View Vacancy - Consular Officer, Northern India

We are here to help British people when they need us most, including in times of crisis. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a high performing team that makes a real difference to people’s lives. The main purpose of the job is to provide consular assistance to British nationals in India, focusing mainly on cases in Punjab and the surrounding states. We want to reduce the number of preventable incidents, so developing partnerships and proactive prevention initiatives will be essential. We value excellence, empathy and efficiency.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?

Assistance: 60%

• Lead on consular assistance casework, support British nationals and their families with tact, emotional awareness and in line with consular guidance and the Consular Strategy 2016-2020.
• Work effectively with internal and external partners to provide a professional service, which is tailored to each individual’s needs.
• Ensure all assistance cases are entered promptly into our database and a vulnerability assessment is carried out.
• Keep up to date with new policy on assistance work
• Provide resilience and support for colleagues elsewhere in India and in the wider MENASA region (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia).

Network & Communications 20%

•  Active involvement in the formulation and promotion of prevention initiatives, including the use of social media communication campaigns.
• Analyse and measure the impact of our prevention initiatives and prepare reports to illustrate this.
• Plan and attend meetings, receptions and outreach visits to promote our services and develop contacts to enhance our effectiveness.
• Maintain partnerships with existing NGOs and key external stakeholders, and identify new ones to collaborate with. Develop working-level contacts with local authorities and other diplomatic missions. Build contacts with external stakeholders such as airlines, tour operators, welfare authorities, local charities, and British community groups.

Crisis: 20%

• Work on crisis planning and develop working-level contacts in Northern India (e.g. other diplomatic missions, the travel industry, police and wardens).
• Work with the Corporate Services Manager to review and check crisis IT and equipment. Ensure that the grab bags are fit for purpose.

During a crisis obtain, verify and update information through key contacts and deploy to assist British nationals when it is safe to do so. 

What we do:

 This is a really exciting opportunity to be part of a high performing Consular Team that makes a real difference to people’s lives.  The successful candidate will be based in Chandigarh and be part of the Northern and Eastern Indian consular team. The job holder will be managed by the Head of Consular Operations based in New Delhi.   The job holder will also be part of the Chandigarh Deputy High Commission team, have their support and will contribute to their overall aims and objectives. 

Consular Excellence is about providing high quality, modern, cost effective and efficient support to British nationals overseas.

The Consular Strategy 2016 – 2020 focuses on:

• Helping reduce the number of preventable incidents before they happen and help minimise the risk to British people overseas.
• Helping British people take responsibility for travelling, living and working overseas safely.
• Providing professional and tailored assistance to British people when they most need our help including in times of crisis.

What we want from you:

 The role calls for someone who can work independently, is highly motivated with excellent communication skills and has the ability to provide assistance to British nationals when they are at their most distressed and vulnerable. It is tough work and can be emotionally draining but it is also extremely rewarding.

You will need to be pro-active and take responsibility for your own work. You will also be required to engage on complex and high profile cases so there will be times when you will be called upon to attend court hearings, prisons, hospitals and government offices. The work is unpredictable and varied, so we need someone who is open minded, sympathetic and prepared for any situation. You need to be a clear and persuasive communicator and have the ability to manage relationships with a range of customers, stakeholders and colleagues across India, the wider South Asia region and London.

 As well as being part of the consular team in India you will also be part of the MENASA Consular Network and the  the Global Consular Team. The job offers the opportunity for travel across Northern India, building key partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. Due to the nature of consular work it is difficult to predict when someone will need our assistance so this is not a job that always starts at 0900 and ends at 1700. It will occasionally require working outside normal core working hours and also travel at short notice. You will need to be prepared to respond to calls from our Global Response Centre out of hours. You will have the opportunity to support the other consular teams in India with high profile /complex cases. You will have the opportunity to volunteer to provide resilience to other teams across MENASA.

All mandatory training will be provided along with a variety of developmental opportunities. We actively encourage our staff to take part in learning and development opportunities. Some of this mandatory training will take place in the UK and other MENASA countries.

So we need someone who is pro-active and able to deliver results; can work with a varied group of stakeholders and find innovative solutions to problems; at times in different posts, with colleagues from different backgrounds and cultures. To do this, you will be flexible, resilient under pressure, and a strong team layer. You will get the tools and support you need to achieve all of the above.  In return you will be working with a great team of people, doing rewarding and important work that really makes a difference.  In an organisation that values diversity and provides opportunities for professional and personal development.

Other skills / experience / qualifications:

 EDUCATION:

• Be a graduate with at least 2 years of relevant experience (candidates without the required academic qualifications but with exceptional practical experience will be considered).
• High proficiency in English Language communication – both written and verbal.
• High capability in MS Office application – especially MS Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point.

 EXPERIENCE:

• Good communicator at all levels with excellent standards of written and spoken English;
• Ability to work to deadlines with attention to detail & accuracy.
• Strong customer service skills with ability to focus on the customer requirements.
• Self starter with good interpersonal & time management skills.