Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Corporate Services Support
Main purpose of job:
The CSM is expected to play a full role as part of the British High Commission (BHC) leadership team and provide strategic direction to corporate servies; leading an efificent cost effective and professional team. As the driving force for corporate delivery, the jobholder will be a core member of the senior leadership team and management board providing corporate, financial and local insight to inform decision making.
The BHC has close to 100 staff working for a variety of government departments.
The CSM will report directly to the Deputy High Commissioner and have overall strategic responsibility and responsibility for the day-to-day operational effectiveness of the High Commission including the discrete policy areas of Finance, Transport, Procurement, Protocol, as well as the chargeable cross-HMG services platform at Post (OneHMG).
A key part of the job will be to manage Post’s overall budget; identifying areas for improvement and implementing change programmes through their team to achieve maximum efficiency.
While the role works closely with the regional hub in Manila the CSM is expected to exercise good judgment and make independent decisions to make HMG compliance guidelines ‘fit’ the local context without compromising quality or compliance.
The job holder will need to manage, give support and policy direction to the Corporate Services team as well as ensuring that Corporate Services works well with the regional hubs. The job holder will also need to make sure they are up to date with all guidance and communicate effectively any changes to ensure staff have the information they need.
The jobholder will play a significant role in ensuring health and safety and security compliance for the needs of over 20 UK-based staff and their families. This will involve working closely with our Facilities Management and Client Unit and an outsourced facilities management company.
Please also note that: the successful candidate will arrive during a period of significant transition for the BHC as it will have just taken on responsibility from the Corporate Services Hub for managing it’s own payroll with specialised software; be transitioning (along with the rest of the Asia Pacific region) to a new Facilities Management contract at the end of the FY; and be about to start a 3 month refurbishment of the BHC premises.
Roles and responsibilities:
Strategic Planning and Leadership 30%
- To provide strategic leadership and planning in support of the corporate agenda including the country business plan and risk management.
- Act as trusted advisor to local leadership and partners on the platform ‘horizon scanning’ locally to enable proactive resource and activity planning with the Regional Corporate Services Lead.
- Manage the platform (currently supporting 14 partners) and support regional teams, influencing at a senior level to maintain and strengthen inclusiveness.
- Actively build and deepen 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 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.
People 20%
- Lead on the overall employer proposition, including terms and conditions of service and pay and benefits for locally employed staff (LS), ensuring compliance with local labour law.
- Provide guidance and act as an escalation point on sensitive staff matters for diplomatic and LS, including management issues and dispute resolution, engaging with specialist HR functions where necessary.
- Champion and embed a collaborative and inclusive culture.
Delivery 35%
- Oversee corporate delivery working closely with the regional HR, finance and procurement hubs and the Global Processing Transaction Centre (GTPC). Ensure full use of self-service access to corporate services and regionalised services.
- Direct the management of the estate, 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.
- Act as the ‘intelligent client’, identifying requirements, appropriate service level agreements and key performance indicators to manage and monitor supplier contracts.
- Oversee 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, leading on corporate projects and the change management required to deliver them.
Resilience 10%
- Respond to operational crisis, providing leadership and flexing team prioritisation as required.
- Ensure cross training within corporate services roles to provide resilience within the teams and across the region.
- Work with the Regional Corporate Services Lead to plan long term resource and development needs.
- Ensure wellbeing and engagement are maintained within the corporate services team, seeking regular feedback and embedding the values of resilience and respect.
Income Generation 5%
- Lead and implement the BHC’s income generation policy and processes.
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
Potentially 3 X B3 (including one with managerial responsibility) 1 x A2, and CSO for 2 x B3 Officer and 1 x A2
Post budget management of around £800,000
Other skills / experience / qualifications:
- Excellent written and spoken English communication skills
- Strong leadership credentials, with evidence of working across broad teams and inspire them to deliver high quality outcomes
- Evidence of experience working in global organisations, with cross-cultural working, either in government, private or NGO sector
- Evidence of financial and HR experience, where not supported by specific qualifications we would want clear examples of where they have learned and/or displayed those skills in their career
- A quick study who can demonstrate creative approaches to problem solving, able to multi-task and work at pace using effective prioritisation
- Resilient and able to deal with and resolve conflict.
Language requirements:
Essential: Language: English.
Level of language required: Both fluent in writing, reading and comprehension.
Useful: Bahasa Malaysia
Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace
10 January 2021
C5 (L)
Fixed Term, Full-time
36.25
24 months
Asia Pacific
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
British High Commission
1
RM 12,065.00
21 February 2021
20 February 2023
The British High Commission offers a competitive remuneration package, benefits, leave entitlement of 20 days per annum (calculated on pro rata basis) and works hard to provide L&D opportunities to staff. There are a wide range of options available for personal development including training courses, coaching and mentoring, job-shadowing, presentations and learning sets. Staff have access to a wide variety of online resources through the Diplomatic Academy and Civil Service Learning. The jobholder will be required to take some specific training courses related to their role. All new staff undertake a workplace induction and there are a number of mandatory e-learning courses covering areas such as diversity, health and safety, and information management.
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to developing its staff, working hard to provide a comprehensive L&D offer.
Staff have access to a wide variety of online resources through the Diplomatic Academy and Civil Service Learning. Staff are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all the available opportunities.
The job-holder will be required to take some specific training courses related to their role. All new staff undertake a workplace induction and there are a number of mandatory e-learning courses covering areas such as diversity, health and safety, and information management.
The British High Commission Malaysia supports and promotes flexible working. The standard working hours for the BHC are 08:00 to 16:30. We are happy to offer a variety of flexible working patterns, including non-standard working hours, working remotely or working compressed hours. Some evening and weekend work is required on occasions. British High Commission Malaysia Standard Terms and Conditions apply and provide for time outside of working hours to be compensated through Time Off In Lieu.
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are locally recruited by the British High Commission are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. Non-Malaysian nationals must either hold, or be able to secure, a work permit.
Please note that your application must be submitted before 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested. We regret to advise that we will only be contacting short-listed candidates. Applicants called for an interview will be assessed on the core competencies listed above.
Indicated start date is provisional and subject to successful completion of reference and security checks.
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