View Vacancy - Consular Officer (PRT23.139)

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

Who we are: 

The British Embassy in Lisbon is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking to recruit a Consular Officer. The British Embassy in Lisbon is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking to recruit a Consular Officer.

Main purpose of job:

To provide high quality, professional and efficient consular services to visiting and resident British nationals in Portugal and Cape Verde. To be a fully engaged and proactive member of both the consular and wider Embassy teams. The successful candidate will be a key part of our friendly team, based either in Lisbon or Portimão.

Roles and responsibilities:

We are looking for a motivated individual, with excellent communication skills, attention to detail and strong analytical skills:

  • To provide consular support and assistance in person at the Consulate and by telephone to British nationals in cases of hospitalisations, mental health, deaths, victims of crime, financial assistance, welfare and detention.  
  • To work in conjunction with colleagues at the Emergency Travel Document (ETD) Centre to facilitate the issue, printing and collection of ETDs.  To act as working stock custodian of ETD booklets, laminates and Emergency Passports.
  • To build and maintain relationships at appropriate levels with local authorities, such as the police, prison, court, social services, hospitals. To liaise and collaborate with such local authorities, as and when necessary in order to assist British nationals.
  • To respond to general email enquiries and assess applications for notarial services, preparing declarations and taking customer declarations, as necessary.
  • To undertake administrative tasks as required, such as implementing fee changes, updating consular information leaflets, keeping physical and virtual consular noticeboards up-to-date, ordering stationery, assisting with the weeding of files/electronic folders in accordance with data protection.
  • To help prepare for crisis handling and understand how to implement the Crisis Management Plan, as and when activated.  
  • To liaise with authorities over high profile events, such as concerts/sporting events that attract high numbers of British nationals.
  • Excellent verbal and written English and Portuguese  language skills (minimum C1 level, CEFR*);
  • Minimum of 2 years of experience in customer facing role;
  • Resilience and resistance to trauma, ability to cope with the challenging nature of consular work;
  • Excellent communication and customer service skills, including a proven ability to support customers in traumatic or difficult circumstances; 
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work collaboratively and flexibly with colleagues in Portugal, Wider Europe Network and the UK;
  • Ability to work at pace and prioritise, managing an often heavy workload; excellent organisational skills; 
  • Excellent time management; ability to work under occasional periods of high stress;
  • Good IT skills (use of Outlook, Microsoft suite, Word and Excel essential);
  • Key qualities are flexibility, empathy and resilience.
  • Established team working ethic;
  • Problem solving experience.
Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
30 March 2023
Administrative Officer (AO)
Fixed Term, Full-time, Temporary
35
10 months
Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Portugal
Lisbon
British Embassy
1
EUR
1588.20€ gross monthly + monthly meal allowance of 167.64€
22 May 2023

This is a 10-month fixed-term full-time contract (35 net hours per week) subject to a 30-day probation period. 

The British Embassy in Lisbon aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role of € 1588,20 gross monthly salary paid in fourteen instalments: plus, a monthly meal allowance of € 167,64. This salary is payable if the successful candidate is subject to individual income tax (IRS) in Portugal on the employment income in question. If the successful candidate is not subject to individual income tax (IRS) on their employment income in Portugal, and/or is not taxable elsewhere on such income, he / she will receive the above salary minus a reference amount approximate to the level of Portuguese tax that would be applicable if the income were subject to tax locally. Further information on this will be given to candidates during the recruitment process. 

All staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Portugal are subject to local Portuguese employment law as well as internal regulations in force at any given time. 

The successful candidate will be subject to a professional background and security clearance and must have pre-existing work authorisation for Portugal in order to apply. 

All applicants should have the right to live and work in Portugal. The British Embassy does not sponsor work permits. 

The Embassy will not consider applications from existing staff who have not successfully completed their probation period or, in the case of staff on temporary contract who have not yet completed two thirds of their contract. 

Please be advised that Consular positions at the FCDO entail dealing with casework in situations that may involve death, detention, rape, assault, post-mortems, prison visits and highly distressed customers. Candidates should therefore have a high level of resilience to trauma.

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

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 be advised that the British Embassy will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a position. 

*Please note for more information on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment  levels  please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skill is going to be assessed.

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.