View Vacancy - Pro Consul
The British Embassy Algiers currently has a vacancy for Pro Consul, job grade A2 (L).
Main purpose of the job:
The successful applicant will work as part of a two-person team based at the British Embassy in Algiers delivering high-quality Consular Services to British nationals in Algeria and their next of kin. The applicant will provide Consular Assistance to British nationals in need; build partnerships with the British community and Algerian authorities; and work to maintain high levels of consular and crisis preparedness.
Roles and responsibilities:
Coordinate Logistical and Administrative support for Consular Section, including:
- Ensuring that Consular Section filing is maintained to a high standard, i.e. accurate and up to date.
- Responsibility for the ordering and receiving of stocks of Emergency Travel Documents and other documents from the bulk stock custodian.
- Provide administrative support to the Vice Consul; coordinate outreach, crisis and campaigns arrangements as required.
- Ensuring consular information, forms and lists available to British nationals, e.g. lawyers lists, translators, funeral directors etc, are up to date.
- Taking payments for consular fees and reconciling consular takings on a weekly and monthly basis
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.
- Giving advice to the contact centre for handling our customer’s enquiries.
- Responsible for delivering documentary services, notarial and legalisation work.
- Accepting Emergency Travel Document (ETD) applications and processing them.
- Making recommendations for Consular-relevant website and social media messages.
- Cover for Vice Consul during leave and absence periods.
- Assisting Vice Consul in crisis preparation work.
Provide support to the Vice Consul by coordinating communication with key external and internal stakeholders and partners, including:
- Drafting Note Verbales.
- Collaborating with other stakeholders to deliver on the highest level of Consular Assistance (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, courts, prisons, hospitals, lawyers, police and tour operators).
- Building local partnerships to help deliver consular services. Liaising with local authorities and monitoring changes in local procedures and practices.
- Being responsible for 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 Algeria.
Provide support on wider Consular or Foreign & Commonwealth Office objectives in Algeria 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 network or in the time of crisis.
Key competencies required:
- Delivering at Pace - Effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes.
- 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.
- Making Effective Decisions - Effectiveness in this area is about being objective; using sound judgment, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice.
- 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 and to bounce back from crises and setbacks in these contexts.
- Leading and Communicating - Effectiveness in this area is about leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm.
- A team player who is capable of working on their initiative and who is adaptable to changing priorities, must be able to work and act without close supervision;
- Excellent customer care skills and the ability to respond to a range of customers’ needs
- IT literate and well versed in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), accurate typing skills;
- Good standard of spoken Arabic and ability to read Arabic as well as excellent written and oral English is essential with an eye for detail.
- General knowledge of the Algerian administrative systems, including the justice system, laws and regulations and social services
- 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.
- 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
- Good interpersonal skills.
Remuneration, working hours and other benefits:
The Embassy offers an attractive working environment and remuneration package for the role, including: net salary of 71,194.92 DZD per month; 25 days paid leave annually along with up to 14 days paid public holidays. This is a full time, permanent contract.
Conditioned working hours are 37.5 hours gross per week. Standard working hours are from 08:00 am to 15:30 pm from Sunday to Thursday. The job will mainly be office-based at the British Embassy in Algiers, though some local or overseas deployments may be required. Core hours need to be respected, particularly on days where customers have appointments.
Specific Considerations for Consular Roles:
Consular work can sometimes be stressful, distressing and of a sensitive nature. The successful applicant will therefore be expected to demonstrate high levels of personal resilience and maintain absolute consular confidentiality and impartiality, keeping in line with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Consular Strategy, consular guidance and Customer Charter, business targets and local procedures.
Eligibility:
Applicants must have the legal right to work in Algeria.
Application Process:
Interested candidates must attach the following documents in English along with their online application form:
- A covering letter.
- An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Your application must also include examples of when you have demonstrated the competencies outlined above in the cover letter or in the Motivation section of the application form. Applications that do not include this information will not be considered.
Closing date for applications is at 23:55 (local time) on 2 November 2019.
Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.
Process:
The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around two months.
Due to the large amount of applications the Embassy receives, only those shortlisted for interview will be contacted.
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.
The British Embassy Algiers is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
