View Vacancy - Consular Assistant (02/18 PL)
Main purpose of job:
To provide a high quality and efficient consular service to British nationals in Mauritius in line with the standards set out in our publication "Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide” and Consular Strategy 2016-2020.
Roles and responsibilities
As Consular Assistant you will be responsible for providing consular assistance to British nationals and other entitled persons in Mauritius. The successful candidate will also work closely with colleagues in Port Louis, across the Sub-Saharan Africa consular network, and in the UK in order to ensure excellent delivery and consistency of services.
The scope of consular work is wide, and includes visiting people who have been arrested, are in prison or hospitalised; supporting bereaved families and victims of crime; visiting mortuaries; supporting victims of sexual assault; and, dealing with cases involving child abduction and welfare. The candidate must be able and willing to engage sensitively and constructively with customers on these difficult issues. Other tasks include:
- processing applications for Emergency Travel Documents in accordance with policy;
- building strong relationships with partners around Mauritius including local authorities, British companies, the tourism industry, airlines, wardens, NGOs, other diplomatic missions;
- planning and delivering projects/outreach to the British community and key partners in Mauritius to reduce the number of preventable consular cases and reduce the impact on customers;
- Contributing towards crisis planning and response in Mauritius;
- Managing information, completing returns and other administrative tasks;
- ad hoc tasks to support the wider mission’s objectives (e.g. helping organise events such as the Queen’s Birthday Party).
The successful candidate must be prepared to work out of hours if required (see below on time of in lieu/overtime).
Resources managed
Project budget of c. £3000 for the financial year 18/19 (exact figure to be confirmed). Responsibility for ensuring back up can provide emergency assistance in your absences.
Language requirements:
Language: English and French.
Level of language required: fluent written and spoken. If non-native English speaker then IELTS band 7 or TOEIC 875 points or above or equivalent.
Previous experience in a public-facing role and/or a service delivery role.
Creole spoken to a high standard/level.
Experience working in an English-speaking environment.
A good understanding of how the Mauritian government/government departments work would also be desirable.
For many British nationals, the only contact they will ever have with a British mission will be through our consular services, often in times of great personal distress. As a customer-facing member of staff, the jobholder will need to have excellent communication skills and be able to deal with distressing situations in a sensitive manner and with empathy.
The successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate the following key skills and attributes:
Excellent all-round communication skills to manage customer expectations and deliver difficult messages;
• Excellent customer service skills; ability to respond to a range of customer needs and cultivate strong relationships with customers and stakeholders.
Calmness under pressure;
Ability to research and follow guidelines, and to plan and prioritise effectively;
Ability to work well with others - to build and maintain relationships with customers and stakeholders;
• Strong problem solving skills using own judgement;
• Ability to respond quickly to changing priorities, sometimes in pressurised environments;
• S/he should be prepared to react positively to change and ready to try new ways of working
• Excellent IT and numeracy skills (a working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook is essential);
Working patterns:
This is a full time role. Core hours are Mon –Thurs 07:45 – 15:45, Fridays 07:45-13:45. Bids from those looking to work flexibly will be considered providing the applicant is able to work from the BHC office during mornings Monday – Thursday in line with public opening hours. The nature of consular work means that out of hours emergencies can occur. The successful candidate must be prepared to occasionally work out of hours. TOIL (time off in lieu) for extra hours worked and/or overtime payments are subject to prior agreement by management and the FCO in London.
The jobholder will have a challenging but rewarding public-facing role. They will help customers through some of the most difficult experiences of their lives.
All applicants must be legally able to work in Mauritius with the correct visa/status or work permit.
Staff members recruited locally by the British High Commission in Port Louis are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Mauritian employment law
Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount
Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted.
If you have not heard from us 3 weeks after the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful. Note: Any questions you may have about this position will only be answered during interview, should you be invited.
Please note that incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be held the week of 14 May 2018 during which written and spoken English will be tested.
The British High Commission is an equal opportunities employers and do not discriminate on grounds of ethnic origin, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
