government to deliver on-demand trade services, providing practical assistance, guidance and orientation for UK exporters.
Our primary aim is to help British businesses, particularly SMEs, expand into the Middle East. We provide UK companies with incubator-style support to help them get underway in the UAE. Through the BCB’s Trade Services team we also help clients to understand the UAE market and explore the opportunities that exist for their business.
As part of OCO Global, we are also involved in wider trade and investment development work for clients from around the world looking to identify & source foreign investment in the Middle East and develop trade and exports in the region.
The Role
High quality candidates are being sought for the position of Business Operations Manager, based in Dubai, a highly collaborative position for someone who can provide direction, experience and inspiration.
This individual will work with the CEO to manage the capacity, services and performance of the BCB and OCO Middle East office as we continue to grow.
The ideal candidate comes with strong analytical capabilities as well as the ability to build trusting relationships across a diverse spectrum of clients, partners, suppliers and stakeholders in the UAE and overseas. This person must demonstrate great communication skills, and an ability to thrive in a fluid and often yet-to-be-built business setting.
This person will be responsible for all administrative, back-office and operational aspects of the BCB and OCO in the UAE and will have a key role in supporting outward business development activities too. A core part of the role involves building strong working relationships with the BCB’s incubator clients and OCO’s overseas trade & investment client network.
Key Responsibilities
- Client management: responsible for overseeing BCB incubator clients through the licencing and formation process. Providing support & advice throughout their two years with the BCB to enable them to subsequently flourish.
- Relationship Management: working closely with the Department of Economic Development to ensure that the incubator’s licencing and visa process runs smoothly.
- Administration: line manager for Marketing & Admin Assistant and Regional Admin Coordinator, working together to ensure seamless day-to-day operations of the business.
- Invoicing: with the support of the Marketing & Admin Assistant manage the process to ensure all clients are billed accurately on time and any outstanding payments are collected in a timely fashion, or escalated as necessary.
- Reporting & budgeting: collate & format data for monthly reports for management, DIT, OCO clients etc. Provide input to the CEO on the annual budget & business planning as required.
- Process improvement: as the BCB continues to evolve, look at ways to improve operational processes, reduce inefficiency & cost and optimise client satisfaction.
- Lead Generation: direct client support & representation on FDI projects in the UAE and GCC; work with OCO team members on global clients for specific projects & contracts in the region.
- Trade Services support: work alongside Trade Managers on Trade Advisory Service projects taking ownership of overall resource allocation and planning and leading on projects where best suited to do so; coordination with OCO offices for additional support & capacity.
- Stakeholder Management: collaborate with BBG and DIT teams and regional delivery partners to ensure that initiatives, activities and offers across all three entities are complimentary & aligned.
- Partner Development: investigation & development of events and programmes with external parties to add value to BCB clients. Ongoing management of preferred supplier list & partner programme.
- Product Development: With CEO, explore and develop new services & revenue channels for BCB to market and deploy in line with existing market offering.
Desired Skills and Experience
- 5-10+ years’ experience in a business operations or project management capacity, preferably 3+ years within a professional services company.
- Minimum of 5 years working in the UAE.
- Experience working in the fields of export development, corporate services, legal departments, company formation, trade & investment promotion, business councils & networks.
- Experience working in a project planning and execution capacity.
- Financial literacy. Previous work with budgets, reporting & accountancy functions.
- Staff management, leadership & mentoring experience.
- Understanding of UAE regulatory environment, particularly business formation process and specific sector rules & requirements
- Strong & extensive personal professional network in the UAE.
- Ability to build and nurture relationships across multiple networks.
- Comfortable working in a fast-growing business where business environment is likely to be very dynamic and subject to rapid evolution.
- Capacity to multi-task and take on additional responsibilities as they emerge.
- Passion for business and operations and client satisfaction.
- Strong analytical skills and exemplary time management/organisational skills.
- Discretion, demonstrating sound judgment in dealing with confidential dialogues and information.
- Great communication and negotiation skills, bringing together different views, personalities, goals, and needs, and helping different stakeholders find business success and growth.
- Keen interest in international trade.
- Guidance for applicants
- Applications should be sent to recruitment@ocoglobal.com and must include a full CV and cover letter
- Deadline for applications is 3rd September
- Target start date is late September 2017
- Salary & package is competitive but commensurate with an SME organisation