View Vacancy - Consular Regional Operations Manager (REF.DEU958)

The British Embassy in Germany is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking for a Consular Regional Operations Manager (C5L) based in Germany to ensure British Consulates in Germany, Switzerland and Austria operate efficiently, are properly resourced and deliver an excellent service to British Nationals overseas.

The jobholder will sensitively lead, manage and motivate a regional network of currently 14 full and part-time staff. The successful candidate will support the British Government’s presence in the wider region, which in turn aims to support and foster them and their work, as well as contribute to the wider objectives of the British Government’s Germany network and to support the Embassy’s positive working environment through a strong corporate contribution – contributing to corporate leadership, learning and development and shared values.

The successful applicant will be expected to travel frequently to our posts in Munich, Dusseldorf, Vienna and Berne, usually for one or two days at a time. Travel to London is also expected approximately twice a year, for maximum of a week at a time. As a part of the FCO’s Overseas Crisis Response (for example responding to British Nationals caught up in terrorist incidents or natural disasters) and in response to difficult consular cases (for example cases of murder or sexual assault committed against British Nationals overseas), applicants must be confident that they can cope with sometimes stressful, traumatic or emotional incidents – their role will be largely managing and supporting staff in such incidents, however they may be asked to assist families or victims of such incidents. A high level of personal resilience is therefore a prerequisite to this role.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Engaging People

• Line Manages Vice Consuls and other consular officers, providing appropriate support and ensuring Duty of Care, supporting staff in their professional development, leading by example in Learning and Development and knowledge sharing and properly managing succession and liaison with HR on recruitment and Induction.

Setting Direction

• Ensures prioritisation of activities and strategies under Business Plan, in line with wider organisational need, giving Heads of Team clarity and support as necessary;
• Identifies ways for Posts to work smarter and continuously finds ways to improve policy and service delivery implementation, including through digital innovation, quality assurance, evaluation and customer feedback data.

Delivering Results

• Identifies new ways to deliver services within resource boundaries, seeking out and implementing Value for Money solutions having analysed Management Information and other data, including customer feedback and trends;
• Interprets and communicates Consular policy and practical changes within regional context, to ensure proper implementation;
• Delivers quality assurance of casework and services, through Post audits and effective management of complaint handling;
• Ensures FCO and Consular policies and procedures are adhered to (Management Information, Finance, Customer Insight, Management of Hon Cons).

Crisis

• Works collaboratively with Regional Crisis Advisers, London Crisis Management Dept and/or Deputy Head of Mission in support of the consular elements of crisis planning and response;
• Supports posts in crisis planning and exercises, enabling timely and thorough response and resilience;
• Supports German posts particularly as part of the Crisis leadership team, supporting the whole mission developing, exercising and responding to crisis situations.

Partnerships

• Builds effective partnerships with internal and external Stakeholders in support of regional Business Plan and local consular preventative campaigns and strategies.

• Degree qualified or minimum ten years demonstrable work experience;
• Proficient German and English (both written and spoken);
• Experience managing multiple teams remotely;
• Experience of customer service directly or in managerial role;
• Experience dealing with challenging and diverse workforce / Human Resource and performance challenges;
• Experience working internationally;
• Confident and experienced communicator in person and on paper;
• Computer literate (MS Office and Windows).