View Vacancy – Executive Assistant – HMA Appointments Secretary

Main purpose of job:

This is a unique position, which offers a fascinating opportunity to work at the heart of the UK-Colombia bilateral relationship, ensuring that Her Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) and the Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) have the support they need to operate with maximum effectiveness.

The successful candidate will work in the Private Office team under the supervision of the Chief of Staff (CoS), taking a leading role in supporting high-level meetings; briefings; engagements with senior stakeholders, supporting drafting of correspondence and budget forecasting.

The successful candidate will be proactive, tactful, and extremely organised.

This role will help promote the UK as an excellent political and commercial partner for Colombia, working proactively to promote the British Embassy activities and initiatives across all policy areas. You will work closely with HMA, DHM, CoS and Embassy colleagues while having the opportunity to attend meetings and encounters with important stakeholders to the UK.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?

Diary Management:

• Filters and manages incoming HMA and DHM diary requests ensuring their time is focused on priories.
• Keeps track and ensures stakeholder engagement runs efficiently while proposing follow-up or intro engagements.
• Arranges high-level meetings for HMA & DHM with key political, commercial, media, and other contacts.
• Coordinates with the Close Protection Team (CPT) for logistics for appointments and travel.

Briefings and speeches:

• Commissions, collates and ensures quality control of briefings, speeches, video scripts for HMA & DHM.

Correspondence:

• Prepares correspondence for key and high-level stakeholders and NVs and ensures letters are kept to the highest standard.
• Keeps correspondence archive up-to-date.

Budget:

• Keeps accounts on expenses and forecasts monthly budgets.

Other:

• Elaborates minutes for senior meetings.
• Translates English-Spanish at HMA/DHM/CoS request.

• Certified Technician on Bilingual Secretariat or equivalent experience;
• Full-time availability;
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suit; 
• Responsible, tactful, well organised and strongly committed to the job;
• Sociable, able to interact and collaborate with different teams and requests;
• Excellent teamwork and communications skills;
• Works well under pressure and against deadlines, able to deal effectively with stressful and difficult situations;
• Fluent in both written and spoken English and Spanish; 
  
• An interest in UK;
• Language: Spanish (native), English (desirable C1 certified with IELTS or TOEFL); and
• Must have the legal status to live and work in Colombia.