View Vacancy - DXB - COP28 Project Officer (HEO)

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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Climate Diplomacy

The British Embassy Dubai has a vacancy for a COP28 Project Officer for a fixed term contract until 11th Jan 2024.

This is an interesting and stretching role at the heart of the UK’s work on COP28 – the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – which will take place in the UAE from 30 November to 12 December. The jobholder will lead on project management for all aspects of the embassy’s preparations for and delivery of COP28, supporting both external engagement and internal operations. 

The role requires excellent project management and communications skills, particularly for internal communication, and agility to deliver results in a role that will rapidly evolve from a planning function to operational delivery. It requires the ability to flex between direct delivery and delivering through others. The jobholder will need to be able to see the big picture, whilst ensuring a structured approach to planning and attention to detail. 

The successful applicant will need to build strong internal relationships, working across the embassy’s economic, political, trade and investment, visits, communications and corporate services teams, as well as with a wide range of colleagues in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and other government departments in the UK. The jobholder will work especially closely with the Deputy Consul General, the COP28 Policy Manager and the COP28 Operations Manager to ensure that COP28 delivery is fully integrated with the wider work of the mission, and to achieve a coherent ‘whole of mission’ approach to COP28.

The jobholder will be based in Dubai but will need to undertake frequent travel to Abu Dubai in line with operational requirements in order effectively to engage with the embassy’s internal and external stakeholders across the UAE.

Duties and responsibilities:

Project management  

  • Develop and maintain a robust plan for the embassy’s role in delivery of COP28, always with an eye to how this also helps advance wider climate change, net zero and nature objectives. This plan will cover both external engagement on policy and commercial outcomes (including support to the UK Pavilion planning team), and internal operations (including logistics, security and consular planning), in support of the COP28 Policy Manager and Operations Manager respectively. You will need to identify key milestones, track actions and ensure an effective framework for risk management is in place. This will require close collaborative working with colleagues across the whole embassy and UK government departments, as well as agility and creativity to develop, update and deliver the plan over time.

Secretariat

  • Act as secretariat for the embassy’s COP28 and Net Zero Task Force, including preparing agendas, writing minutes and tracking actions.
  • Undertake general admin tasks as required including drafting and coordination of Notes Verbales and other correspondence.

Budget management

  • Monitor COP28 related expenditure, ensuring value for money and following government best practice, including for projects delivered through the Climate Diplomacy Fund.

Delivery

  • Work closely with both the Policy Manager and Operations Manager on all aspects of project delivery. This will involve delivering with and through a variety of embassy teams, including visits, corporate services, security, consular, policy, trade etc. You will develop planning tools to support the coordination and facilitation of a large number of high-level visits including by UK ministers and senior officials to support policy, commercial and communications priorities in the lead-up to and during COP28. While other colleagues will take the lead on designing and delivering the programmes for single visits, supported by the embassy’s central visits team, you will ensure that these come together into a cohesive whole, ensuring effective coordination between visit leads. You will develop and maintain an events tracker, reviewing this daily with visit leads, to ensure UK representation across multiple high-level events each day during COP28.

Internal communication

  • Produce clear, engaging and appropriately paced internal communication to ensure engagement, understanding and support for embassy COP28 objectives across the embassy.

Monitoring and evaluation

  • As part of the delivery plan and on an ongoing basis, take responsibility for local monitoring and evaluation, and capture lessons learned to be shared with embassy teams working on future COPs or similar event delivery.

Other duties as required.

  • You will need to demonstrate flexibility, leaning in to support others and provide resilience across the wider team.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:

  • Making Effective Decisions: Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
  • Communicating and Influencing: Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
  • Working Together: Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
  • Delivering at Pace: Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
  • Managing a Quality Service: Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
  • Changing and Improving: Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.

Eligibility:

  • Applications will only be considered by those currently residing in the UAE.
  • Excellent project management skills (ideally with a formal qualification) and track record of successful project delivery
  • Ability to see the big picture, whilst also ensuring a structured approach to planning and excellent attention to detail
  • Ability to manage a varied and complex workload to deliver high quality outcomes, planning and prioritising work to meet tight deadlines.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication
  • A team player, who is able to bring others with them and to work with a diverse range of colleagues and external contacts to deliver results.
  • Proactive approach to problem solving.
  • Strong IT skills using Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint and the internet.
  • Experience of major international event delivery and/or organisation of high-level bilateral visits
  • Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in a relevant field, for example Public Policy, Public Administration, International Relations, Economics, Climate and Environmental Science, etc.
  • Knowledge and experience of international climate change policy and/or relevant multilateral negotiations (e.g. UNFCCC).
  • Experience of working in government departments in the UK or UAE.
Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
11 June 2023
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Fixed Term, Full-time
35
6 months
Middle East & North Africa
United Arab Emirates
Dubai
British Embassy
1
AED
23,238
1 August 2023
11 January 2024

Working hours and remuneration:  

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role, which includes 25 days of leave per annum (calculated pro-rata).

Salary is at AED 23,238 per month.

There are no other allowances payable as part of this package. No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

The Embassy is open from Monday to Friday, from 07:30 to 18:00. Conditioned working hours are 35 hours per week and specific working hours for this role will be confirmed at a later time.

The jobholder will be required to travel frequently between the Embassies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in line with operational requirements in order to effectively engage with the Embassy’s internal and external stakeholders across the UAE.

Flexible working arrangements may be considered based on operational requirements and agreement with the line manager, and in line with FCDO and Embassy policies.  This could include working from the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi up to three days a week in the period prior to the conference, if working commitments allow.  Physical presence in Dubai will be required during any recce visits, for COP related events, during COP28 and at other times as per operational requirements.

The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassy's sponsorship.

How to apply:

Interested candidates must attach the following in their online application form:

  • an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Examples in the relevant sections of the online application form of how you meet the key behaviours and skills required.

Applications that do not include this information will not be considered.

Closing date for applications is at 23:55 (local time) on 11th June 2023

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Process:

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around two - three months. The security clearance process includes checks available in country and with UK, dependent on the security level required for the role and the candidate's profile and UK footprint. You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption.

Due to the large number of applications, we receive, only those shortlisted for the next step of the recruitment process will be contacted.

The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.  If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate”.

The British Embassy in Dubai is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.

 

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.