View Vacancy – AUH – Pro Consul A2(L)

The British Embassy Abu Dhabi has a vacancy for a Pro Consul.

The successful candidate will have the ability to deliver a professional and efficient Consular service to British Nationals (BNs) in Abu Dhabi.

Reporting to the Vice Consul, the main purpose of the role is to ensure that British Nationals receive a professional high quality service and that advice provided is accurate, timely, and consistent, and offered in a sensitive manner and in line with FCO guidance. This will include developing and maintaining contacts with local authorities and in the community, providing notarial and documentary services, and taking part in our communications and prevention work.

In response to local or regional crisis, the job holder will play a key role in the section’s response and deployment.

The successful candidate will need to be a self-starter, highly motivated, and have excellent interpersonal and office management skills.

Consular work can sometimes be emotionally challenging, distressing, and of a sensitive nature. The jobholder will therefore be expected to demonstrate high levels of personal resilience and maintain absolute consular confidentiality and impartiality. 

Duties and responsibilities:

– Provide professional and efficient Consular service

• Provide accurate advice and assistance in a sensitive manner to British Nationals (BNs) and their families via face to face (pre-arranged meetings/ walk-ins), telephone or email on a range of issues such as: detainees, including visiting police stations and prisons; hospitalisations; dealing with bereaved families; child custody issues; missing persons; mental health; other sensitive cases such as rape, child abduction, forced marriage.
• Maintain accurate and concise case records of services provided on consular databases.
• Ensure all customer correspondence are replied to in a timely and efficient way, providing consistent, accurate information in accordance with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) guidelines.
• Be prepared to work out of hours, occasionally anti-social hours, as required.
• Take part in the Embassy emergency planning and any response to a crisis affecting UK citizens. 
• Administering the appointment system.
• Provide a range of counter services including notarial work and Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs), ensuring consistent customer service to BNs.
• Collecting fees, cashing up, and other financial requirement.
• Ensure deadlines for Returns and Management Information are met.

– Prevention Communications and Outreach

• Working to help to deliver high quality local prevention and communications work, working closely with the Embassy’s Press/ Communications Team and other senior stakeholders. Producing materials, using social media and attending events.
• Monitor changes in local procedures and practices, ensuring that all information and guidance for BNs reflects changes and is up to date, e.g. service providers, lawyers list, travel advice, web pages.

– Other duties

• Carry out other reasonable ad-hoc duties in support of the Consular function.
• Participate in other embassy committees and support corporate activities as appropriate.

Key competencies required:

• Delivering at Pace – Focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. Working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way.
• 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.
• 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.
• Changing and Improving – Being responsive and innovative, and seeking out opportunities to create effective change. Learning from what has worked well and what has not; being open to change, suggesting ideas for improvements to the way things are done; and working in ’smarter’, more focused ways.

• Consular work can sometimes be stressful and of a sensitive nature. The successful applicant will therefore be expected to maintain absolute consular confidentiality and impartiality at all times. 
• Excellent customer care skills and the ability to respond to a range of customers’ needs.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• A team player who is capable of working on their initiative and who is adaptable to changing priorities. Must be able to work and act without close supervision.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• IT literate, well versed in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and with accurate typing skills.