View Vacancy - AUS (Sydney) - Pro Consul, A2 (L) (Part-Time)

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 (Consular Roles)
Consular

Main purpose of job:

The British Consulate-General in Sydney is part of a global network providing a wide range of consular assistance and services to British people in Australia, in line with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) published Consular Guidance and Customer Charter, Consular Services Strategy, local procedures, guidance and performance standards.

Consular officers have the opportunity to make a direct difference to people’s lives in challenging circumstances. The job includes dealing with sensitive cases and responding to crises and stressful events. The successful candidate will be working in a fast-paced and complex environment where the ability to work under pressure and with difficult subject matter is vital.

As a member of the Consular Team in Sydney, you will provide excellent consular services to British nationals visiting or residing throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. You may also be expected to support the Sydney-based Consular Manager (PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) to deliver remote consular assistance in the Pacific Islands. Consular work in the Pacific Islands is often complex in nature due to the differences in the local context compared to Australia.

This role reports directly to the Consular Manager NSW/ACT.

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

Consular Services

  • Sensitively deliver accurate advice, information and case management to British nationals and their families (mostly remotely via telephone or email, but occasionally face-to-face) on a range of issues such as imprisonment and detention; financial hardship and destitution; hospitalisations; supporting bereaved families; missing persons; mental health needs; child custody and other sensitive issues. Case management will be supported by the Consular Manager (NSW/ACT)
  • Provide occasional remote consular assistance to customers in the Pacific Islands, under the direction of the Sydney-based Consular Manager (PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu)
  • Respond to customer correspondence in a timely and efficient manner
  • Liaise productively with internal teams, including colleagues and senior leaders in Australia and the FCDO overseas network, as well as London-based consular casework teams
  • Assist the team to maintain relationships with local authorities, including state and federal government agencies and non-government organisations to support case management
  • Participate in mission-wide crisis preparation and response duties in the event of a crisis affecting a significant number of British nationals, including crisis events in the Pacific Islands
  • Maintain accurate and concise case records on consular databases
  • Organise and deliver citizenship ceremonies and other consular stakeholder or public-facing events
  • General cash handling/receipt for paid services
  • Other administrative and transactional duties as required, including printing and arranging for the collection of Emergency Travel Documents and the conversion of civil partnerships

Prevention and Outreach

  • Participate in team planning and execution of consular prevention campaigns, aimed at reducing preventable incidents and reducing case complexity
  • Monitor changes in local procedures and practices, ensuring that all information and guidance given to British nationals reflects changes and is up to date, e.g. service provider lists, travel advice, web content
  • Liaise with state and federal authorities, members of the public and liaise closely with internal departments and Partners Across Government, including in other Posts in Australia and across APAC

Due to the short-term duration of this role, based on operational demands the successful applicant may only be required to deliver a limited number of these responsibilities during their employment.

Essential on arrival:

  • Strong customer service delivery, including sound expectation management skills
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong organisational skills, including taking responsibility for work and working with energy and pace
  • Ability to work in small teams, and as part of a larger virtual network
  • Strong self-awareness with a positive and resilient approach to change
  • Confident user of Microsoft Office software

Language requirements:  

Language: English

Level of language required: Fluent written and spoken English

  • Prior experience working in a consular or similar professional frontline customer service delivery environment
  • Good understanding of local systems and support organisations

Specific Considerations for Consular Roles:

Consular work can sometimes be stressful, distressing and of a sensitive nature. The successful applicant will therefore be expected to demonstrate high levels of personal resilience and maintain absolute consular confidentiality and impartiality, keeping in line with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Consular Strategy, consular guidance and Customer Charter, business targets and local procedures

29 September 2021
Administrative Officer (AO)
Fixed Term, Part-Time, Temporary
Up to 22 hours 48 minutes (0.6 FTE)
4 months
Asia Pacific
Australia
Sydney
British Consulate General
2
AUD
AUD 40,152.60 per annum for 0.6 FTE + 11% superannuation
13 December 2021
31 March 2022

Salary is at AUD 40,152.60 per annum for 0.6 FTE + 11% superannuation

This position is being advertised as a 4 months Part-Time/Temporary position (to 31 March 2022) in British Consulate-General Sydney.

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The British Consulate General, Sydney encourages all staff to develop their skills and capabilities through formal training (courses) and informal (job shadowing, coaching, on the job training). The majority of our formal opportunities are delivered through FCDO resources.

Mandatory core consular training that must be completed successfully:

  • Consular mandatory training courses (e-learning)
  • Mandatory crisis training

There are additional informal opportunities to expand and maintain professional skills such as coaching, mentoring and workshops.

Appointment is subject to an AFP records check and UK security clearance.

Open to Australian citizens, permanent residents, and partners/dependents of UK-based diplomatic staff currently posted in Australia and candidates with local permit/right to work in Australia.

Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are locally recruited by the British Consulate General are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to Australia local employment law.

No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. Any costs related to obtaining or renewing permits and visas are the responsibility of the successful applicant.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount. 

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and building a culturally diverse workplace. We actively encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Our culture of inclusion is underpinned by our excellent staff networks which cover disability, faith and belief, gender equality, social mobility, age, race, LGBT+, and how to be an ally.

Working patterns: 

This role is suitable for some flexible working patterns, subject to operational demands. Some responsibilities will require presence at the Consulate-General in Sydney, but remote working requests may be considered.

Some interstate travel may be required for regional activities, such as providing resilience to other teams or for training purposes.

Consulate core hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Due to the unplanned nature of some consular work, a flexible approach to working hours and patterns is essential.

Your application must be submitted before 23:55 AEST-Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC/ GMT +10) on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”

Applications must include a current CV.

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

Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested. Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core competencies listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time.

Indicated start date is provisional and subject to successful completion of reference and security checks.

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

Please check the application centre regularly for any update on your application.

The role:

This role provides an excellent variety of consular work, allowing the successful incumbent to gain experience in assistance, crisis, outreach and consular service delivery work. You will need to be an effective communicator and able to multitask under pressure.

At times, this role will need to complete some work without direct supervision. It is therefore important that you are a self-starter and can act on your own initiative, keeping senior stakeholders informed and engaged. In addition to consular work in NSW/ACT, the role may also contribute to and support delivery of consular work in the Pacific Islands.

It will be important to be flexible and resilient. There are over 250,000 British nationals living in NSW/ACT and international travel is now complex. There is a steady demand for a wide range of consular assistance and services. Consular work can often be challenging and requires sensitive and considered handling.

Working at the Sydney Consulate-General

The British Consulate General in Sydney represents the UK government providing consular services to British nationals in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. In addition to consular work, policy, political and trade and investment activities are undertaken from this location.

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.