View Vacancy – SRR – Office Manager, Yemen Office Network B3(L)

The Yemen Office Network (YON) at the British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for an Office Manager.

The Office Manager (OM) will manage the day-to-day corporate activities of the Yemen Office Network; delivering an efficient, cost effective service to all YON platforms (in Riyadh, Amman, London, and Abercrombie House).

The jobholder will ensure that the functioning and management of the office is robust and compliant in the areas of HR, estates, security, and other associated administrative tasks, particularly as they relate to Riyadh but also in the other locations, ensuring team processes are properly followed. The position requires a practical, hands-on approach to ensure the functions and processes are efficient, smooth-running, and represent good value for money. 

The jobholder will support the senior leadership team and Country Board by providing corporate and local insight to inform decision making.

The jobholder will also take the lead in delivering YON’s Chevening scholarship programme, including arranging the advertising campaign, collecting applications, managing and arranging interviews, and recording all results to deliver a successful Chevening programme for Yemen.

The jobholder will also provide ad hoc interpretation and translation services to assist in delivery of wider team priorities. 

Duties and responsibilities:

– Delivery

• Manage all corporate delivery across HR and Protocol, working closely with the Regional HR and Procurement Hubs. Ensure full use of self-service access to corporate services and regionalised services.
• Management of the Embassy estate as it relates to YON (in Sana’a and across the four platforms), ensuring that UK and local standards are met through planned and reactive maintenance and in compliance with corporate procedures, including local and UK health and safety regulations and policy.
• Alongside the Finance Manager and Deputy Head of Mission (DHM), manage the local delegated budget in accordance with corporate policies to ensure on-budget expenditure and value for money.
• Instil a continuous improvement mentality within the team, implement corporate projects, and the change management required to deliver them. Manage corporate functions for the wider YON team, such as distribution lists, induction processes, leave planners, and act as liaison on IT systems.
• Lead on YON’s Chevening programme, acting as the main point of liaison with the central Chevening organisation in order to drive forward advertising the scheme, collating applications, conducting sifts, leading and participating in the interview process, and completing all necessary feedback.

– People

• Alongside the DHM and British Embassy Riyadh, contribute to the overall employer proposition, including terms and conditions of service (TACOS) and pay and benefits for Country Based Staff (CBS), ensuring compliance with local labour law.
• Provide guidance and act as an escalation point on sensitive staff matters for diplomatic and CBS, including management issues and dispute resolution, engaging with specialist HR functions where necessary.
• Champion and embed a collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Chair YON’s corporate agenda committee ‘Rouh Al Fareak’, driving forward YON’s Health & Wellbeing agenda, mental health support, L&D, BHD, and other such corporate support activities.

– Strategic planning and leadership

• Support to the Country Board in delivering the country business plan, arranging Board meetings and setting agendas.
• Act as trusted advisor to the Senior Leadership Team and partners on the platform, ‘horizon scanning’ locally to enable proactive resource and activity planning.
• Manage the platform and support YON teams in the network, promoting inclusiveness at post.
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders internally, within regional and global hubs and with external partners (at other diplomatic missions, government departments and suppliers) to maintain informed and current corporate and human resources knowledge.
• Ensure local policies are reviewed and aligned to global and local requirement and adopted by all partners on the platform.
• Lead and monitor the delivery of services against the local corporate services charter.

– Resilience

• Ensure cross training within corporate services roles to provide resilience within the team and across the region, particularly acting as cover for the Finance Manager, and for the Residence Manager.
• Work with the Regional Corporate Services Lead to plan long-term resource and development needs.
• Ensure wellbeing and engagement are maintained within the YON team, seeking regular feedback and embedding the values of resilience and respect.
• Contribute to YON’s crisis response work and preparedness planning.
• Provide translation and interpretation support to the wider YON team.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis. 

Key competencies required:

• Managing a Quality Service – Valuing and modelling professional excellence and expertise to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. Effectively planning, organising and managing time and activities to deliver a high quality, secure, reliable and efficient service, applying programme and project and risk management approaches to support service delivery.
• Leading and Communicating – Showing our pride and passion for public service, leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction, integrity and enthusiasm. Championing difference and external experience, supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of citizens. Managing and engaging with people in a straightforward, truthful and candid way, and upholding the reputation of the organisation.
• Delivering Value for Money – Efficient, effective and economic use of taxpayers’ money in the delivery of public services. Seeking out and implementing solutions, which achieve the best mix of quality and effectiveness for the least outlay. Making decisions based on evidenced information and follow agreed processes and policies, challenging these appropriately where they appear to prevent good value for money.
• Making Effective Decisions – Using sound judgement, evidence, and knowledge to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and advice. Being careful and thoughtful about the use and protection of government and public information to ensure it is handled securely and with care. Reaching evidence-based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions and creating a secure culture around the handling of information.

• At least three (3) years of management experience working for international organisation, preferably with direct involvement in HR.
• Excellent Arabic and English language skills, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely. Accurate typing and proofreading skills.
• Experience in managing cross-functional teams. Ability to maintain a range of contacts to build effective working relationships.
• High levels of discretion, with a resilient, flexible and ‘can do’ attitude.
• With a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines. Decisive and calm under pressure.
• Collaborative approach to colleague and stakeholder partnerships and able to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience in managing suppliers and outsourced service delivery.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).