Main Purpose of Job:
The British Embassy Vientiane is looking for a full-time chef to prepare and present high quality British/Western and Asian fusion food for official events.
Based at the British Ambassador’s Residence, the successful applicant will be responsible for designing and preparing menus for a wide variety of functions from small lunches and dinners to large receptions.
The chef will also be responsible for preparing private meals for the Ambassador and family/guests.
This position would suit an enthusiastic chef who has at least 2 years' experience in the hospitality industry and now looks for a challenging role at the heart of a modern organisation.
The job holder will work within a small team and report to the Residence Manager.
Working hours may vary according to the events diary and a flexible attitude is essential.
What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:
Design, prepare and present menus for official and private functions as required – 70%
Manage orders and control the stock of food and supplies – 10%
Maintain a tidy, clean and safe kitchen in line with the FCDO Health & Safety guidance – 10%
Prepare and submit receipts which meet financial requirements – 5%
Supervise casual workers and back up for Residence Manager whenever needed – 5%
Resources Managed (staff and expenditure):
Manage the shopping expenses for Residence functions and the Ambassador’s weekly personal food shopping.
Those who pass the interview will be invited for a food test.
This role is advertised as a 12-month fixed term contract, with possibility of renewal.
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, 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.
The British Embassy, located close to the Patuxay Monument, is a small, friendly and vibrant place to work. There will be great opportunities for you to not only develop and build on your existing knowledge, but to understand and contribute to how our work develops and strengthens UK – Laos relations.
Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy Vientiane are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Lao employment law.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. You must have or be able to obtain work authorisation for Laos in order to apply. All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. Any costs related to obtaining or renewing permits and visas are the responsibility of the successful applicant.
Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.
The FCDO operates an agile approach to delivery. To facilitate an agile workforce, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.
Learning and Development Opportunities:
The British Embassy Vientiane looks to support the professional development of all staff, including the Residence Chef. Previous jobholders have been given training to learn additional styles of cooking. Specific training and mentoring for the role will be provided to the successful candidate.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage. Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.
To ensure a successful application it is important that you explain how you demonstrate these behaviours, including through your experience. You are strongly advised to read the Success Profiles Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which provides detailed guidance on how the behaviours are defined.
Applicants are encouraged to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format to prepare specific examples of when they have demonstrated these behaviours in their application. Using the STAR format to provide evidence of your skills and experience in your application and at interview helps to give a structure. You briefly describe the situation in which you showed the behaviour, and then explain your task in addressing the situation, what action you took and the result of this.
Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
For inclusivity and diversity, please remove the following personal information when uploading your CV: name, address, email address, age, date of birth, gender and nationality.
The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
