View Vacancy - Pro Consul, Lima

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Consular Roles)
Consular

Main purpose of job:

As part of the Americas Consular Network, the Consular team at the British Embassy in Lima, provides support to British nationals, and other entitled nationals, who travel to, or reside in, Peru.

The Consular Officer will be expected to deliver a high quality consular service to British nationals in Peru and to provide effective support to ensure the smooth running of the Consular Section according to best practice and internal guidelines.

The Consular Officer is the first point of contact for consular customers, and will be expected to deliver professional and efficient consular services to all customers. This includes issuing Emergency Travel Documents and some notary services required by the Peruvian authorities as well as working on assistance cases. These include, but are not limited to, supporting the most vulnerable British nationals who may have been the victim of crime (including those who may have been raped or sexually assaulted); hospitalised; have been arrested or detained in Peru; or require additional support due to mental health needs. The main purpose of the role is to ensure delivery of professional and high quality services in line with FCO guidance.

The Consular Officer will work very closely with the Vice Consul & Head of Consular Section, with the other Pro Consul, with the Consular Regional Operations Manager and with senior management staff. The role involves extensive interaction with the public, with local, regional and UK authorities, with colleagues across the consular network in Peru, the Americas and London, and with external stakeholders such as the Fiscalía de la Nación, Migraciones, INPE e Iperú entre otras. The Consular Officer will also provide support and guidance to a number of voluntary Honorary Consuls and Consular Agents across Peru.


Roles and responsibilities:

Consular Assistance - Providing consular assistance to British & other entitled nationals within current guidelines.  This could include: 

  • Visiting British nationals in hospital or in jail.
  • Providing support to family members following bereavement, dealing with funeral directors and Forensic Medical Service.
  • Providing advice and assistance following a rape or sexual assault or any victims of crime.
  • Providing support to families on child abduction cases or custody matters.
  • Supporting customers with mental health needs. 

Professional Services:

  • Maintain up-to-date and detailed case notes on the case management system. Ensure that Consular Business Targets (CBT’s) for all cases are met.
  • Maintain close links with local authorities including, but not limited to, law enforcement, correctional facilities, hospitals, morgues and mental health facilities. In consultation with the Vice Consul, undertake outreach visits to different areas of Peru to build and maintain contact network.
  • Keep the Vice Consul informed of developments in cases. Informing the CROM/CRD of high profile/complex cases.
  • Exceptionally, participate in call out arrangements for emergency cases out of hours when our Global Response Centre in London requests local support.
  • Take ownership of the public counter, arranging and confirming appointments, answering enquiries, and act as the initial point of contact with Consular Contact Centres
  • Respond to customers’ written and face-to-face enquiries. Arranging appointments and managing the electronic appointments calendar.
  • Arrange notarial/documentary service sessions and British Citizenship ceremonies
  • Ensure the public facing areas are maintained and updated in line with consular guidance.
  • Issue/Print Emergency Travel Documents (ETD) according to the internal guidance and support the ETD remote interview processes.
  • Undertake the reconciliation of fees in line with Embassy and Consular guidance.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Consular Prevention:

  • Assist the Vice Consul & Head of Consular Section in the delivery of the prevention programme in Peru.
  • Advise and inform internal and external stakeholders on our wider consular priorities.
  • Manage and keep up-to-date the consular database of contacts in Peru, as well as identifying new contacts and stakeholders.
  • Contribute to the team’s prevention objectives to ensure we are providing targeted and accurate information to British nationals to prevent them for getting into difficulties, where this is possible.

Consular Crisis:

  • Work with the Head of Section on the consular elements of Post’s Consular Management Plan, to ensure effective preparation, response and recovery in the event of a crisis.
  • Assist Vice Consul in up-dating Crisis Management Plan (CMP) with accurate staff details and up-to-date service providers.

