View Vacancy - Head of Corporate Services
Lead Corporate Services at the High Commission by providing direction and a practical, hands-on approach to ensure that staff deliver an efficient, professional, value for money service in finance, procurement, human resources, learning and development, estates and security.
Be a core member of the Senior Management Team providing corporate, financial and local insight to inform decision-making and compliance with local labour law and FCDO policies.
Roles and Responsibilities
Leadership and Management
- Provide leadership and management for the Corporate Services team.
- Ensure policies are implemented fairly, consistently and effectively.
- Main point of contact for hubs and regional Corporate Service provider leads.
Finance and Procurement
- Prepare annual Administrative and Capital budget bid to reflect the priorities, programmes and strategic plans for the fiscal year.
- Oversight of budget profiling, cash management and monitoring of Post account.
- Authorise payroll, carry out 10% check of all invoices and upload Network Post Accounting on a monthly basis.
- Provide oversight, guidance and recommendations on financial undertakings and business cases and serve as point of escalation for queries on Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable.
- Approve annual Overseas Accounting Returns, including terminal gratuity liability.
- Authorise Sterling Transfer Facility and Purchase Orders.
- Manage integrity and implementation of correct procurement procedures by ensuring that tenders and contract agreements are transparent and correctly aligned with FCDO policy, buyers follow FCDO guidance, purchase within their delegated authority and goods and services are purchased efficiently and deliver value for money.
Human Resources
- Regularly review and update the High Commission’s Terms and Conditions (TACOS), policies and health protocols to ensure compliance with local labour law and FCDO guidelines and ensure their fair, consistent and effective implementation.
- Provide HR support in recruitment, appointment, performance management, learning and development, appraisal quality control and separation from employment.
- Keep induction packs updated.
- Ensure that grievance, misconduct and performance management procedures are in place, following FCDO best practice and local law.
- Ensure that staff personal files are kept up to date and secure.
- Promote learning and development.
Administration
- Annually update Post Geographical Expenditure Guide and regularly review and update Post Report and Fact Sheet.
- Line manage 2 x AO and countersigning responsibilities for 2 x AA and 14 x S2.
- Ensure that a Health and Safety Mission Statement is in place and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities.
- Support UKBS on practical corporate issues.
- Facilitate bag services (diplomatic, UAF and heavy baggage).
- IT oversight and Post communication assets support (including IT budget).
- Information Management – ensuring that Post adheres to information management processes.
- Minimum 3 years of senior management experience, preferably with direct involvement in HR and/or Finance policy and implementation.
- Experience in managing cross functional teams.
- High level of discretion, with a resilient, flexible and 'can do' attitude.
- Ability to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
- Ability to multi-task, work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work autonomously and to approach activities with initiative.
- IT literacy.
- Advanced level of English language.
Learning and Development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed)
- Corporate Services Manager (CSM) and Estates training.
- Skills may be maintained or honed through job shadowing/mentoring.
Must have the legal status to live and work in Belize.
Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, eg some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
The British Embassy Network offers a strong benefits package. This package includes generous vacation and leave time, flexible working patterns, and an enriching learning and development opportunities.
This opportunity is closed to applications.