British High Commission Hiring “Private Sector Development Advisor” at Islamabad || Oct-2025
Exciting career opportunity at the British High Commission Pakistan
The British Government is a diversity-driven and inclusive employer that values equality, promotes fairness, and supports flexible, family-friendly work environments wherever possible. Applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
The British High Commission Islamabad is currently inviting applications for the role of Private Sector Development Advisor – Economy & Trade for the REMIT programme, based in Islamabad.
Details are as follows:
Position: Private Sector Development Advisor – Economy & Trade
Number of Vacancies: 01
Working Hours per Week: 41
Type of Position: Full-time, Permanent
Location (City): Islamabad
Grade: G-7
Monthly Salary: PKR 710,361 per month
Purpose of the Role:
The jobholder will lead on engagement and advice to advance the trade and investment objectives of our Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (‘REMIT’) ODA programme, and an anticipated future successor programme.
Through provision of high quality technical assistance (‘TA’), the REMIT programme supports Pakistan to implement reforms that lock in macroeconomic stability and improve conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction.
TA is provided in four main components:
1) tax revenue mobilisation, help to raise Pakistan’s tax to GDP ratio;
2) address the investment environment challenges faced by local and UK businesses;
3) facilitate trade and drive competitiveness, addressing barriers to trade in order to reduce Pakistan’s trade deficit; and
4) modernise macroeconomic policy making and implementation process. Gender and climate are cross-cutting themes.
The REMIT programme is funded by the UK, but implemented through its partners Adam Smith International, World Bank Trust Fund, UK Government Communications Services International, and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
You will be the lead technical advisor for the trade and investment components of the REMIT programme. Among other workstreams, the investment component currently includes the British High Commission’s support to help Pakistan reform its regulatory environment, implement an industrial policy, attract foreign investment through sector frameworks for the IT, agriculture and mining sectors, and implement a women’s entrepreneurship framework. The trade component includes the British High Commission’s support to help Pakistan reform the Export Development Fund and Export Facilitation Scheme, implement a new Airport Community System to facilitate trade, and analyse the opportunities for greater agri-food and manufactured goods exports to selected markets.
Essential Qualifications and Experience:
- A strong undergraduate degree in Business, Economics, International Development or related field.
- A postgraduate degree in Business, Economics, Finance, International Development or a related field, OR equivalent professional experience;
- At least 5 years’ experience working on private sector development in Pakistan or other relevant contexts. Experience may for example include private sector entities, international development institutions, or government agencies.
We are looking for someone with:
- Expert understanding of how businesses in Pakistan operate, and the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for reform of Pakistan’s business environment as relating to trade and investment.
- Ability to use this expert understanding to provide reliable quality assurance of the TA provided to the Government of Pakistan on trade and investment reforms.
- Ability to work across multiple partners in a complex and fast-moving environment and set strategic direction flexibly to achieve impact through for our technical assistance offer.
- Ability to deliver at significant pace, balancing responding to tight deadlines while allowing time for forward-looking analytical work.
- Confidence and creativity to build and maintain a network of internal and external stakeholders and represent the FCDO.
- Understanding of the process of policy-making and administration in Pakistan, including barriers to reform.
- Ideally, experience delivering through programmes funded by development partners such as the UK or others.
Key Responsibilities and Deliverables:
As component lead for trade and investment, you will be responsible for:
Setting direction for the technical assistance (‘TA’) on trade and investment offered by the REMIT programme
- Review and assess current trends in Pakistan’s federal trade and investment policies, and work proactively with implementing partners to direct UK ODA resources towards activities with the highest likelihood of contributing towards the intended impact of the REMIT programme.
- Review TORs for work proposed by the UK’s Implementing Partners and recommend to the REMIT programme Senior Responsible Owner whether or not they should be accepted or amended.
- Follow the leadership of the UK Department for Business and Trade in initiating TA activities which support resolution of barriers to trade and investment which are especially important to UK and other international companies looking for partnerships which would benefit Pakistan’s economic development.
- Follow the leadership of the FCDO Climate & Environment Group in synergising with their work on green and inclusive investment mobilisation through the the CIFPAK and JETPAK programmes.
Overseeing delivery of TA by the UK’s implementing partners
- Chair a monthly meeting with Implementing partners and review progress reports to understand progress in all activities in the workstream.
- Flag emerging barriers to achievement of outcomes through our support to the REMIT programme Senior Responsible Owner and MSG team leader, and develop plans to resolve barriers
- Attend engagements by implementing partners with Government of Pakistan where possible, to represent the FCDO.
Quality Assurance of REMIT programme TA
- Review outputs delivered by the Implementing Partners to provide expert quality assurance and comments on analysis and policy advice to promote achievement of the programme objectives.
Coordination between REMIT implementing partners and other Development Partners, as well as Government of Pakistan
- Use monthly meeting between implementing partners, and other forms of communication, to ensure different Implementing Partners of the REMIT programme and other Development Partners i) avoid duplication ii) resolve conflicts where different IPs have incompatible proposals, and ii) achieve synergies where possible.
- Share information and spot opportunities for collaboration with other members of the UK network in Pakistan
Last Date To Apply: 19 October, 2025