Investment Director, Critical Minerals at Australian Trade and Investment Commission

• Classification: Austrade Overseas Performance Level B (AOPL B)
• Location: Washington, DC, United States of America

The role:
Austrade is recruiting an Investment Director (Critical Minerals) to support Austrade’s work developing commercial opportunities in Australia’s critical minerals sector. Critical minerals are essential inputs to many of the technologies that are key to Australia’s continued prosperity and security. With growth in applications for high performance electric motors, batteries and alloys in North American industries, Australia is well positioned to capture this emerging market as a trusted partner and investment destination. Under the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy, Austrade is responsible for assisting Australian projects secure finance and offtake agreements, to enhance Australia’s market position as a reliable, responsible, and secure global supplier of critical minerals.
As Investment Director, you will make an important contribution to attracting and advancing investment in exploration, extraction and production and processing of Australian critical minerals. This role will engage midstream processors, end users and traders in North American markets and their global value chains to facilitate productive market development outcomes for Australian projects including offtake agreements, direct and strategic investment from material end-users, and research and technology partnerships.

The successful candidate will work closely with:

• Austrade’s Defence, Space & Security team in North America
• The onshore Resources and Energy industry team
• Critical Minerals Advisers in Australia
• Colleagues in Austrade’s global network
• Interagency Embassy staff in Washington, DC.

The successful candidate will be based in The Australian Embassy, Washington DC and will sit within Austrade’s Defence Space & Security team in the Americas.
Duties include:

• Attract and facilitate productive foreign direct investment in critical minerals from the United States and Canada.
• Develop and maintain productive high-level business networks with investors, end users, off takers, industrial technology and manufacturing stakeholders aligned to the critical minerals sector to identify and facilitate investment in Australia across the critical minerals value chain.
• Coordinate Austrade’s critical minerals market engagement in North America, with additional scope to engage strategically and provide a leadership role to members of Austrade’s international network, who are also engaging in this work.
• Monitor and assess key critical minerals trends as well as significant commercial developments in the market and provide insights pieces.
• Identify opportunities to promote Australia as a location for critical minerals investment and deliver presentations at relevant events.
• Assist in-market visits of Australian companies to raise the profile of Australian investment opportunities in critical minerals to foster new business linkages.
• Contribute to whole-of-government critical minerals initiatives abroad in collaboration with interagency representatives at our Embassy in Washington, DC.

Eligibility
To be eligible for consideration and appointment you must have:
• Work Authorisation - to be eligible for employment with Austrade in the United States of America, candidates must be legally authorised to live and work in the United States of America at the time of appointment. (or be able to obtain authorisation without Austrade support)
• A2 Visa - If you meet the eligibility criteria to qualify for an A2 Visa, Austrade can consider your application. For more information on an A2 Visa see U.S Department of State website. For any other visa types, Austrade will not provide any sponsorship letter, nor be directly involved in the work visa application process.
• Language - the successful candidate must be a highly motivated team member, fluent in written and spoken English. Basic Spanish language skill would be well regarded.
• Security Clearance - the successful applicant must be willing to complete an Entry Level Screening Pack and be confirmed as a suitable person to access Government resources prior to commencement in the role.

Closing date
Applications close at 11.30PM, Sunday 27th October 2024 (US PDST time).

This is a locally-engaged position governed by Austrade’s Overseas Engaged Employees terms and conditions of employment and United States of America labour law. Candidates must currently have the right to live and legally work in United States of America. Austrade will not be able to provide any sponsorship letter nor be involved in the work visa application process.

Only candidates who complete their application in Austrade’s online recruitment system will be considered. Email applications cannot be accepted.

In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

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