View Vacancy – Executive Assistant to Director for Development, Climate and Science, Grade – AO, New Delhi (Maternity Cover)
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)
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Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online Application form including the employment, educational details, behavioural and technical/ professional skills questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only with all the required details and the shortlisting is not basis CV/ cover letter. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.
Main Purpose:
This is an opportunity to join the Development, Climate, Science and Tech team, and help us achieve our objectives. The most important of these are reflected in the India Country Business Plan and are central to the UK-India partnership.
The team works on some of the biggest issues that will shape India, the UK, and the world more broadly – from tackling climate change and the shift to clean energy to advances in science, from accelerating development to addressing global health, and in shaping in how tech will evolve and change our daily lives.
The Executive Assistant works closely with the Director across the whole range of the agenda, assisting help them operate effectively, and taking responsibility for a range of regular and ad hoc tasks to support the wider team. All staff in the section are encouraged to have an objective on their contribute to the UK in India team, and these cover a range of different activities from leading on follow-up to the People Survey to being one of the organisers of social events. There will also be opportunity to learn new skills by taking on roles such as being an IT super-user or a learning and development lead.
To be successful in the role, the jobholder will have:
- Great people skills: you should be able to form and maintain good working relationships with a range of colleagues and with external contacts, including senior government officials. This will require diplomacy, tact and firmness to manage competing demands for the director’s time and to secure access and meetings.
- Strong organisational skills, able to plan ahead and to juggle several tasks at the same time.
- An ability to work quickly at times and find solutions as unexpected issues arise.
- A willingness to help colleagues and take on new tasks as needed.
It will also be important that the jobholder is committed to living UK in India values and can maintain confidentiality.
We reserve the right to review, revise or amend the roles and responsibilities from time to time reflecting the changing needs of business.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:
The jobholder will be expected to assist the director by
- Helping manage their work- This includes working with colleagues in the section and the wider India team to identify upcoming work; set out the case for the director to attend meeting or speak at external events; ensure that items submitted for decision or approvals are well evidenced; and any other preparation that will help to maximise the director’s effectiveness.
- Managing the diary effectively- This includes setting up meetings, responding to invitations, resolving competing and changing demands, blocking time for focused work.
- Making travel arrangements- This requires booking flights, hotels, and transport, identifying the best options and securing value for money.
- Arranging meetings- This includes contacting external stakeholders to agree timing for meeting; responding to invitations; scheduling and setting up regular internal meetings, ensuring technology is working and preparations are complete in good time.
The jobholder will also be expected to
- Support team leaders on some of these tasks, especially when they are deputising for the Director.
- Take on other tasks that enable the section to run smoothly and effectively. These will include managing the section’s budget and coordinating leave plans of the senior team.
Resources managed:
The EA will have oversight of the section’s budget. There are no staff management responsibilities.
Language requirements:
Language: English, Hindi
Level of language required: Fluent
Learning and development opportunities:
You will have access to a wide range of learning opportunities provided by the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office.
Working patterns:
The EA is expected to be available each working day, but this role could be carried out by someone wanting to work fewer hours e.g. half-days. It is possible to work partly from home, with a minimum of 4 days in the office.
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Essential on arrival:
- Minimum graduate degree in relevant domain
- The candidate should possess 2-3 years of relevant experience with at least 2 years’ experience as an executive/personal assistant in private office or diplomatic mission along with experience of office management.
- Exposure to the work in an international setting – either in an international company or a diplomatic setting
- Strong management, leadership, interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong organisational skills, able to plan ahead and to juggle several tasks at the same time.
- An ability to work quickly at times and find solutions as unexpected issues arise.
- A willingness to help colleagues and take on new tasks as needed.
- Proficient in using MS Office & IT skills. Training will be provided if needed.
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Desirable:
Experience of Budget management
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Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together
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26 February 2026
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Administrative Officer (AO)
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Full-time, Fixed Term
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40
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12 months
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South Asia & Afghanistan
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India
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New Delhi
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British High Commission
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1
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INR
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INR 55,251 per month plus 12% Provident Fund and 6% Special Allowance
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monthly
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15 April 2026
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For British High Commission candidates, the Country Based Staff BHC Terms & Conditions will apply.
For other than BHC Candidates, salary will be all-inclusive of INR 55,251 per month plus 12% Provident Fund and 6% Special Allowance.
Additionally, the BHC offers a great benefits package that includes annual domiciliary medical cover, plus a Group Hospitalisation Scheme with INR 500,000 floater cover for your immediate family which includes self, spouse/partner and children up to an age of 23 years and irrespective of age, only if with, physical or mental disability.
No relocation or any other related costs or assistance will be provided. FCDO does not pay for any travelling, accommodation & relocation expenses incurred and/or accept any financial risk, including cancellation or reschedule costs
Please note – BHC does not deduct tax at source and employees are required to ensure that any requirements of local income-tax law are complied with in full. Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, e.g., some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
FCDO operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require. The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance.
Around half of our work forces are women. We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment.
This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCDO has anywhere across the globe. We are aiming to make it the best.
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Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment, educational details, behavioural and technical/ professional skills questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only with all the required details and the shortlisting is not basis CV/ cover letter. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders will need have, or be able to obtain, a valid special work permit issued from Government of India (GOI) to work in the British High Commission (BHC). BHC will not be able to sponsor work visas or obtain/ assist with the special work permit from GOI. Offers of employment made to OCI card holders will be conditional upon candidates obtaining a special work permit.
Note: For requisite special permission to take up employment in any foreign Diplomatic Missions in India, OCI Cardholder must visit https://ociservices.gov.in
Please note – successful applicants will be offered employment on Country Based Staff (CBS) terms and conditions. This is not a permanent UK Civil Service position and does not attract diplomatic immunities and privileges (other than what an individual may already hold if they are a recognised partner/family member of a serving diplomat).
To Apply:
Please note applications without (a) and (b) will not be considered.
a) Complete the Online Application Form
b) Complete the Experience, Professional Skills and Behaviour based Segments in the Online Application Form
Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
To ensure a successful application it is important that you explain how you demonstrate behaviours and technical / professional skills, basis your experience. You are strongly advised to read the Success Profiles Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which provides a detailed guidance on how these behaviours are defined for each position.
Applicants are encouraged to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique to prepare specific examples of when and how you have demonstrated these behaviours in your application, by evidencing a structured response, including your skills and experiences. You briefly describe the situation in which you demonstrated the behaviour, and then explain your task in addressing the situation, what action you took and the result of this.
Internal staff applying for this position must have prior approval from their current line manager and should not be on an active formal written warning, else the application will not be considered.
We will accept only online applications by 26 February 2026 (latest by 23:55 hours IST).
Please note that all the applicants will be required to strictly adhere to the security guidelines for British High Commission.
Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.
Please note – “Provident Fund Transfer in and out from EPFO is not possible as BHC PF is managed by a private PF trust governed by Indian Income Tax Act, 1961. The staff still has the option to transfer out and in from a privately held PF trust which are not governed by EPFO. Any tax deduction on EPF will be in compliance with local income-tax law and must be complied with in full.”
Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and no telephone enquires will be dealt with. Basis the scores, the candidate/s who did not score as highly as the successful candidate, might be placed on the reserve list. If during the reserve period of 12 months, the same or largely similar role becomes available, the role may be offered to the second or subsequent appointable candidates.
” The start date mentioned in the job advert is tentative and the appointment will be subject to successful clearances including police verification, references, medical, educational, and professional checks. “
We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, caste, or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.
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To apply please copy and paste this link: https://fco.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/1/adv/
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