Trade & Economic Officer – Ho Chi Minh City – January 2023

AGENCY Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

POSITION NUMBER HCHI087

Trade & Economic Officer (Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic
POSITION TITLE
Engagement Strategy)
CLASSIFICATION LE5

SECTION DFAT Policy Section

REPORTS TO (TITLE) Consul (Trade & Economic)

About the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is to advance the interests
of Australia and Australians internationally. This involves strengthening Australia’s security,
enhancing Australia’s prosperity, delivering an effective and high-quality overseas aid
program and helping Australian travellers and Australians overseas.

The department provides foreign, trade and development policy advice to the Australian
Government. DFAT also works with other Australian government agencies to drive
coordination of Australia’s pursuit of global, regional and bilateral interests.

About the position

On 14 November 2020 at the Australia ASEAN summit, Australian Prime Minister Morrison
announced $232.2 million in funding to support economic integration and development in
the Mekong subregion, to be delivered through a new Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP).
A key pillar of this program will support the expansion of trade and investment between
Australia and Mekong countries, including delivery of a range of early harvest and longer-
term recommendations to boost bilateral trade and investment with Vietnam under the
Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy (EEES).

The Australian Government expects that this cooperation will establish even deeper
economic links between Australia and Vietnam, including at senior levels of government,
and that it will boost two-way trade and investment.

Under general direction, the Trade & Economic Officer will oversee the management of one
or more activities under the EEES. This will involve contributing to the design and
implementation of programs, provision of policy advice and reporting, maintenance of
relationships with key stakeholders, and coordination of monitoring and evaluation
activities.

The key responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
• Contribute to the effective design and implementation of activities to support the EEES
in Vietnam, including organising events and strategic communications
• Provide project design and management support to grants and development programs
• Provide advice and draft reporting on EEES activities, including anticipating problems
and recommending solutions
• Build and maintain strong networks and liaise with senior officials from government, the
private sector, and academia, and identify their needs and shared interests on EEES-
related issues
• Support visits to Vietnam by senior officials and trade delegations from Australia,
including visit program and logistics management
• Develop and monitor financial information, including budget coordination
• Draft a range of high-quality reports, briefings and background papers, and provide
comprehensive policy advice on program matters and key issues to ensure program
objectives are met
• Support public and economic diplomacy activities including drafting social media
content and coordinating events
• Support participation by high-level Australian officials in meetings and engagements.
• Plan and arrange visits by Australian officials to provinces in Vietnam
• Support DFAT’s Special Visits Program which invites influential Vietnamese individuals to
Australia to participate in programs that contribute to increased understanding of
Australia and Australia’s strategic interests

Qualifications/Experience
• Tertiary qualifications, or knowledge and experience, in public policy, economics, or a
related field
• A sound understanding of the Vietnamese government and business context, and
political-economic acumen
• Highly developed communication skills (written and oral) in English and Vietnamese
• Program management skills, including in financial management, contract management,
and monitoring and evaluation
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to build effective working relationships
with a diverse and cross-cultural set of stakeholders (externally and internally)
• Experience providing research and analysis on issues
• Demonstrated skills in Microsoft Word and Excel, and social media platforms.