Regional Responsibilities:

  • The Consular team in Peru is part of the Americas Consular Network; as such there is the expectation and opportunity to provide regional remote and in person resilience in Posts within the Network.
  • Work with the Vice Consul and colleagues in the Americas network by contributing to discussions to help shape the development and application of consular policy and to share best practice. 

Training and Corporate Activities:  

  • Participate in training courses and regional conferences, e-learning, and self-development activities.
  • Represent consular section at Embassy meetings and attendance at other corporate activities if required; Play an active role in the Embassy’s corporate agenda.
  • In the absence of the Vice Consul, represent the British government at consular related events, including some public speaking duties.
  • Work with the Vice Consul to ensure that the Honorary Consuls, and other colleagues, occasionally conducting consular work, are trained and supported to deliver appropriate assistance.

Resources managed:

Staff: Occasionally, to manage Honorary Consuls/Consular Agents

Budget: Consular fees and funds (Imprest/Benevolent Fund)

Essential on arrival:  

  • Excellent spoken and written Spanish and English
  • Proven record of accomplishment of excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to communicate at all levels.
  • Proven ability to prioritise, effectively manage and carry out multiple tasks in a fast-paced work environment working largely unsupervised, delivering to deadlines and agreed targets.
  • Highly-developed organisational skill with a proven track record of delivery (including through others) to tight deadlines.
  • Ability to handle personal issues/information and deal with staff and clients in a friendly and sensitive manner.
  • Consular work can be demanding. The successful candidate must have a high degree of personal resilience and empathy.
  • Proven ability to demonstrate initiative and determination
  • The ability to work efficiently, accurately and calmly under pressure
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Language requirements:

Language:  English and Spanish

Level of language required:  Good working knowledge English and Spanish (spoken and written) - between B1 and C1 (under the CEFRL or equivalent).

Desirable:

  • 3+ years of relevant work experience (to include working with the public)
  • A relevant Bachelor's Degree, or equivalent experience in a relevant field
  • Casework experience/dealing with vulnerable people.
  • Experience in digital media, campaigns, media management and event organisation.
  • Experience on implementation of outreach or prevention campaigns
  • An ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong understanding of IT systems.
  • An ability to travel at short notice, in Peru or further afield (when conditions allow)
Seeing the Big Picture, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Developing Self and Others
23 August 2022
Administrative Officer (AO)
Full-time, Permanent
37
Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean
Peru
Lima
British Embassy
1
S/. 5325 soles
27 September 2022

Learning and development opportunities:

  • The successful candidate will be expected to complete a number of e-learning courses on consular assistance work and crisis within the first months of employment.
  • The successful candidate will have the opportunity to attend a one-week training course in the UK within the first three to six months of employment (when conditions allow).
  • The successful candidate may be invited to participate in a regional conference abroad (when conditions allow).
  • Regional Responsibilities – there will be the opportunity to provide regional resilience (remotely or in person) in Posts within the Americas Consular Network (when conditions allow).

Working patterns:

  • This position is advertised as a permanent one after successful completion of the 6-month period. The successful candidate will work 37 hours per week, on the following basis: 
    • Monday to Thursday 8:00 – 17:00,
    • Friday 8:00 -13:00.
  • This is a customer-facing role and normally includes frequent telephone and email contact with the public, and usually face-to-face contact with stakeholders. When the local conditions allow, travel within Peru and occasionally further afield may be required. We are supportive of flexible working, however, the ability for the
  • jobholder to provide a continued high quality service to our customers and external stakeholders is taken into consideration when discussing any flexible working requests.
  • Exceptionally, the successful candidate may be required to participate in trainings, call out arrangements for emergency cases or crisis work out of hours.

Any other information:

  • The job is open to anyone with the right to reside and work in Peru.
  • The period of probation for this job is according to local labour regulations.
  • The contract is 37 hours a week
  • Core office hours are from 7:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Thursday and from 7:00 to 14:00 on Friday.
Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.