View Vacancy - ASSISTANT POLITICAL OFFICER

Main purpose of job:

The assistant political officer will work in support of the whole political team, which covers a wide range of issues including rule of law, anti-corruption, human rights, gender, domestic politics and foreign policy. In particular, the jobholder will be responsible for managing the team’s administrative tasks, including the budget.   The successful candidate will also focus on supporting the human rights and gender portfolio, which will entail working with a wide range of stakeholders including civil society organisations, academics, experts and Mexican Government officials to organise meetings, generate ideas for collaboration and run projects.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

The team is a busy team and there will be a requirement to work flexibly across all areas to provide general administrative support to the team. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the team’s budget.   In addition, the jobholder will need to be flexible to offer support in areas such as procurement, project planning and visits.  

There will be a requirement to follow Mexican current affairs, and where necessary to conduct research produce first drafts of reports.  The job holder will also have the opportunity to attend informative events on political issues and to report back. There is also the opportunity to take on the running of some of the political team projects, particularly focused on human rights and gender equality.

The role will also involve supporting the organisation of different types of events within Mexico City or other parts of the country, including logistics/administration and securing the participation of a wide range of experts.

Responsibilities

Political Work

1. Engaging: Liaise with civil society organisations and Mexican Government Departments to set up meetings and invite contacts to events.
2. Project administration: Support with the implementation of projects by organising activities, processing payment and reporting on events.
3. Logistics for visits and events: Book flights, hotels and organise transport for visitors to Mexico on security, justice and human rights related business. Find venues, book refreshments, book in guests, meet and greet guests for events.

Policy support

1. Provide other wide ranging policy support to political team through information collection for reports, production of bios, help with translation and drafting where required.
2. Support the delivery of policy on human rights and gender equality.

Administrative (including, but not exclusively):

1. Act as financial officer for the team, managing the budget effectively.
2. Responsible for the team’s forward look of upcoming events .
3. Organise meetings, including team meetings, booking rooms, etc.
4. Managing the team’s contacts database, ensuring it is up to date.
5. Office manager – ensure that stationery, hardware and office supplies are kept replenished.
6. Support desk officers and Head of Team in managing budgets, HR, expenses and diary management.

Essential on arrival:  

1. Excellent organisational skills.
2. Good writing skills - able to communicate clearly in English and engage the help of staff across the embassy to achieve your objectives.
3. Good presentational skills for engaging with stakeholders from Mexican Government and our alumni network of Mexicans who have studied in the UK.
4. Ability to build relationships with diverse range of stakeholders so that you can call on them for assistance when necessary.
5. Good team player – willing to help out colleagues and share the work load on team tasks.
6. Ability to multi task and prioritise, undertaking a range of tasks at the same time.
7. Proactive at spotting where team processes can be improved.

Candidates must be able to live and work in Mexico in their own right.  The successful candidate will be subject to a security clearance and professional reference checks.