View Vacancy - UAE Director of Corporate Services

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, Finance, HR

The British Embassy, Abu Dhabi has a vacancy for UAE Director of Corporate Services, Grade D6 (L).

Role:

The British Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai seek a Director of Corporate Services (DCS) for the UAE Network to lead our busy and dynamic Corporate Services Team. This is a senior administrative position, responsible for ensuring the team deliver effective management, finance/procurement, human resources, estates, transport/logistics and security services to the UAE Network. This is one of the FCO’s most complex platforms, with 20 government departments represented across the two posts. The DCS sits at the heart of the Senior Management Team, helping to shape the Embassy’s reform agenda. The successful candidate will be an experienced professional with proven managerial, strategic and financial skills, an innovative self-starter, who thrives on challenge, has the drive and resilience to see a job through, sets and observes high standards of customer service and has understanding and sensitivity to manage host government requirements.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Strategic financial management of the UAE budget (£7.25m) to ensure spending delivers value for money in support of Embassies’ business plans, coordinating with 20 Partners Across Government (PAGs). Ensuring FCO policies and procedures are applied and audit and assurance requirements are met. Oversight of the Mid Term Financial Plan exercise. (20%)
  • Human Resources leadership (250 staff local hire staff and 100+ UK staff) including overall work force planning (providing support for expansion of the platform) and leadership on local staff management for UAE including implementation of new local staff terms and conditions, production of recommendations from review pay/benefit and recruitment/retention data, enhanced performance management and internal corporate communications and compliance with FCO Policy and Local Labour practices. Oversight of the Government Relationship team, ensuring compliance with host government requirements. (20%)
  • Overall procurement responsibility for the whole of the UAE.  Ensure your team negotiate and administer value for money contracts in compliance to corporate policies and best practices in joint contracts between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Identify opportunities to move towards regional procurement, providing support to other Gulf Post Corporate Service Managers as required, and to increase efficiencies with the British Council. (20%)
  • Oversight of Estate Management (owned, rented and three compounds) ensuring Embassies maximise the benefits of the estate and meet Health & Safety and Security standards. Oversee expansion of the PAG presence on platform. Contribution to decisions on potential major building and refurbishment projects. Chair of Building and Estates Committee. (15%)
  • PAG relationship management with 20 different stakeholders to ensure that the Embassies support the needs of government departments represented at Posts. Ensure effective implementation and monitoring of the Service Level Agreement. Act as Board Secretary for the One HMG Management Board. (15%)
  • Other – Crisis preparedness: the jobholder will play a central role in ensuring that the embassy is fully prepared for any crisis, including leading on logistics and staff welfare during a crisis. Business continuity: the jobholder is responsible for producing and testing a one HMG business continuity plan. Change Management: the job holder will play a central role in comms for change management programmes. (10%)
  • Resources managed- Team management of up to 45 staff with direct line management of up to 5 officers.

Key Competencies:

  • Leading and Communicating: It is about establishing a strong direction and a persuasive future vision; managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity.
  • Making Effective Decisions: Effectiveness in this area is about being objective; using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. They will aim to maximise return while minimising risk and balancing social, political, financial, economic and environmental considerations to provide sustainable outcomes.
  • Changing and Improving: It is about creating and contributing to a culture of innovation and allowing people to consider and take managed risks.
  • Collaborating and Partnering: It is about delivering business objectives through creating an inclusive environment, encouraging collaboration and building effective partnerships.
  • Seeing the Big Picture: It is about having an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives and the wider public needs.

Essential:

  • A college/university level degree in Business Management or other relevant field;
  • At least 5-10 years of management or administrative experience in a managerial capacity.  At least 2 years senior management experience; 
  • Background in accounting, finance, budgets, human resources and/or estates preferred;
  • Fluency in written and spoken English;
  • Strong IT computer skills using MS Office;
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a strong customer focus;
  • Ability to work with contacts and colleagues at all levels;
  • Personal drive and the ability to be a self-starter as well as a team player;
  • Strong organisational, analytical and time management skills, with very good attention to detail;
  • Flexible, resilient and calm under pressure and decisive with a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines;
  • Willingness to work additional hours as necessary.

Desirable:

  • Professional designation in Accounting, Finance or HR;
  • Understanding of UAE labour and immigration laws; 
  • Awareness of UK public sector and UK government.
1 October 2017
Grade 7 (G7)
Full-time, Permanent
38
Middle East & North Africa
United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi
British Embassy
1
AED
28,971/- inclusive of all allowances
28 October 2017

Working Hours and Remuneration:

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role, including: 25 days of annual leave per annum, on-site parking and on-site swimming pool, gymnasium and sports facilities.  This is a fulltime, permanent contract.

Salary details:

  • Base Salary – AED 20,280
  • * Allowances – AED 8,691 (subject to eligibility)*

*Allowances are not payable to staff who receive official provision for such expenditure in some other form.

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

Conditioned working hours are 38 hours per week. Standard working hours are from 07:30 to 14:30 from Sunday to Thursday. This job is in Abu Dhabi but requests for flexible working between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be considered. 

Eligibility:

The successful applicant will be required to obtain security clearance. Higher clearances can be granted only to certain nationalities. 

How to Apply:

Interested candidates must attach the following documents when applying online:

  1. A covering letter.
  2. An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV)

** (Your application must include examples of when you have demonstrated the competencies outlined above in the cover letter. Applications that do not include this information will be rejected).

The closing date for applications is 01 October 2017 before 23:55 UAE Time.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Due to the large amount of applications we receive only those shortlisted for assessment will be contacted.

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 start date mentioned in the advert is an assumed start date. 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 Abu Dhabi is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.

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.