View Vacancy - Events and Visits Manager, UKMIs Brussels (BEL22.232)

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.
UK Mission
UKMIS (UK Mission to the European Union)

The UK Mission to the European Union (UKMis Brussels) ensures the UK’s interests are promoted and explained to EU member states and the EU institutions. UKMis Brussels is part of a world-wide network of 270 Diplomatic Posts, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas.

The UKMis Communications and Visits Team sits within the wider Political and Engagement Section which is responsible for building the Mission’s skills and capability to influence with impact, while developing and implementing its strategy for engaging externally. We are now looking for a brilliant colleague to join our Communications and Visits Team to help the Mission deliver high-level events and senior visits.

Our daily work relies on the input of dedicated individuals who engage on many different topics and activities. We seek to employ a diverse range of candidates who bring their own talents and perspectives to the role. We have a strong corporate agenda that ensures we create a positive and inclusive working environment where everyone is valued for their contribution.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates in traditionally underrepresented groups.

The successful candidate will have excellent management and communication skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to work calmly and autonomously under pressure, managing competing priorities while maintaining a flexible, forward-thinking and proactive approach. They will also be highly collaborative, providing advice, guidance and training to help enable policy colleagues to deliver policy-focused events and inward visits by Ministers and senior officials from the UK, by advising on the operational delivery.  The role will at times involve travel outside of Brussels, and the need to work outside contracted hours, including on weekends when necessary.

Roles and responsibilities

This role will require the successful candidate to be flexible, willing and able to carry out a wide variety of tasks. These tasks include, but are not limited to:

  • Lead on managing the delivery of high-level events: You will lead on managing the operational delivery of large cross-mission public diplomacy events, promoting UK interests and establishing our position as an influential Third Country Mission in Brussels. You will work closely with the UKMis Campaign Manager, whose role it is to ensure that such events support the Mission’s strategic goals. You will work with and through a wide range of stakeholders to deliver events to an excellent standard.
  • Lead on managing the delivery of high-level visits: You will lead to ensure a high quality service for all operational aspects of senior Ministerial, Royal and Parliamentary and other VIP visits. You will engage high-profile visitors, Private Offices (Cabinets), and the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working with a high degree of autonomy, to design and deliver first-class (inward and outward) visit programmes and to manage the logistical support essential to deliver successful visits.
  • Act as internal adviser and trainer: You will work with the Campaign Manager to provide operational advice, guidance and training to colleagues across the mission, building their capability to develop and deliver policy-focused events in person, online and in hybrid format. You will also provide operational advice, guidance and training to build the capability of colleagues to deliver inward visits to Brussels from senior officials and civil servants from the UK.
  • Deputise for the Head of Visits and Operations: You will report to the Head of Visits and Operations and cover their portfolio whenever they are absent from work or unavailable.
  • The percentage of time spent on events or visits will be broadly balanced, however there might be times more focused on events or visits determined by business needs.

To do this, you will:

  • Work with a broad range of stakeholders across UKMis, UK government departments, EU institutions and external partners. You will need strong networking skills to establish and maintain positive working relationships with these contacts. You will also need to be comfortable working with, and advising, senior officials and Ministers’ private offices on the operational aspects of visits and events.
  • Work collaboratively with colleagues across the mission to provide advice, guidance and training, building their capability to enable them to deliver high quality events and senior visits in person, online or in hybrid format.
  • Have the scope to think creatively and innovatively about how we develop and deliver our visits and events. We are looking for a self-starter who will feel confident to challenge existing processes, promote smart use of online technology, and express new ideas to help the Mission continue to improve  our visits and events procedures as a third country mission in the EU.
  • Need to be flexible and happy to adjust to changing plans. The nature of this role will require you to occasionally work outside of your normal working hours, including some weekends during high-level visits. Visits can emerge at short notice, and may include travel outside of Brussels. We are committed to having working practices that ensure good work-life balance for colleagues, so this time will be compensated with more relaxed and flexible hours when there are no visits or events.
  • Have a positive, can-do attitude. We are looking for someone who works well under pressure, and can keep a sense of humour throughout! 
  • Excellent interpersonal, customer handling and communication skills;
  • Strong planning, management and organisational skills;
  • Strong leadership skills, to lead the delivery of events and of visits, and to deputise for the Head of Visits and Operations when required;
  • Able to work easily in a team environment, but also fully able to work autonomously, use sound judgement and take decisions with limited information, all under little to no supervision;
  • Fluent command of written and spoken English;
  • Excellent organisational skills, with a proven ability to prioritise tasks;
  • Previous experience in visits and events management;
  • Experience of using online technology to deliver webinars and events in hybrid format (combining in-person and online attendance)
  • Strong IT skills, including proficiency in MS Office software;
  • Enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
  • Fluent level written and spoken French or Dutch desirable;
  • Understanding of the how the European Union Institutions operate;
  • Interest in and knowledge of the UK Government;
  • Project management experience;
  • Other EU languages.
Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together, Developing Self and Others
1 June 2022
Executive Officer (EO)
Full-time, Permanent
36.25
Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Belgium
UK Mission to the European Union (UKMIS), Brussels
British Government Office
1
EUR
4,503.01
1 July 2022

This is a permanent, full-time contract for 5 working days (36.25 hours net) per week. The monthly gross salary for this position is € 4,503.01 EO level. In addition, we offer an extensive salary package, which includes a 13th month, luncheon vouchers, pension scheme , optional hospitalisation insurance  (subject to monthly employee contribution), reimbursement of public transport and a lot more. We offer more days of annual leave than the Belgian requirements.

Please note that Belgian nationals will be paid their salary gross and are expected to comply with their tax obligations through completion of a tax return to the Belgian authorities. Non-Belgian nationals will receive their salary net, minus the deduction of an equivalent level of Belgian tax retained at source. Further information on this will be given to candidates during the recruitment process.

Staff recruited locally by the British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Belgian employment law.

The successful candidates will be subject to professional background checks and security clearance.

Passport: officers are expected to be in possession of a passport due to the possibility that they may be asked to undertake business travel.

Visa/work permit requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Belgium and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the legal requirements to live and work in this country.

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 Diplomatic Missions will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.

*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.