View Vacancy - Political Officer B3 (06/18 KSH)

Main purpose of job:

To support the work of the Ambassador, political team, and the wider Embassy.  This is an important and influential role, which requires a proactive and confident approach, together with good English language skills.  Candidates should be able to build strong working relationships with political contacts, provide up-to-date political reporting and analysis to the Embassy and London, and support wider Embassy work.  

Roles and responsibilities

The political officer is at the forefront of political engagement for the British Embassy in Kinshasa.  The role involves a combination of political contact-making, reporting, advice, project management and representational duties.  The jobholder should therefore have (and continuously develop) a wide and detailed knowledge of DRC politics and human rights.  The job holder will be involved in developing analysis for UK policy making, and be regularly in touch with UK missions in Brussels and New York. The jobholder will also cover reporting for the Central African Republic. As part of their duties, the jobholder will:

• Produce regular, targeted reporting and briefing for a range of audiences on political developments in DRC and CAR (40%);
• Proactively report on human rights issues, and be able to respond quickly to requests for information from colleagues, including in London (20%);
• Build relationships and networks with Parliamentarians, local and international civil society, human rights defenders and others (20%);
• Represent the Embassy in external political, human rights and other meetings, and write timely meeting records (10%);
• Effective management of political and human rights programmes in line with guidance (10%).

This list is not exhaustive and responsibilities may change in response to business need, but staff will always be consulted beforehand. The job holder will work in a dynamic and friendly environment. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a strong attention to detail to develop their political and human rights experience in DRC, and contribute to a larger UK presence, that encompasses Department for International Development programmes across the country.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

There is potential for this position to input on a programme of approximately $150,000 in 2018 and 2019, subject to business need.

• In-depth knowledge of the DRC political and human rights situation, with a wide network of contacts
• Able to prioritise and manage their own workload effectively in order to deliver before deadlines
• IT skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Fluency in French and professional working proficiency in English
• Excellent judgment and problem solving skills
• A reliable and flexible team player, who works collaboratively with others and can contribute to the wider Embassy’s effectiveness and wellbeing