View Vacancy - SRR - Personal Assistant to the Director for Trade & Investment for Saudi Arabia & Deputy Trade Commissioner for the Middle East A2L/ AO

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Personal Assistant to the Director for Trade & Investment for Saudi Arabia & Deputy Trade Commissioner for the Middle East (PA to DIT Director) for a fixed-term contract of two (2) years.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is the British Government Department responsible for international trade and supports Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the United Kingdom. DIT KSA is part of DIT’s Middle East, Afghanistan & Pakistan (MEAP) region, which comprises 12 countries across the Gulf. The KSA DIT network consists of three trade teams in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar) and work closely together to deliver commercial support to UK companies. The role involves proactively contributing to wider MEAP priorities as defined by Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for MEAP, and as covered in the Regional Trade Plan and Strategy. It comes at an interesting time as Saudi Arabia embarks on a social and economic transformation programme through the Vison 2030 strategy. This programme presents exciting opportunities for boosting UK Trade and Investment.

The British Embassy is looking for a self-starting PA who is highly organised to join the DIT team in Riyadh. The main purpose of this role is to provide secretarial, administrative and organisational support to the Director for Trade & Investment for Saudi Arabia and Deputy Trade Commissioner for the Middle East at the British Embassy Riyadh, and the wider team. The jobholder will also have the opportunity to work in other areas including events support and procurement through using our in-house Oracle-based system to raise requisitions. The jobholder will also need to be flexible and may be required to shift focus and respond to changes to other priorities based on operational requirements as guided by the DIT KSA Director. 

Duties and responsibilities:

• Responsible for the Director’s schedule, diary, inbox management and travel arrangements.
• Proactively manage Director’s meetings to include the preparation of relevant briefs and reading material.
• Liaise with a wide range of Departments within the British Embassy’s Saudi Arabia Network.
• Build relationships with a wide range of commercial-related contacts in Saudi Arabia; meeting and greeting visitors of all seniority. Arrange refreshments for meetings as required.
• Support Senior Trade & Investment visits, including arranging meetings and visit logistics.
• Liaise with Senior British Embassy Management team and PAs to organise and communicate the Embassy meeting calendar for larger Network meetings, e.g. Post Management Board, Post Delivery Board, Project Board, all staff meetings and Crisis Committee.
• Where appropriate, assist in the drafting of routine correspondence for the Director, to include being the lead for the social elements of senior visitors’ programs.
• Provide support to the Ambassador’s (HMA) and Deputy Head of Mission’s (DHM) PA where appropriate.
• Coordinate with the Finance, Marketing and Operations Manager in DIT and the Residence and Events Manager to support the delivery of receptions/ events in the embassy facilities.
• Maintain registers, diaries, and databases. In particular, be the Subject Matter Expert for the Section’s online filing system.
• Take minutes of Director’s meetings and distribute as required.
• Manage the DIT leave chart for the Director and coordinate with other Section members.
• Provide administrative support to the wider team.
• Where appropriate, take part and assist in duties for the wider Embassy, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis affecting UK citizens.

Key competencies required:

• 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.
• 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.
• Leading and Communicating - Leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction, and enthusiasm. Managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity. Displaying enthusiasm around goals and activities and adopting a positive approach when interacting with others.
• Demonstrating Resilience - Helping our people to build resilience in international roles, supporting their ability to adapt to working in difficult and varied international environments; and to bounce back from crises and setbacks in these contexts. Being aware of the impact you have on yourself and on others, and showing support for others with a pragmatic attitude, perseverance and resolve.

• Minimum of two years’ experience as a Personal/ Executive Assistant or admin/ office role
• Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills. Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines, without compromising the quality of the work
• Ability to work closely with senior staff and their contacts. Ability to maintain a range of contacts to build effective working relationships
• Being a strong team player
• Demonstrates courtesy and consideration in dealing with stakeholders
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.