Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Chancery
The British Consulate General in Jeddah has a vacancy for a Personal Assistant to Her Majesty’s Consul General (PA to HMCG) for a fixed-term contract of one (1) year.
As the Personal Assistant, you will report to Her Majesty’s Consul General (HMCG) and will have a key role in ensuring the effective operation of the Consulate by providing a full range of secretarial and administrative support to HMCG and acting as a key channel of communication with the team in Jeddah and the rest of the KSA Network.
You will help the HMCG make the most effective use of his time, managing his diary to ensure he participates where most valuable, prioritising and preparing work, and coordinating contributions from teams across the Network. In addition to having very good secretarial skills, the PA needs strong personal skills to act as an effective interface between HMCG, staff members, and outside contacts. Resilience, good organisational skills, strong judgement about priorities, and understanding others are also essential to the role.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Organise and maintain HMCG’s diary, including setting up meetings, appointments, and travel.
- Production and distribution of daily and forward programmes (including transport).
- Dealing with telephone enquiries, mail, invitations, letters, and requests, including occasional out of hours calls.
- Liaising with Government Organisations and the Private Offices of the prominent Jeddah business community to promote a good relationship and ensure desired access.
- Organisation of HMCG’s (and the wider Consulate’s) representational entertainment, including dinners, events, and receptions.
- Providing wider support to Consulate colleagues, as appropriate.
The above list is not exhaustive and the job holder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Consulate’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis.
Key competencies required:
- Collaborating and Partnering – Being a team player who creates and maintains positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the organisation to help get business done. Working collaboratively, sharing information appropriately and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions. Building effective partnerships including relationships with Ministers and welcoming challenge however uncomfortable.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Minimum of three (3) years’ experience as a Personal/ Executive Assistant.
- Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely. Accurate typing and proofreading skills.
- Excellent planning and organisation skills. Ability to respond quickly and flexibly to meet multiple and changing priorities.
- Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines without compromising the quality of the work and have an eye for detail
- Strong interpersonal skills and works well as part of a team, able to handle people on the phone and in person effectively.
- Good customer skills in dealing with colleagues and external parties, able to work closely with senior staff and their contacts.
- Demonstrates courtesy and consideration in dealing with all stakeholders. Able to show discretion in handling any sensitive matters, with the trust of all involved.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
- Arabic language skills
- Event management experience
Making Effective Decisions, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace
22 July 2021
A2 (L)
Fixed Term, Full-time
35
12 months
Middle East & North Africa
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
British Consulate General
1
7,618.83
1 September 2021
Eligibility:
The position is available to Saudi Nationals and to current holders of valid Saudi residence permits or transferable iqamas. The successful candidate will be required to transfer their sponsorship to the Consulate General.
Working hours and remuneration:
The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role.
Salary details:
- Base Salary including Eid bonus – SAR 5,775.06
- Housing Allowance – SAR 1,443.77 (subject to eligibility)*
- Travel Allowance – SAR 400 (subject to eligibility)*
*Allowances are not payable to staff who receive official provision for such expenditure in some other form.
No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.
Normal working hours for the Consulate General are from 08.00 to 15.00 from Sunday to Thursday. This position is full-time, based on 35 hours per week.
The jobholder should also be flexible in their approach to hours worked as this will also be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out of hours (evening and weekend), especially during events and visits. In addition, there may be a minor element of pre-authorised out of hours work to assist the HMCG with short notice issues, though this should be exceptional rather the norm.
The successful candidate will be subject to a 90-day probationary period.
How to apply:
Interested candidates must attach 1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and 2) a covering letter stating how you meet the requirements of the role.
Your application must also include examples of when you have demonstrated the required competencies in the Competence-Based Questions section of the online application form.
Applications that do not include these information will not be considered.
The closing date for applications is at 23:55 KSA local time on 22 July 2021.
Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, only those shortlisted for the next step in the recruitment process will be contacted.
The start date mentioned in the advert is an assumed 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, medical clearance and reference checks.
The British Consulate General Jeddah is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Consulate General is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Saudi Arabia employment law.
To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate on the application form /in your cover letter where (ngotenders.net) you saw this job posting.