View Vacancy - Consular Assistant A2 (L) (07/18 KPL)

Main purpose of job:

To provide a high quality and efficient consular service to British nationals in Uganda in line with the standards set out in our publication "Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide” and Consular Strategy.

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

As Consular Assistant you will be responsible for providing consular assistance in Uganda. The jobholder will occasionally have to manage challenging but rewarding consular cases. They will help customers through some of the most difficult experiences of their lives. This may include: visiting people who have been arrested, are in prison or hospitalised; visiting mortuaries; supporting bereaved families and victims of crime, victims of sexual assault and dealing with cases involving child abduction.  The successful candidate will also work closely with colleagues across the Sub-Saharan Africa network and in the UK in order to ensure excellent delivery and consistency of services. The candidate must be able and willing to engage on these difficult issues:

• Checking and processing applications for Emergency Travel Documents.
• Liaising with partners including local authorities, British companies, the tourism industry, airlines, wardens, NGOs, other diplomatic missions etc.
• Delivering outreach activities which support our Consular Strategy objectives.
• Contributing to crisis planning and response in Uganda.
• Managing information, completing returns and other administrative tasks.
• The successful candidate must be prepared to work out of hours if required (see below on time of in lieu/overtime).

For many British nationals, the only contact they will ever have with a British mission will be through our consular services, often in times of great personal distress. As a customer-facing member of staff, the jobholder will need:

• Excellent communication skills and be able to deal with distressing situations in a sensitive manner and with empathy. 
• Excellent all-round communication skills to manage customer expectations and deliver difficult messages;
• Excellent customer service skills - ability to respond to a range of customer needs and cultivate strong relationships with customers and stakeholders.
• Calmness under pressure;
• Ability to research and follow guidelines, and to plan and prioritise effectively;
• Ability to work well with others - to build and maintain relationships with customers and stakeholders;
• Strong problem solving skills using own judgement;
• Ability to respond quickly to changing priorities, sometimes in pressurised environments;
• Prepared to react positively to change and ready to try new ways of working;
• Excellent IT and numeracy skills, a good knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook is essential;
• Fluent in English (if non-native English speaker then IELTS band 7 or TOEIC 875 points or above or equivalent).