View Vacancy - Pro Consul

The British Embassy in Tunis has a vacancy for the position of Pro Consul.

The successful applicant will work as part of a two-person team based at the British Embassy in Tunis delivering high-quality Consular Services to British nationals in Tunisia and Libya and their next of kin. The applicant will provide Consular Assistance to British nationals in need; build partnerships with the British community, Tunisian authorities and the travel industry; and work to maintain high levels of consular and crisis preparedness.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordinate Logistical and Administrative support for Consular Section, including:

• Responsible for receiving applications for consular services; verifying those applications meet the requirements for the service to be performed and are supported by the correct documentation.
• Ensuring that Consular Section filing is maintained to a high standard, i.e. accurate and up to date.
• Maintaining a paper/electronic register.
• Retrieving hard copy files on request.
• Responsible for forwarding Passport Extension Application Forms to Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) according to instructions.  
• Receiving applications for passport extensions with responsibility for the single issue Extension stamp used for the process.
• Emergency Travel Document (ETD) applications: Accountable for the Inputting of biographical data accurately and quickly onto ‘Bridge’
• Accountable for printing and Carrying out Quality Assurance (QA) analysis before ETD application is signed by the Vice Consul.
• Responsibility for the ordering and receiving of  stocks of laminates and ETDs from the bulk stock custodian

Provide Consular Assistance and Services to British nationals under the guidance of the Vice Consul, including:

• Responsible for providing consular assistance to vulnerable British nationals, including hospital and prison visits, and accountable for the consequent recording on ‘Compass’.
• Deal sensitively with bereaved families.
• Manage child custody/abduction issues involving British nationals and other sensitive cases as they arise.
• Responsible for reporting death cases to Casework Team, Consular Directorate, London in order to contact Next of Kin when necessary.
• Responsible for preparing Access to remains Certificate and Translated version of death certificate for repatriations
• Responsible for delivering documentary services (Certificate of no Impediment, Notice of marriage), notarial and legalisation work (witnessing a signature, issuing certificate for repatriation of deceased British national, etc....).
• Handling Consular emails/call enquiries
• Assisting in Crisis Management

Provide support to the Vice Consul by coordinating communication with key external and internal stakeholders and partners, including:

• Preparing Notes Verbale to be authorised and signed by the Ambassador/Deputy Head of Mission to forward to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
• Build effective working relationships with our consular wardens around the country.
• Arranging meetings for VC with stakeholders to discuss consular changes or strategy
• Circulate information about various Consular changes to our wardens in the region
• Collaborate with other Stakeholders to deliver on the highest level of Consular Assistance (MFA, courts, prisons, hospitals, lawyers, police and Tour Operators)
• Responsible for post consular content on the Global response Centre (GRC) SharePoint site - updating contact details for use by Crisis or GRC colleagues.
• Liaison and network development with consular colleagues in other diplomatic missions inside and outside Tunisia.

Manage critical resources and systems for the Consular team, including:

• Receiving payment for the full range of consular and Emergency passport services, ensuring that the correct fee is charged and that a corresponding receipt is provided.
• Ensuring that all fees taken are fully accounted for at the end of the day (in conjunction with the Cash Till Supervisor).
• Upload into the Embassy’s Corporate Services Team’s Sharepoint bank transfers for Visa and Consular fees on a weekly basis.
• Manage the Consular calendar/diary in conjunction with the online/ emails appointment system.
• Daily activity recording in accordance with Consular Management Information guidance.

Provide support on wider Consular or FCO objectives in Tunisia and the wider region, including:

• Attend training courses and learning & development opportunities including regional consular conferences when applicable.
• Be prepared to work extended out of hours, occasionally anti social hours, if required to help British Consular customers.
• Be prepared to perform different roles or deploy on a short term basis to another British diplomatic mission in the region as part of regional resilience or in the time of crisis.
• Preparing collection and Poppies boxes for remembrance day
• Organising remembrance day boxes to be sent away to British connections in Tunisia (BG, British, Tour operators, St. Georges’ Church) .
• Accountable for the collections and submission of collected monies to the British Legion.

Key Competencies required:

• Collaborating & Partnering - People skilled in this area create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service to help get business done.
• Managing a Quality Service - Effectiveness in this area is about valuing and modelling professional excellence and expertise to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements.
• Delivering at Pace - Effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes.
• Demonstrating Resilience -This is about helping our people to build resilience in international roles, supporting their ability to adapt to working in difficult and varied international environments; to learn from what has not worked as well as what has; and to bounce back from crises and setbacks in these contexts.
• Making Effective Decisions - Effectiveness in this area is about using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and advice.

• Customer service: proven experience in a customer facing role meeting the needs of a wide range of customer needs
• Personal Resilience: Ability to work without close supervision, the flexibility and patience to deal with difficult situations and the ability to sometimes work unsocial hours in an emergency or crisis
• Local knowledge: general knowledge of the Tunisian administrative systems, including the justice system, laws and regulations and social services
• Travel Industry knowledge: experience or knowledge of working with travel companies or other organisations supporting tourists
• Experience in a similar role with another Embassy, NGO or an international organisation
• A professional background in social work and/or providing support to vulnerable people.
• Good interpersonal skills.