View Vacancy - Head of Policy and Public Diplomacy Team B3, Minsk (BLR19.367)

The British Embassy in Minsk is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas.

The jobholder will monitor, analyse and report on political developments within Belarus of particular relevance to UK Government objectives and policies. This will include responding to requests from Embassy colleagues, London and the network for input to policy papers, briefing, analysis and occasional translation work. It will also require a pro-active approach to identify and report key domestic issues or factors that will have an impact on wider UK Government objectives. They will accompany diplomats and/or visitors to official events and meetings.

This is a wide-ranging job, with a strong communication/analysis component, within a professional team where self-challenge, initiative, creativity and constant development are welcome and strongly encouraged. The jobholder will lead and manage the Embassy’s Political and Public Diplomacy team that consists of a Communications Officer and Political/Consular Officer.

In all of the above, the successful candidate will be expected to play a lead role in:

• Identifying and engaging with officials, academics, parliamentarians, and others
• Providing relevant, accurate and timely analysis;
• Making linkages between Belarusian domestic and international policies with wider UK objectives and identifying opportunities;
• The development and delivery of the Embassy’s yearly strategic goals, organisation of public diplomacy events, planning and delivery of projects.

• The induction programme for the new British Ambassador to Belarus upon their arrival in August 2019;
• The Embassy’s monitoring mission during Parliamentary elections in November 2019.

In addition to the above, the successful candidate will be expected to provide support to colleagues to help achieve wider Embassy objectives e.g. assistance during visits by UK officials and Ministers, providing leave cover for the communications officer, and contributing to the crisis team preparations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Monitoring, Analysis and Research (55%) Political/social/media research, write-ups and DipTel drafting, on request and self-initiated. Routine news monitoring, daily readouts, weekly forward look. Maintain and develop a network of contacts
• Communications and PR (in absence of Communications Officer) (5%). Social media content creation. Media relations: liaising and managing contacts with the media; preparing for interviews. Public relations: planning, preparing, carrying out and evaluating public diplomacy events. Maintain and develop a network of contacts.
• Translation and Note Taking (13%). Interpreting at internal and external meetings for Embassy staff and visitors. Take notes and provide readouts from meetings.
• Programme Work (12%). Member of the Post Project Board: researching, brainstorming, soliciting project ideas.
• Management (15%). Daily supervision of the team including meetings and sharing/discussing information. Direct Line Management of 2 PPD staff.

• Fluent English, Russian and Belarusian (written and spoken) with ability to interpret orally;
• Knowledge of Belarusian media landscape (including social media), political system and current agenda, the history and current situation in its relationships with Russia, the EU and UK, issues and challenges related to these relationships;
• Proactivity, ability to work autonomously and across teams, demonstrate initiative, problem solving and judgement skills;
• Excellent people skills: networking, communication and emotional intelligence;
• The ability to self-manage, prioritise workload, drive agendas forward and deliver results, work under pressure;
• The ability to manage, analyse, summarise and present complex information in an easy-to-understand format.