View Vacancy - OPT - Political Officer (EO)

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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Political

The British Consulate General in Jerusalem (BCGJ) leads UK engagement with Palestine in support of His Majesty's Government (HMG) objectives. BCGJ is a close-knit office with a strong culture of collaborative working and supportive relationships in a politically challenging context.

The Consulate General’s Political Team is recruiting a Political Officer, job grade Executive Officer (EO).

The Team advises on and leads engagement with Palestinian politicians and institutions and represents the Consulate General and UK at Palestinian and international meetings. The Political Officer’s role focuses on human rights. The purpose is to help UK understanding of human rights related issues in the West Bank, including but not limited to settlement expansion, settler violence, detentions and incursions.

The Officer is expected to develop a granular understanding of these mechanisms and a wide network of experts (academics, activists, lawyers, analysts) to support UK understanding. This job is critical in supporting wider UK objectives of peace and stability in the region, and it is expected that the successful applicant’s work will reach the highest levels of the FCDO and UK policymaking.

The successful applicant will work collaboratively with the other members of the team and wider Consulate General.

Duties and responsibilities:

  • Political Reporting: You will track developments in the West Bank and East Jerusalem on a range of issues to provide timely advice to BCG and inform Policy makers in London, including but not limited to: settlement expansion, settler violence, displacement of communities in Area C, house and building demolitions, ISF incursions, prisoners and detainees. This will vary between quick factual reporting and in depth analysis that builds on academic or NGO research and conversations with your network. You will work closely with the British Embassy in Tel Aviv to issue joint reporting on certain developments.
  • Network Development and Engagement: You will help to develop and maintain a network of contacts for BCG Jerusalem focused on this portfolio, helping to spot gaps and propose new avenues of engagement. You will support the Political Team and wider Consulate General in meeting communities and interlocutors to understand issues. This may include occasional assistance with translation.
  • Lead on key political events: Own and coordinate BCG Jerusalem events, including joint IHL roundtable with partner organisations (every six months), olive harvest planning (annual).
  • Support BCG Jerusalem programming: Work with the BCG Jerusalem humanitarian team to offer political inputs to help shape programming.
  • Engage a corporate volunteer role in support of a corporate objective per annum.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Consulate General’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis affecting UK Citizens.

Key behaviours required for the job:

  • Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
  • Making Effective Decisions - Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
  • Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
  • Working Together - Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.
  • The candidate should have a developed and professional understanding of the policy landscape on this portfolio including the various actors and organisations (Palestinian, international and Israeli NGOs, relevant Palestinian ministries, the role of multilateral and international organisations).
  • Confident written and verbal communication, able to support UK engagement and explain complex processes in straightforward ways.
  • Experience of providing written political analysis using a variety of sources essential.
  • Excellent communication skills in English and Arabic both written and spoken. Able to interpret in meetings between spoken Arabic and English, and able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
  • Excellent research, analysis and communication skills, including through speaking at public events, in English and Arabic.
  • Strong networking and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build professional relationships with key contacts over a short space of time.
  • Minimum 2 years of experience in a similar role.
  • Good negotiation skills.
  • Knowledge of Palestinian political system, culture, media environment and society.
  • Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines.
  • Undergraduate degree qualification in a relevant field.
  • Good IT skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office programmes such as Word, Excel and Outlook.
      Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together
      23 November 2025
      Executive Officer (EO)
      Full-time, Permanent
      38
      Middle East & North Africa
      Jerusalem
      British Consulate General
      1
      2 February 2026

      Eligibility:

      If you are selected for this position, the Consulate General will be able to employ you as long as you:

      • Receive the appropriate level of standard security clearance; and
      • Have the ability to work from Jerusalem office or hold a valid local permit or be able to secure one to work in Jerusalem.

      Working hours:

      The Consulate General aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role. No accommodation nor relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

      This position is for a full-time employment, on a permanent contract basis, subject to a 6-month probation period.

      Conditioned working hours are 38 hours per week. Normal working hours at the Consulate General are Monday to Thursday from 08:00-16:00 and Friday from 08:00-14:00. Occasionally the successful candidate may be required to attend evening receptions or official visits. Some remote/ home working may be possible, in agreement with the line manager and in line with Corporate Services’ practice and subject to operational requirements following successful completion of the probation period.

      The successful candidate must have the ability to work from Jerusalem.

      The Consulate General actively promotes learning and development (L&D) including through a dedicated L&D committee. All staff have the opportunity to develop their own personal development plan and receive feedback and support from their line manager. Staff have access to activities organised by the learning and development committee and to a range of online learning opportunities through the FCDO’s International Academy.

      Some mandatory and essential training is required at the start of the role (security, introduction to our IT systems, etc.) and other mandatory courses must be completed as well, including on health and safety, data protection, and bullying and harassment. As part of the role, the jobholder will need to complete and attend necessary induction training as required by the FCDO, including HERA (Oracle-based), Preventing Sexual Harassment and Abuse, and counter fraud, among others.

      The jobholder will be offered other learning and development opportunities in line with the requirements of the role. The Consulate runs regular workshops and teach-ins from experts on different topics related to the OPTs, open to all staff.

      How to apply:

      Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

      Interested candidates must include with their online application form 1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) 2) a covering letter/ motivation essay stating how you meet the requirements of the role; and 3) specific examples, in the relevant sections of the online application form, of how you meet the key behaviours and skills required.

      Applications that do not include this information will not be considered.

      Closing date of receiving applications is before 23:55 (local time) on 23 November 2025.

      Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

      Internal candidates (i.e., those who are currently employed by the British Consulate General in Jerusalem) applying for this position should consider informing their current line manager upon submission of their application. 

      Process:

      The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around 2-3 months. The security clearance process includes checks available in country and in the UK, dependant on the security level required for the role and the candidate’s profile and UK footprint. You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption.

      Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful at interview may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of six (6) months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

      The start date mentioned in the advert is tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances and reference checks.

       

      The FCDO operates an agile approach to delivery. To facilitate an agile workforce, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require. The British Consulate General is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Consulate General are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local employment law.

      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.