View Vacancy - CWH - Head of Communications and Bilateral Officer, B3(L)

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 (Policy & Political roles)
Communications, Press and Media

The jobholder will lead on communication work in the consulate and arrange media activities for the consulate's major events/senior visits in the region. He/She will develop and deliver quality media strategies and activities linking closely with consulate's business objectives for post-wide high-profile events to generate tangible outcomes.

The job holder will lead on senior level visits in the consulate. This will involve planning and coordinating visit programmes, managing and providing guidance on all logistic and protocol arrangements. Within the team, the jobholder will report to the Consul General in Wuhan. The jobholder will ensure consistently high-standards for visits, by proactively offering advice to colleagues across the consulate and capturing and sharing best practice.

The jobholder will act as point of contact for Hubei and Wuhan Foreign Affairs Offices and other key government stakeholders. This will involve responding to requests on a wide range of subjects from bilateral issues, to advice on Chinese government political system. He/She will also need excellent written and verbal communication skills, and will work closely with colleagues across the network. He/She will organise meetings linking to politics and bilateral issues and lead on consulate's major bilateral events.

Communications

Acting as the communications officer in the consulate and managing media activities for consulate teams, including:

  • Maintaining a quality media strategy and leading on media events for the consulate, including preparing press releases, organising press conferences and interviews
  • Maintaining and managing media relations
  • Designing and leading high impact public campaign activities in central China, identifying and targeting key audiences with appropriate messages to raise awareness of the UK's strengths and values
  • Providing data analysis and evaluation of activities carried out (statistical and qualitative)
  • Growing and managing the Consulate, FCO and GREAT brands in East China. Overseeing brand management across consulate marketing activity and events
  • Leading on the internal communications including monthly reporting and internal campaigns

Bilateral Coordinator

First point of contact for managing Bilateral Section's interactions with China Team in FCO, and responding to requests for Bilateral Section input and advice on our bilateral policy including:

  • Acting as point of contact in the consulate for FAO and bilateral enquiries
  • Organising meetings linked to politics and other bilateral issues
  • Leading on key bilateral projects assigned by CG, including designing, bidding, implementing and evaluating projects
  • Liaising with the FAO on visa facilitation
  • Providing advice to other consulate team on MFA liaison
  • Producing political reports

Senior Visits Management

Lead responsibility for senior and cross cutting visits and coordination of programmes, specifically:

  • Designing and coordinating input into high-impact visit programmes
  • Coordinating and collation of of briefing packs
  • Managing and providing guidance on all logistic and protocol arrangements, including visa invitations, car plans, flight bookings, VIP airport arrangement, hotel and venue bookings, interpreters, budgets and charging instructions
  • Liaising with the Foreign Affairs Offices and other government departments to secure host invitation letters, set up meetings, and agree protocol and security arrangements
  • Keeping CG and teams informed of visits arrangements and de-conflicting requests for senior staff to accompany visitors

Building Capacity and Ensuring the Quality of Visits Across the Consulate

  • Advising and supporting other teams to deliver high quality visits
  • Sharing visit best practices with teams
  • Leading visits training sessions for colleagues across all grades 
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Excellent spoken and written English and Chinese
  • Ability to design influential powerpoint presentations, photoshop, video editing skills
  • Awareness or experience of the UK, particularly public diplomacy objectives
  • Experience of communciations environment in China, especially social media channels
  • Experience of project management
  • Experience of visits management
  • Attending external events and conferences
  • Taking part in learning sets with colleagues
22 March 2019
Executive Officer (EO)
Fixed Term, Full-time
35
6 months
Asia Pacific
China
Wuhan
British Consulate General
1
CNY
16,103
22 April 2019

As noted, some parts of the job can require working irregular hours that involve some early starts and late finishes; occasional weekend working is also required. We do compensate employees by offering time off in lieu (TOIL).

We offer a competitive package, which includes basic salary, good leave entitlement, and insurance plan, etc. The gross salary (before all deductions) is RMB 16,103/ month for Chinese Nationals and an abated monthly salary of RMB 22,293/ month for British Nationals and spouses/ partners (all nationalities) of diplomats who are ‘W’ (diplomatic) visa holders and meet passport criteria.

We also offer excellent development opportunities and a 22-day annual leave entitlement in pro rata. Conditioned working hours is 35 hours/ week from Monday to Friday and flexible working can be arranged upon personal needs. For more details on our Total Rewards Package, please visit our website http://www.gov.uk/government/world/china.

Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy Beijing and its Consulates is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Chinese employment law.

All applications must be received before 11:55PM (China Standard Time) on 22 March 2019.

Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested. We regret to advise that we will only be contacting short-listed candidates. Applicants called for an interview will be assessed on the core competencies listed above.

To those applicants not short-listed, we extend our appreciation for considering the British Government as a potential employer.

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.