View Vacancy - Regional Inclusion Partner

This exciting new role has been created to improve team dynamics and working relationships across UK Missions in the region. The purpose of the role is to deliver interventions to raise performance, improve engagement, resolve conflict and make our working environments as inclusive as possible. The role holder will design, develop and implement tools, solutions and communications to improve leadership at all levels and tackle and reduce experiences of bullying, harassment and discrimination in Missions across their region. The successful candidate will engage with, encourage and influence leaders and stakeholders to improve our people’s experience of working life. The role holder will travel extensively and partner with a wide range of stakeholders across their region and in the UK, offering advice and practical support on cultural issues and ways to maximise engagement and inclusivity.

Roles and responsibilities:

Analysis (20%):

• Apply a pragmatic and proactive approach to identifying cultural norms, nuances and cultural gaps with respect to inclusion, both within the region and at individual Posts, and with reference to FCO goals. Identify options for addressing gaps, and a timeline for delivery. 
  

Design and Development (20%):

• Based on diagnostic findings, provide consultative advice to stakeholders regarding possible solutions, working collaboratively with other teams, and design appropriate interventions / developments including the means by which impact will be measured.

• Develop and co-own Organisation Development and other interventions, along with Post Heads/ leaders and other stakeholders, to support culture change.

Implementation (40%):

• Stakeholder Management and Coaching: working as a strategic partner, coach, develop and advise  leaders and managers on inclusive leadership; strengthen the capability of managers and leaders throughout the region to deal with barriers to inclusion; drive a culture of continuous improvement focused on personal performance, relationship management, engagement and wellbeing.

• Employment Relations: deliver expert, pragmatic advice to managers in posts, and work with HR teams to ensure consistency in decision making in accordance with FCO practice; in partnership with HR teams, anticipate and advise on potential employee relations issues and deliver business appropriate employee relations strategies for individual posts; advise, investigate and support Posts with complex and/or escalated employee relations cases working in partnership with HR Hub.

• Support a culture shift towards individual responsibility and informal resolution of issues, e.g. through promoting and/or delivering mediation.

Evaluation (20%):

• Undertake systematic and regular review of impact against KPIs, e.g a measurable reduction in bullying, harassment and discrimination. Apply results of evaluation to revised delivery options.

This newly created role is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to one of the FCO’s top priorities; to tackle bullying, harassment and discrimination.

The successful candidate must be able to work at pace and be highly proactive to maximise impact. Establishing a knowledge of best practice from within the FCO and externally will be important from the outset to provide advice to senior colleagues and effect organisational change. Some of these conversations may be challenging as you tackle misconceptions around management and communication and encourage leaders to look at working culture and their own behaviours.

On casework, the successful job holder will be someone who can understand the context on the ground and, through careful and considered analysis, read the situation and advise what needs to be done. They must have advanced communication skills, to be able to talk to people (from lowest to highest grade) and come up with suitable solutions.

The role needs highly developed interpersonal skills to be able to establish trust and confidence with others, including senior members of staff, and leverage relationships, in order to tackle problems before they escalate.   The scope of action required will include providing solutions to implement for specific complex case work (e.g. investigation, mediation, organisational design, etc.) ensuring there is consistency of action.

This role will require someone with sound judgement as autonomy and impact will be high.

Language: Fluent in English, with excellent written and verbal skills.

• Bachelor’s Degree in HR, L&D, OD, or related field and relevant 7-8 years of work experience;

• Proven track record in employee relations casework;

• Organisational and leadership development;

• Experience managing a diverse and dispersed group of stakeholders;

• Strong cultural awareness and conflict resolution skills;

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents or A visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at our office.  Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa. All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work. 
*A visas are acceptable at the Embassy and Consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas, and British Defense Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas.