The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for an Executive Assistant to the Defence Attaché (EA to the DA), job grade Executive Officer (EO), on a fixed term contract of one (1) year with possibility of renewal.

The Executive Assistant will provide secretarial, administrative, and organisational support to the Defence Attaché (DA) within the Defence Section at the British Embassy Riyadh. The position reports under line management to the Deputy Section Chief of Staff.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Responsible for the DA’s schedule, diary, inbox management and travel arrangements.
• Proactively manage DA’s meetings to include the preparation of relevant briefs and reading material.
• Liaise with a wide range of departments within the British Embassy’s Saudi Arabia Network.
• Develop and maintain links which ensure awareness of wider Embassy activity.
• Build relationships with a wide range of military-related contacts in Saudi Arabia, meeting and greeting visitors of all seniority. Arrange refreshments for meetings as required.
• Liaise with outer offices of senior UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) personnel to maintain KSA links to relevant UK senior military leadership.
• Support Senior Military visits including arranging meetings and visit logistics, liaising with the visit lead officer to produce requisite official paperwork and visit documentation.
• Liaise with Senior British Embassy Management team and EAs to organise and communicate the Embassy meeting calendar for larger Network meetings, e.g., Ambassadors weekly meetings, Management Board, all staff meetings and Crisis Committee and Diamond meetings.
• Manage the DA and Section’s official correspondence; logging, noting time constraints and drafting replies, liaising closely with the Embassy Translation team.
• Where appropriate, assist in the drafting of routine correspondence for the DA.
• Coordinate with the Residence and Events Manager to ensure Defence led functions and events are well planned and delivered efficiently.
• Provide the Defence Section Chief of Staff (COS) & Finance Manager with support in preparing business cases for senior visits and hosting.
• Maintain Hospitality registers, DA diaries, and essential forward look planner (Defence & Embassy).
• Support to the COS as part of his/her work to the Crisis Committee.
• Support the COS manage the section leave chart for the DA and coordinate with other Defence Section members.
• Where appropriate, take part and assist in duties for the wider Embassy, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis affecting UK citizens.
• Support embassy wider engagement activities e.g. KBP reception and Great Futures events.
• Assist with Diplomatic Clearances as required.
• Provide welfare support to newly arriving Defence Section members and their families.
• To ensure correct receipt and handling of sensitive documents and materials delivered to the British Embassy.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future, and this would be at the discretion of the line manager or head of section. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:

• Making Effective Decisions – Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
• Delivering at Pace – Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.

• Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken (at least B1 Level under CEFR or equivalent). Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely. Accurate typing and proofreading skills.
• Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines, without compromising the quality of the work.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to work closely with senior staff and their contacts.
• Being a strong team player.
• Ability to maintain a range of contacts to build effective working relationships.
• Demonstrates courtesy and consideration in dealing with telephone callers and others.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.