View Vacancy – Community Liaison Officer

The British Embassy in Muscat is looking for a dynamic team player to take up the position of Community Liaison Officer grade A2 (L) to start in May 2021.

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

Main Purpose of the Job:

The successful candidate will work closely with Post Management for the well-being of all staff at Post, with primary function as advocate for and provision of support to UK-based staff and families on family and community issues, principally in the areas of information gathering, welfare and communication.

This role reports to the Head of Corporate Services.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Welfare at Post: Welcoming all staff on posting and accompanying families to ensure a smooth integration as possible into the life of the Post community. The officer has a key role in supporting the arrival and departure process of new and leaving (UK based) staff and their families and works collectively with the Corporate Services Team to ensure high standards, housing is ready and a domestic equipment float is provided. The officer is a source of referral and supports where questions, problems and difficulties arise. The role establishes different forms of communication for staff and spouses/partners across Post and is involvement in the organization of social events during the year.
• Information gathering: Collecting (pre posting) information and informing UK-Based officers, their spouses/partners and families on flexible deployment, spouse/partner employment, child care, child and adult education, career and training opportunities, single officer and foreign born spouse/partner issues, recreational facilities and local social matters. The officer ensures relevant information sources, Post reports and facts sheets are kept up to date and distributed where needed.
• Advocate for UK-based staff and families in addressing community and social matters of importance with Post Management, including representation in different Post committees, involvement in evacuation/contingency planning and being the chief link between Post and the Diplomatic Services Family Association (DSFA) in London.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required.

Key Competencies:

The candidate will need to demonstrate the following competencies and the values of who we are during the interview:

• Managing a Quality Service: Effectiveness in this area is about being organised to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements.
• Collaborating and Partnering: People skilled in this area create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service to help get business done.
• Leading and Communicating: Effectiveness in this area is about leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm.
• Making Effective Decisions: Effectiveness in this area is about being objective; using sound judgment, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. 

Our Values:

Who We Are is a statement bringing together the six values that most important in helping us to deliver for the UK internationally. Wherever we work in the world, we share a set of values that guides our decision-making, sets standards for our behaviour and helps us deliver the UK’s national interest internationally.

These values are underpinned by the UK Civil Service values (Integrity, Honesty, Objectivity, Impartiality) and complemented by values all One HMG colleagues bring from their own department, service or administration.

• Excellent customer service skills, with a key focus on communication (both written and oral) in English. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, and someone who treats everyone with fairness and respect.
• Team player, with proven ability in collaborating and supporting others to deliver results whilst also capable of working on their initiative and adapting to changing priorities.
• Strong organisational and analytical skills. Ability to organise and prioritise workload, organise records, and meet deadlines and changing priorities whilst maintaining close attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
• Very good level of IT skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Holds a valid driving licence with own transportation.
• Ability to hold sensitive and confidential information.
• Experience of living in Muscat for +1 year.