View Vacancy - Personal Assistant, United Kingdom’s Joint Delegation to NATO ( BEL19.430)
The United Kingdom’s Joint Delegation to NATO is the vital link between the UK Government and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Its principal roles are to promote British interests in NATO and to keep UK Ministers and Government Departments informed about NATO discussions. Currently, we are looking for a Personal Assistant to the Deputy Permanent Representative and Political Counsellor .
Main purpose of job:
To help represent the UK in the world’s most successful political-military alliance, by managing the offices of the UK’s Deputy Permanent Representative and the Political Counsellor, two senior members of the UK’s delegation to NATO; and by providing support to the delegation and its leadership as a whole.
NATO is the bedrock of the UK’s defence and security. It is undergoing its most significant changes since the Cold War to meet new and more assertive threats in an increasingly complex and uncertain world; and has recently moved into a new headquarters. The UK plays a highly respected leadership role in the Alliance. The growing threat to the international order, and NATO’s increasing political weight and breadth of engagement, is also strengthening the Alliance’s importance to the UK’s foreign policy.
The pace and range of work are increasing. The delegation is a busy team, a mixed community of UK diplomats, Ministry of Defence civilians, military officers and locally-hired employees, operating at a high tempo in a challenging multilateral environment. But it is also a supportive and happy workplace, with a strong focus on learning and development and upholding values of respect, integrity, fairness and inclusivity. This position is critical to the delegation functioning effectively, working closely with its Allies, and making the best use of its senior leadership.
Main Roles and Responsibilities:
- Managing the diaries of the Deputy Permanent Representative and Political Counsellor, including handling visitors, arranging travel, visit programmes, organising meetings and hospitality. Dealing with written and telephone enquiries, managing correspondence, e-mail traffic, budgets and general administration for the two principals. Commissioning briefing and ensuring the right information is retrieved and papers available ahead of appointments. Working closely with the Ambassador’s office to ensure senior diaries do not conflict.
- Administering the transfer of information for the delegation between various separate IT systems. Ensuring the secure handling and distribution of papers (this task is shared with all support staff in the delegation).
- Supporting the overall management and wellbeing of the delegation, through involvement in planning meetings, organising social and team development events, initiatives for improving ways of working, and providing a link between the priorities of the senior leadership, the delegation, government departments in London, and NATO as a whole.
- Helping to support the regular Ministerial meetings in Brussels, notably in the run-up to the NATO Summit in London in December 2019.
- Proven previous administrative/office management skills, preferably at a senior level.
- Strong IT skills, esp. Microsoft Office (no requirement for technical secretarial skills).
- Outstanding communication skills in English, both oral and written.
- Ability to deliver results quickly, coping with multiple simultaneous tasks in a senior and complex working environment. Strong time management and prioritisation skills. Deadlines for actions are frequently short and pressure on colleagues is high.
- High standards of efficiency, self-motivation and resilience, with the ability to think ahead and act on one’s own initiative; Team-working ability, flexibility, discretion and good judgement.
- Quick to learn and manage within complex, new organisational cultures.
- Experience of dealing with senior management and high-profile visitors.
- Some knowledge of government (especially UK government) and large/international organisations.
- Basic French can be useful but is not an essential requirement.
This is a full-time, permanent contract, for 5 working days (36.25 hours net) per week.
The monthly salary for this position is 3,334.47, A2 (L) level.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a strong culture of learning and development, in which the delegation plays a full part. Everyone has at least five days each year for development, and there is great scope to take up specific learning in different forms: there are team away days, opportunities for on-the-job learning, training courses, and longer-term development. French classes are organised regularly, and a range of other masterclasses and presentations are offered, e.g. on prioritisation, stress management and policy issues. Staff have access to the FCO’s Diplomatic Academy which provides in-depth learning and knowledge on a wealth of different subjects and skills up to diploma level.
The successful candidates will be subject to professional background checks and security clearance.
Staff recruited locally by the British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Belgian employment law.
Visa/passport requirements: must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Belgium and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
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.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
Please be advised that the British Diplomatic Missions will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
