Business Development & Growth Adviser SEO at British High Commission

Main purpose of job:

The Business Development & Growth Adviser will play a leading role in driving the UK–Nigeria mutual growth agenda by identifying, shaping, and converting high-potential trade and investment opportunities into a robust deal pipeline. Embedded within the Growth, Trade and Investment Group at the British High Commission Abuja, this role operationalises Pathway 1 of the UK–Nigeria Growth Programme by supporting the development of an investable pipeline in priority sectors and linking with relevant financing solutions.

Delivery will be achieved in close partnership with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and aligned with the UK Industrial Strategy and the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP). The postholder will engage with Nigerian and UK businesses, investors, lenders, regulators, and both federal and sub-national authorities to map and rank emerging commercial opportunities, identifying important initial steps for unlocking these barriers.

Within a win-win framework for the UK and Nigeria, the role will focus on attracting foreign direct investment and supporting deal pipelines, particularly those involving UK and Nigerian businesses, through regulatory navigation, market intelligence, and targeted matchmaking. This will require credible technical interaction at senior levels with institutions that offer potential financing solutions including PIDG, BII, UKEF, DFIs and IFIs, as well as financial markets in the UK and Nigeria such as Nigeria/Lagos stock exchange, capital markets, institutional investors, asset managers, and chambers of commerce.

The role demands engagement with and advice to the Head of Mission (HoM), Deputy High Commissioner, Development Director, DBT country Director, strategic stakeholders, and UK seniors as appropriate, ensuring alignment with broader UK objectives. It offers significant learning and development opportunities, including access to FCDO specialist networks, technical training in trade and investment facilitation, and collaboration with cross-HMG teams and Centres of Expertise.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Pipeline development (55%): Provide technical leadership for Pathway 1 of the UK Nigeria Growth programme by working closely with DBT on the identification and prioritisation of investable projects in ETIP sectors such as renewable energy, agribusiness, and tech. Provide a facilitation role focused on pipeline management, removing non-financial barriers, and convening and coordinating stakeholder inputs.
• Facilitate early engagement with relevant financing institutions/instruments.  Outcome: a dynamic pipeline of high-potential deals that catalyse UK–Nigeria trade and investment flows.
• This is an FCDO/DBT deal facilitation role. The postholder will not provide financial, investment, or transaction-structuring advice; will not develop or validate financial models; and will not provide views on whether a project is “bankable”. Bankability assessment, due diligence and credit approval remain the responsibility of sponsors and commercial lenders and their appointed advisers. The postholder will not represent UKEF or BII and will not undertake functions reserved to financiers/export credit agencies, including underwriting, credit risk assessment, pricing, term negotiation, or approvals/issuance of financing or insurance. All product decisions and commitments regarding UKEF support remain solely with UKEF under its governance processes.
• Strategic Relationship Management (25%): Develop and sustain trusted relationships with influential and high-profile private sector leaders, alongside senior officials in Nigerian MDAs, IFIs, and development partners. Convene technical working groups, investment forums, and high-level dialogues to accelerate transactions and address systemic barriers. Provide strategic steer for UK official visits and trade missions, ensuring engagements are informed by robust market intelligence and deliver tangible outcomes. Deep knowledge of market systems development, including interactions and incentives of market players, formal regulations, informal behaviours, and political economy context, will be essential.
• Reporting, Communications and Knowledge Sharing (10%): Produce concise, high-quality briefs, progress reports, and case studies for internal and external audiences. Capture lessons learned from deal facilitation and policy engagement, feeding insights into ETIP implementation and HMG learning platforms. Collaborate with communications teams to showcase UK impact through success stories and strategic messaging.
• Leveraging UK expertise (10%): Engage with FCDO Centres of Expertise to integrate global best practice and technical resources. Use CMP toolkits to accelerate transactions, improve standards compliance, and strengthen trade facilitation.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Degree level education, with 8-10 years’ relevant experience
• Proven senior level experience in pipeline development, deal facilitation, investment readiness and stakeholder coordination.
• Significant depth of knowledge on private finance instruments, including de-risking tools, blended finance structures, guarantees, first-loss instruments, and concessional capital.
• Strong understanding of trade policy, investment facilitation and market-access reforms.
• Experience of working with DFIs/IFIs and export credit agencies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and negotiation skills across public and private sectors.
• Senior/experienced enough to manage one’s own work and time effectively.
• Strong analytical, communication and influencing skills.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Extensive network of influential private sector leaders in Nigeria, including CEOs, investors, and industry champions.
• Proven track record of senior-level experience in the private sector, demonstrating credibility and strategic insight.
• Documented evidence of pipeline development.