Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Political
Main purpose of job:
You will be an important member of the climate and nature team at the British Embassy Vientiane, working as part of a wider team, but with autonomy to deliver regional coordination and implementation of the Lower Mekong Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF). You will work closely with, and deliver to, the UK based programme team in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The BLF aims to achieve conservation, poverty reduction and climate outcomes across the Lower Mekong, which spans Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. You will be expected to work with a range of partners and provide a quality assurance and reporting function for the programme team based in the UK.
You will need to have strong networking skills and be comfortable working with senior stakeholders from the UK and within the region. As Defra’s lead HMG contact for the Lower Mekong Landscape, you will work closely with DAI and implementing partners to ensure that the Fund is delivered effectively and remains aligned to UK government interests and objectives. You will ensure that regional communication, policy and strategic opportunities provided by the BLF’s activities are identified and delivered. This is in order to raise awareness of the BLF and to capitalise upon the BLF’s activities to achieve wider and long-lasting impacts.
Roles and responsibilities:
Programme Delivery and Support – 40%
- Work effectively with the Defra programme team in the UK, external contractors and regional colleagues to review implementation of the programme.
- Monitor and assess risks and opportunities associated with the programme, reporting clearly to the programme team.
- Identify errors or problems, take action as necessary to resolve and/or notify others in the team.
- Write clear reports and briefings as required.
- Assist with the orientation of visiting UK officials or contractors associated with the Fund, providing local knowledge and understanding;
- Work with the Communications Officers regionally and in the UK to create and deliver publicity for the programme.
- Support projects by developing and identifying communication resources required, ensuring all materials and resources are current and appropriate.
Internal and External Stakeholder Engagement – 25%
- Build a network and communicate with a wide range of professionals at a local, national, regional and international scale.
- Provide an effective and professional service when liaising with colleagues, partners, stakeholders and the public using tact and diplomacy to encourage effective working.
- Respond to enquiries from key stakeholders to provide information in line with agreed protocols and procedures.
- Support the planning of meetings, high level events and conferences.
- Lead on visit programmes to the region
- Represent the embassy at technical level/senior meetings
Strategic and contextual analysis – 25%
- Build a strategic awareness and continue to analyse the economic, environmental and policy context to inform effective delivery of the programme.
- Develop an in depth understanding of the UK’s international biodiversity priorities and approach and how the Lower Mekong Biodiverse Landscapes Fund can support these regionally.
- Identify and facilitate opportunities to deliver capacity building and technical assistance with programme partners and key stakeholders, to further the long-term impact of the Fund.
- Identify connections, opportunities and risks to align programme activities/impact and the delivery of wider national and regional objectives on biodiversity loss, climate change and poverty reduction.
- Support the sustainable impact of the programme objectives and its longer-term legacy in the landscape, including through policy and technical expertise development
Other – 10%
- Delivery of wider mission critical work as required as part of the team at the British Embassy Vientiane.
- Summarise correspondence, reports and compile letters, both routine and ad hoc, ensuring that deadlines are met.
- Assess and prioritise own workload within given timeframe, to meet project schedules.
- Manage own workload and activities, including emails and diary management.
- Participate in self-development to continually improve performance/systems and undertake development activities that are identified.
The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Defra programming team. These responsibilities may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organization.
- Degree qualification or equivalent experience
- Previous experience in similar role in project/ programme management in public sector or with bilateral/multilateral organizations.
- Experience of building a network and managing effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, delivery partners and local and community groups.
- Experience drafting briefing papers, reports and presentations.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills on complex matters, often requiring persuasion and influence.
- Ability to identify strategic opportunities and risks, underlying drivers and connections.
- Ability to effectively as part of a team which is dispersed across the region and in the UK
- Effective organization, prioritization and planning skills.
- Ability to work on own initiative and organize own workload without supervision working to tight and often changing timescales.
- Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
- Ability to handle strictly confidential information from internal and external sources whilst always adhering to best practices of confidentiality.
- Computer literate and proficient user of Microsoft programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel and SharePoint.
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
- Further training, experience or training in project management
- Understanding of biodiversity conservation, landscape scale and community based development and conservation.
- Experience of organizing events/conferences/ workshops
- Intermediate-Advanced written and oral English
- Ability to analyze and interpret complex information and recommend appropriate actions.
Seeing the Big Picture, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service
15 August 2021
C4 (L)
Fixed Term, Full-time
35
24 months
Asia Pacific
Laos
Vientiane
British Embassy
1
2060 USD
20 September 2021
This position will be based depending on the location (either Cambodia or Laos) where successful candidate will be identified. The post holder will be line managed remotely by the Country Lead based in the UK, with administrative line management provided by the British Embassy.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the British Embassy Vientiane is an excellent place to work to enhance your L&D and your skill set, with a varied array of training courses (online and classroom-based) available, as well as the opportunity to bid for job-shadowing and participate in overseas workshops and courses. You will receive good training to become familiar with this role and also be expected to ‘buddy’ any new starts in the office.
The British Embassy, located close to the Patuxay Monument, is a small and vibrant place to work. There will be great opportunities for you to not only develop and build on your existing knowledge, but to understand what makes a diplomatic mission work, and to see how and why what we do here is important for the UK – Laos relationship.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. You must have or be able to obtain work authorisation for Laos.
Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy Vientiane are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Lao employment law.
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment checks and security checks.
The British Embassy is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on grounds of ethnic origin, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
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 that your application must be submitted before 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested. Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core competencies listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time.
To those applicants not shortlisted, we extend our appreciation for considering the British Government as a potential employer.
The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.
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