View Vacancy - Vice Consul, Grade - B3 (L)

The British Embassy, Muscat has vacancy for the post of a Locally Engaged Vice Consul.

Objective:

This is a varied and interesting job within a small Consular Team at the British Embassy, Muscat.

The main purpose of this role is ensure British nationals in Oman receive a professional service that is effective, timely, consistent and in line with Foreign and Commonwealth Office guidance.  The job holder will be required to provide direct advice and support to distressed British nationals including leading on certain high level and sensitive assistance cases

The FCO Consular Strategy (2016-2020) is about to be launched and will necessitate some changes to the way we operate. The Vice Consul, plays a key role in helping to design and implement those changes working closely with colleagues across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region and globally. 

The job holder will work to the Dubai based Consular Regional Operations Manager but will enjoy a high degree of autonomy and the authority to manage the Oman operation on a day to day basis. The job holder will need to be a self-starter and highly motivated, with excellent interpersonal skills.

The job holder will lead on the local delivery of the Consular Regional Business Plan and global consular initiatives as well as the consular elements of the Country Business Plan.  They will be required to lead, motivate and encourage the Oman Consular Team to participate in global, regional consular activities and deliver local consular outreach and communications campaigns.

Crisis planning and exercising is important in this region. Like other staff in the MENASA, the job holder may be required to deploy to another Post in the region (or indeed further afield) as part of a regional resilience response to a crisis or other emergency scenario. In response to a local or regional crisis, the job holder will play a key role in managerial responsibility for the Section’s response and deployment. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• To lead, motivate and develop the Consular Team with direct line management of one Pro Consul. 

• Manage the Team’s provision of Consular Assistance to distressed British nationals, including providing guidance and support in difficult cases:  

Detainees, including visiting police stations and prisons  

Hospitalisations  

Dealing with bereaved families  

Child custody issues  

Other sensitive cases such as rape, child abduction, forced marriage.  

Notarial and documentary services

• Proactively plan and deliver high quality local Consular Communication and Outreach Activities in support of the Consular Strategy

• Ownership of formal response to public correspondence.  Ownership of returns and forms that are required by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) London.

• Identifying areas of potential high level interest and briefing seniors and others accordingly. Preparing written briefing and updates on cases and issues

• Monitoring changes in local procedures and practices and ensuring that our information and guidance for British nationals reflects any changes and is up to date.

• Monitoring changes in consular processes and FCO corporate issues and keeping team updated

• Managing emergency travel document processing, and the notarial/legalisation operation ensuring consistent customer service to British nationals.

• Key role in Post Emergency response to crises including planning, exercising and any response to a crisis affecting UK citizens.

• Participation in formulating Embassy management policies. Representing section at Embassy and corporate events

• Identify training and developmental opportunities. Manage section cover and other operational issues

• Manage Team budget

• To be prepared to work out of hours, occasionally anti-social hours, as required.

• To be prepared to deploy on a short term basis to another post in the region as part of a regional resilience response to a crisis or other emergency scenario. Travel to the UK will be required for training purposes.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English;
• A team player who is capable of working on their own initiative and who is adaptable to changing priorities.  Must be able to work and act without close supervision.
• Experience of managing a team.
• Good interpersonal skills and an ability to cultivate and maintain a range of contacts at all levels.
• Experience of working strategically and of project development and management
• Ability to bring a flexible and creative approach to your work. 
• Ability to talk to large groups of people as part of our Prevention and Communication work
• Excellent customer care skills and the ability to respond to a range of customers needs.