HM Consul General; HMCG and HM Trade Commissioner; HMTC North America; US and Canada

Overview

The FCDO, formed from the merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development in September 2020, leads the UK's international diplomatic, development, and consular efforts. It employs around 17,000 staff across 179 countries and territories, supported by 12 agencies and public bodies. UK-based staff work in London, East Kilbride, and Milton Keynes.

Our overseas Missions are the UK Government’s platform for delivering its objectives abroad. They bring together the work of all government departments operating overseas, ensuring a unified approach to advancing UK interests. Heads of Mission lead this integrated effort, reaching across Whitehall to align priorities, coordinate resources, and deliver results on the ground. They provide the leadership and diplomatic reach needed to influence partners, manage risks, and seize opportunities for the UK.

The FCDO makes the UK stronger, safer and more prosperous, by leading and integrating delivery of the Government’s objectives abroad. You can find out more about the organisation by looking at the FCDO on

To direct His Majesty’s Government (HMG) work on trade and investment across North America as an area critical to the UK’s economic interests and to represent HMG across the political, consular, soft power spheres across the dynamic and powerful New York consular region. The combined role’s primary focus is prosperity – advancing the UK’s growth agenda through trade and investment interests.

Top level representational and communications work (promoting the UK and its activities), high quality political networking and reporting (New York City (NYC) is a political centre in its own right) and careful oversight of a sustained consular workload are also key elements of the role. As HMTC you will be one of nine key leaders of DBT’s overseas network, delivering HMG’s investment, export and trade policy priorities in two of our most significant markets;

the US and Canada.

The HMCG/HMTC role is hugely rewarding, based in one of the world’s most vibrant cities that is critical to UK’s economic interests and our reputation as a global player, and the financial centre of the United States. The US is the UK’s largest bilateral trade and investment partner accounting for around 20% of UK exports and 30% of foreign direct investment.

US investment sustains well over one million jobs in the UK; UK investors in the US employ a similar number of Americans. NYC is also a global leader in tech, advanced manufacturing, and the creative arts. The consular district covers:
New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Fairfield County in Connecticut. You will be responsible for around 70 staff in the British Consulate-General (BCG) in New York, plus strategic and operational leadership of the 148 strong Department for Business and Trade (DBT) network across the US and Canada. You will be responsible for driving continuous improvement to ensure resources are directed against the highest priorities and implementing restructuring programmes for both FCDO and DBT.

Budget accountability of circa £12 million

(DBT and BCG).

You will be specifically responsible for:

• Visible, inspiring, and strategic operational leadership to a large network across the US and Canada (over 200 people working in 14 locations) to deliver His Majesty’s Government (HMG) priorities, working closely with HM Ambassador to the US, High Commissioner to Canada, Minister Counsellor Trade and Global Issues based in Washington DC, Tech Envoy based in San Francisco, Consuls General across North America, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the United States on Trade and Investment and the FCDO Growth Director both based in London.
  
  As a member of DBT’s leadership team, you will also contribute to the strategic and operational direction of the department, working closely with the Directors General for Domestic and International Markets and Exports and with the network of His Majesty’s Trade Commissioners across the globe.
• Prosperity:
  Building and maintaining influential relationships with senior business and economic leaders, including through regular travel across US…