View Vacancy - Head of Corporate Services

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 (Operations and Corporate Services)
Estates, Finance, HR, Protocol, Visits and Events

The British Embassy, Muscat has a vacancy for the post of Head of Corporate Services, Grade C5 (L) to start as soon as possible.

Main Purpose of the Job:

To provide strategic direction to corporate services; leading an efficient, cost effective and professional team to deliver all services to the partners (from across the UK government) on the platform provided by the British Embassy Muscat (BEM).

As the driving force for corporate delivery, the jobholder will be a core member of the senior leadership team and management board providing corporate, financial and local insight to inform decision making.

Reporting to the Regional Corporate Services Lead, this role will lead and develop a diverse team of nine corporate staff, with oversight of outsourced service providers.

This role is part of a pilot to deliver corporate services (finance, HR, estates, protocol) within a functional model; as such, the successful candidate will demonstrate a flexible approach to being part of an evolving project.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning and Leadership (30%)

  • To provide strategic leadership and planning in support of the corporate agenda including the country business plan and risk management.
  • Act as trusted advisor to local leadership and partners on the platform ‘horizon scanning’ locally to enable proactive resource and activity planning with the Regional Corporate Services Lead.
  • Manage the platform (currently supporting 4 partners) and support regional teams, influencing at a senior level to maintain and strengthen inclusiveness.
  • Actively build and deepen relationships with key stakeholders internally, within regional and global hubs and with external partners (at other diplomatic missions, government departments and suppliers) to maintain informed and current corporate knowledge.
  • Ensure local policies are reviewed and aligned to global and local requirement and adopted by all partners on the platform.
  • Lead and monitor the delivery of services against the local corporate services charter.

People (20%)

  • Lead on the overall employer proposition, including terms and conditions of service and pay and benefits for locally employed staff (LS), ensuring compliance with local labour law.
  • Provide guidance and act as an escalation point on sensitive staff matters for diplomatic and LS, including management issues and dispute resolution, engaging with specialist HR functions where necessary.
  • Champion and embed a collaborative and inclusive culture.

Delivery (35%)

  • Oversee corporate delivery working closely with the regional HR, finance and procurement hubs and the Global Transaction Processing Centre (GTPC). Ensure full use of self-service access to corporate services and regionalised services.
  • Direct the management of the estate, ensuring that UK and local standards are met through planned and reactive maintenance and in compliance with corporate procedures, including local and UK health and safety regulations and policy.
  • Act as the ‘intelligent client’, identifying requirements, appropriate service level agreements and key performance indicators to manage and monitor supplier contracts.
  • Oversee the local delegated budget in accordance with corporate policies to ensure on-budget expenditure and value for money.
  • Instil a continuous improvement mentality within the team, leading on corporate projects and the change management required to deliver them.

Resilience (10%)

  • Respond to operational crisis, providing leadership and flexing team prioritisation as required.
  • Ensure cross training within corporate services roles to provide resilience within the teams and across the region.
  • Work with the Regional Corporate Services Lead to plan long term resource and development needs.
  • Ensure well-being and engagement are maintained within the corporate services team, seeking regular feedback and embedding the values of resilience and respect.

Income Generation (05%)

  • Lead and implement the BEM’s income generation policy and processes.

Key Competencies:

The candidate will need to demonstrate the following competencies during the interview:

  • Managing a Quality Service: Effectiveness in this area is about being organised to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. 
  • Leading and Communicating: Effectiveness in this area is about leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. It’s about supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of citizens.
  • Delivering Value for Money: Involves the efficient, effective and economic use of taxpayers’ money in the delivery of public services.  It means seeking out and implementing solutions which achieve the best mix of quality and effectiveness for the least outlay. 
  • Making Effective Decisions: Effectiveness in this area is about being objective; using sound judgment, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. It means showing clarity of thought, setting priorities, analysing and using evidence to evaluate options before arriving at well-reasoned justifiable decisions.
  • Fluent in written and spoken English
  • Minimum 3 years of middle management experience working for international organisation, preferably with direct involvement in HR and /or Finance policy and implementation
  • Experience in managing cross-functional teams
  • High levels of discretion, with a resilient, flexible and ‘can do’ attitude
  • Able to challenge and influence senior stakeholders
  • Experience in managing suppliers and outsourced service delivery
  • Experience in managing risk
  • Project Management experience
17 December 2019
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
Full-time, Permanent
35
Middle East & North Africa
Oman
Muscat
British Embassy
1
OMR
1,522.196
1 February 2020

Working Conditions and Remuneration:

The Embassy offers an attractive working environment and remuneration package for the role, including salary of 1,522.196 Omani Riyals per month inclusive of all allowances; and use of on-site recreational facilities (including a swimming pool and social club). This is for a full time employment, on a permanent basis.

Conditioned working hours is 35 per week and normal working hours are 07:30 – 14:30, Sunday to Thursday. The British Embassy supports and promotes flexible working as a crucial part of our inclusive offering. This particular role allows for flexibility in start and end times, working compressed hours, working remotely on one or a couple of days in a week once settled in the role, subject to agreement with management.

There is a holiday entitlement of 30 days per year (pro rated) following successful completion of a 3-month probation period. Holidays that have already been booked will be honoured. There are also national holidays determined annually by the Embassy, which usually total 14 days per year. Training will be provided as necessary and there would be opportunities to provide regional resilience for corporate services to other Embassies and High Commissions in the region.

To Apply:

Interested candidates must attach the following documents when applying online.

  1. A covering letter.
  2. An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV).

** (Your application must include examples of when you have demonstrated the competencies outlined above in the cover letter or motivation section in the application form. Applications that do not include this information will be rejected).

All applications must be received before 23:55 (Local Time) on 17 December 2019.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered. Telephone applications and enquiries will not be accepted.

The start date mentioned in the advert is a tentative start date and the successful applicant's employment will only be confirmed after the completion of any security clearance/checks. The checks can take several weeks to complete and the applicant will only be employed if the UK security clearance is granted.

 

The British Embassy Muscat is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staffs recruited locally by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of service according to local Muscat Employment Law.

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.