View Vacancy - Corporate Services Assistant - Estates

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 identity, 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.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Estates

The British Embassy Doha is part of a worldwide network that represents political, economic, security and consular interests overseas and is now looking for a Corporate Services Assistant - Estates grade A1 (L).

Main Purpose of the Job:

Working with the Estates Officer, you will be responsible for providing a high quality; customer focussed corporate service covering residential accommodation and general estate management.

The jobholder will be responsible for maintaining the British Embassy’s rented accommodation including sourcing of permanent and temporary accommodation, contract management, rental forecasts, furniture inventories, property databases and ensuring the accommodation meets all required FCDO policies.

Further responsibilities will include procurement and supporting with the management of the Embassy cleaning and maintenance team. 

To assist meeting all health and safety requirements and commitments in the corporate services charter.

Undertake general repairs and maintenance across the estate portfolio identify and assess required works and complete necessary administration to record completed tasks.

To assist the arrivals and departure process of UK based officers.

This is an excellent opportunity within a small, fast-paced team for someone who is a self-starter, well organised with a strong customer focus.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Accommodation

  • Identifying and sourcing residential properties for new UK based staff in line with Embassy and FCDO accommodation policy and rental beacons and lead on advising new UK based staff before their arrival accordingly;
  • Manage all residential leases including negotiating best rates and contract renewals with landlords;
  • Organising temporary accommodation where required for UK based staff, ensuring staff are moved into permanent accommodation according to the guidance deadline;
  • Arrange and manage march-in and march-outs of UK based staff from leased properties, completing and filing all associated documents in a timely manner;
  • Ensuring all current and new residential accommodation is furnished (soft and hard furnishings) as per FCDO policies, and maintaining an updated three year furniture plan to enable items to be replaced before their ‘shelf-life’ expiry date;
  • Core Pyramid user (property database), ensure that all properties are correctly recorded (created and updated) as per FCDO policies;
  • Maintaining complete furniture inventories on Pyramid (residential properties, offices and warehouse storage).

2. Finance and Procurement

  • Maintaining of residential budget including forecasting and actuals database, providing regular and accurate updates to the Finance Officer for the current and next financial year;
  • Processing of rental payments and security deposits in a timely manner, keeping the Finance Officer up to date;
  • Processing of utility payments (Kahramaa and Qatar Cool) in a timely manner;
  • Creation of suppliers and distribution sets on Prism accurately without delay;
  • Lead on furniture procurement from UK suppliers as per FCDO procurement policies, in advance of UK based staff arrival;
  • Communicate furniture quality and or service issues directly with supplier and arrange a suitable solution.

3. General Estates / Corporate Services

  • Assist Estates Officer with management of onsite maintenance and cleaning teams;
  • Supporting the Embassy to meet FCDO Health and Safety policies with both staff and contractors;
  • Assisting with management of planned maintenance and Embassy improvement programs in a timely manner, paced throughout the financial year;
  • Update the Finance Officer regularly of maintenance projects schedule forecast and actual spend;
  • Contributing to various Corporate Service work flows;
  • Providing support for meeting and events including room/ event set ups;
  • Identify gaps in Estates related matters, proposing and working to implement solutions and processes where necessary;
  • Ensure clear and regular updates are communicated to Estates Officer and wider Corporate Services team.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required.

Key Competencies:

  • Managing a Quality Service: Effectiveness in this area is about being organised 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
  • Delivering Value for Money: Involves the efficient, effective and economic use of taxpayers’ money in the delivery of public services.
  • Collaborating and 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.
  • Excellent written and oral English (IELTS 7 (or equivalent));
  • Good self-management, organisational and customer service skills;
  • Acts like an owner, takes initiative and carries out their responsibilities without the need for close supervision;
  • Excellent multi-tasker and time manager, can effectively reprioritise tasks to suit regularly changing needs of the Embassy;
  • Manages pressure well and is able to maintain a balanced and strategic attitude throughout;
  • Operational delivery experience;
  • Competent IT skills, Excel, Powerpoint, Word and Outlook;
  • Effective communicator, written and verbally, able to confidently host meetings and take the lead where the role requires;
  • Holds a valid Qatar driving licence.
  • Previous facilities management experience.
23 June 2021
Administrative Assistant (AA)
Fixed Term, Full-time
38
24 months
Middle East & North Africa
Qatar
Doha
British Embassy
1
QAR
9,366
1 September 2021

The British Embassy offers a competitive remuneration package, including non-negotiable salary of QR 8,566 per calendar month and transportation allowance of QR 800 per calendar month, paid in arrears. A leave entitlement of 25 working days rising to 30 working days; and access to trainings.

The contract will be for a full-time employment, on a fixed-term basis for 2 years (with a possibility of extension) subject to a 6-month probation period.

No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

Conditioned working hours are 38 hours per week. Embassy working hours are 7.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and 7.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. on Thursday.  

Due to the nature of the work, the jobholder should be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out-of-hours.

The Embassy offers a range of development opportunities including role specific training, which may include job shadowing at another post.  

The successful candidate will need to commence security clearance procedures through the Embassy and will be required to have or obtain the appropriate security clearance before employment commences and maintain this throughout period of employment.

Eligibility:

Applicants must already reside in Qatar and hold the right to live and work there, including those either under spouse sponsorship or be able to transfer an existing sponsorship to the British Embassy.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates must complete the online application form and answer the motivation for applying and competency questions. Please also attached a copy of your residence visa and Qatar ID as part of your application.

** (Your application must include examples of when you have demonstrated the competencies outlined above in your online application form. Applications that are not complete will be rejected).

The closing date for applications will be 23 June 2021 by 23:55 Doha local time.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Process:

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around two months.

The start date mentioned is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances, medical clearance and reference checks.

 

The British Embassy Doha is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy is subject to Terms and Conditions of service according to local Qatari employment law.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.