View Vacancy - Office & Events Manager, Scottish Government Paris Hub (FRA20.284)

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.
Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)
The Scottish Government

This post offers a fantastic opportunity to join the team representing Scottish interests in France as part of a relatively recently established office.  The Scottish Government Hub in Paris is part of a network of Scottish Government offices overseas, the aims of which are to build Scotland’s reputation abroad, promote innovation and investment, and strengthen cultural and economic ties between Scotland and France.  The team sits within the Directorate for External Affairs which is based in Edinburgh, and leads engagement at home and internationally to enhance Scotland’s reputation, increase sustainable economic growth, and strengthen our international relationships and partnerships.

Working as part of a small, friendly team in a busy office, the post holder will manage the day-to-day operations of the Hub and provide logistical support in coordinating and delivering ministerial visit programmes and the Hub’s varied annual programme of policy and cultural events. 

The post holder will be responsible for arranging meetings with stakeholders, managing the office accounts, maintaining financial records and carrying out monthly budget monitoring and profiling in accordance with Scottish Government financial reporting requirements.  The post holder will also provide occasional translations of texts from English into French, and will implement communications plans for the Hub’s Twitter account.  There may also be opportunities for the post holder to develop policy advice.

The post holder will have the opportunity to become involved in the corporate activities of the wider Embassy and will have access to learning and development opportunities offered by both the Embassy and the Scottish Government.  Occasional travel to Scotland and within France may be required (respecting of course restrictions in place due to covid-19).

The post holder will be managed by the Acting Deputy Head of the Hub (C4L).

This role is an excellent fit for someone with a background / interest in:

  • Scottish-Franco relations;
  • Office management;
  • Events management;
  • Diplomatic engagement;

We need the successful candidate to begin the post in mid-October 2020, subject to receiving appropriate security clearances (working with the Embassy Security team to obtain these). Please do consider whether you are able to feasibly start working in mid-October, and contact us if you have questions.

 

Roles and responsibilities:

  • Office Management - The post holder will manage the day-to-day running of the Scottish Government Hub in Paris and provide administrative and logistical support to the Head of the Hub and Acting Deputy Head of the Hub in delivering the Scottish Government’s country business plan for France.  They will manage the office’s official contacts, corresponding and communicating with internal and external stakeholders in English and French to arrange meetings and to develop strong relationships with key partners in France, as well as with corporate services partners within the Embassy and the Scottish Government;

  • Finance and Procurement – The post holder will maintain office accounts and financial records, and carry out monthly budget monitoring and reconciliation exercises in accordance with Scottish Government financial reporting requirements.  They will be responsible for procurement and the payment of invoices using Scottish Government finance systems, and for tracking expenditure and profiling the office budget to inform effective decision-making on the Hub’s annual programme of activities.  They will work with finance colleagues within the Embassy and the Directorate of External Affairs in Edinburgh to provide transparent financial reporting and help maximise value for money when using suppliers.  Training on Scottish Government finance and procurement systems will be provided and the Acting Deputy Head of the Hub will provide guidance and support with these account and finance management tasks;

  • Event Management and Support to Visits - The post holder will assist with coordinating and delivering programmes for visits by ministers and officials, and will undertake formal correspondence with official counterparts in English and French to arrange meetings.  They will be responsible for ensuring that accommodation, transport and logistics are provided for all visitors cost-effectively and to a high standard. The post holder will also play a key role in designing and delivering the Hub’s innovative and varied annual programme of policy and cultural events to promote Scotland to a French audience, including annual events for St Andrew’s Day and Burns Night.  This will include responsibility for invitation design and management, and for sourcing appropriate venues and suppliers to deliver top quality events while ensuring value for money.  They will maintain oversight of expenditure to ensure that the limits set through annual budget profiling are met, and liaise with clients and event managers at external venues to ensure the smooth running of events;

  • Communications - The post holder will be responsible for managing the Hub’s Twitter account, including implementing the Hub’s communication plan, working closely with the Acting Deputy Head of the Hub who will provide guidance on the overarching comms strategy, and with the Scottish Government European communications team.  The post holder will also provide occasional translations of texts from English into French (e.g. policy papers, speaking notes etc.).  There may also be the opportunity to become involved in the design and delivery of wider external communications campaigns;

  • Other Responsibilities - The post holder will be expected to perform other duties that may reasonably be required and which are in accordance with the grading and core competencies of the role.  This may include note taking at meetings and opportunities to provide interpretation at high level meetings between senior stakeholders, and to develop policy advice.

  • Fluent in English and French, both written and spoken (C1/C2);
  • Relevant Bachelors/Degree qualifications;
  • Ability to work effectively and collaboratively within a small team;
  • Good knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint;
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (English and French), and the ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships across a variety of internal and external partners and stakeholders;
  • Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise own workload effectively.

  • Office management;
  • Finance/procurement systems;
  • Event management;
  • PR/communications;
  • Working in an international environment and formal engagement at a range of levels with official contacts.

9 August 2020
Executive Officer (EO)
Full-time, Temporary
35
Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
France
Paris
British Embassy
1
EUR
3,887 (gross)
12 October 2020

This is a temporary contract maternity cover of 10 months.

The post holder will be required to attend some events in the evening and occasionally at weekends, and during very busy periods such as in the run up to a ministerial visit, or a significant event that the Hub is hosting, these hours will be recuperated in line with our local terms and conditions.

All appointments are subject to professional background check satisfactory security clearance. The successful applicant will be required to provide a copy of his/her passport or national identity card for all nationalities held, an up-to-date criminal record (casier judiciaire) for recent countries of residence (which can be obtained online at casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr), two written proofs of address (utility invoices and/or bank statements) and two references.

Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in France are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local French employment law and FCO guidance for Local Staff. The posts we offer are not an entry point into the UK’s Diplomatic Service.

Visa / Passport requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in France and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract. Additional requirements may become necessary after 31st December 2020.

Your application will only be considered if you follow the guidance below:

  • Your application must be sent in English only.
  • Your application must clearly indicate all nationalities you hold.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

Interviews are expected to take place over Skype on 24 and 25 August 2020.

* Please note Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment indicates Level C2 as Mastery or proficiency Level which comprehends that a person can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read; can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation; can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations. For more information please click on the following link CEFRPlease bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your languages skills are going to be assessed.

Additional Information (due to Covid-19):

  • You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign and we are working hard to minimise any disruption;
  • Interviews will be done remotely if the existing situation determines this to be the right course of action;
  • Starting date may be delayed depending on circumstances at the time and it will be agreed with the selected candidate.
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.