View Vacancy - BMA - Pro Consul (AO)

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 (Consular Roles)
Consular

The British Embassy Bahrain has a vacancy for a Pro Consul, job grade Administrative Officer (AO).

Our purpose is to support British people living, travelling, and working in Bahrain by: providing high quality, accessible consular services, focused on those most in need; responding rapidly to all crises, leading cross-government action; and reducing preventable incidents affecting British people through collaboration with partners and governments.

Reporting to the Vice Consul, the main purpose of the role is to ensure that British Nationals receive a professional, high-quality service and that advice provided is accurate, timely, and consistent, and offered in a sensitive manner and in line with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) guidance. This will include developing and maintaining contacts with local authorities and in the community, providing notarial and documentary services, and taking part in our communications and prevention work.

In response to local or regional crisis, the jobholder will play a key role in the section’s response and deployment.

The successful candidate will need to be a self-starter, highly motivated, and have excellent interpersonal and office management skills.

Consular work can sometimes be emotionally challenging, distressing, and of a sensitive nature. The jobholder will therefore be expected to demonstrate high levels of personal resilience and maintain absolute consular confidentiality and impartiality. 

 

Duties and responsibilities:

- Provide professional and efficient Consular service

  • Provide accurate advice and assistance in a sensitive manner to British Nationals (BNs) and their families via face-to-face, telephone, or email on a range of issues such as: arrests/ detention, hospitalisations, supporting bereaved families, mental health, child custody issues, debt and employment issues, and other sensitive cases such as sexual assault or forced marriage.
  • Maintain accurate and concise case records of services provided on consular databases.
  • Ensure all customer correspondence are replied to in a timely and efficient way, providing consistent, accurate information in accordance with FCDO guidelines.
  • Be prepared to work out of hours, occasionally anti-social hours, as required.
  • Take part in the Embassy emergency planning and any response to a crisis affecting UK citizens.
  • Administering the appointment system.
  • Provide counter services including notarial work and Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs), ensuring consistent customer service to BNs.
  • Collecting fees, cashing up, and other financial requirement.
  • Ensure deadlines for Returns and Management Information are met.
  • Proactively build and maintain relationships with external contacts.

- Prevention Communications and Outreach

  • Working to help to deliver high quality local prevention and communications work, working closely with the Embassy’s Press/ Communications Team and other senior stakeholders. Producing materials, using social media, and attending events.
  • Monitor changes in local procedures and practices, ensuring that all information and guidance for BNs reflects changes and is up to date, e.g., service providers, lawyers list, travel advice, web pages.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required. 

 

Key behaviours required:

  • Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
  • Making Effective Decisions - Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
  • 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.
  • Working Together - Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
  • Seeing the Big Picture - Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
  • Consular work can sometimes be stressful and of a sensitive nature. The jobholder will therefore be expected to maintain absolute consular confidentiality and impartiality at all times.
  • Excellent customer care skills and the ability to respond to a range of customers’ needs.
  • Excellent interpersonal and active listening skills, with the ability to cultivate and maintain a range of contacts at all levels.
  • A team player who is capable of working on their initiative and who is adaptable to changing priorities. Must be able to work and act without close supervision.
  • Fluent in English, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
  • IT literate and well versed in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and with accurate typing skills.
  • Previous Consular or related experience/ training, or experience of working in an operational delivery or customer service role.
  • Arabic language skills, both written and spoken, is desirable but not required.
  • Previous experience of creating engaging outreach content, use of social media and other platforms.
Seeing the Big Picture, Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together
27 March 2023
Administrative Officer (AO)
Full-time, Permanent
35
Middle East & North Africa
Bahrain
Manama/Bahrain
British Embassy
1
BHD
915.20
1 June 2023

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role. The salary for this role is at BHD 915.20 per month based on 35 hours per week.

No accommodation nor relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

The package includes private medical insurance and learning and development (L&D) opportunities. The jobholder will be required to complete the Consular Mandatory Learning Pathway e-learning immediately after joining and attend a five-day ‘Essential Assistance Workshop’ in the UK within one (1) year of joining. Other specific training and mentoring for the role will also be provided, and your Line Manager will help you develop a personalised L&D plan and will share opportunities, resources, and guidance to ensure you continue your learning.

This role is for a full-time employment, on a permanent contract. The successful candidate will be subject to a three-month probationary period. The appointment is subject to satisfactory local and UK security clearances.

Normal working hours at the Embassy are from 07:30-14:30 from Sunday to Thursday, with core working hours from 09:00-13:00. The Embassy operates a flexible working policy, which entitles staff to work more flexibly as long as the core hours are worked. This will be considered based on operational requirements and agreement with the line manager, and in line with FCDO and Embassy policies.

The jobholder should be flexible in their approach to hours worked, as there may be some work out of hours and occasionally anti-social hours required. The jobholder must also be available for occasional travel within the Gulf region (and possibly further afield) for training and logistical purposes.

How to apply:

Interested candidates must include in their online application form 1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV); 2) a covering letter/ motivation essay stating how you meet the requirements of the role; and 3) specific 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.

Applications must be submitted before 23:55 Bahrain local time on 27 March 2023.

Applications submitted after the stated deadline will not be considered.

 

Process:

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

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

The start date mentioned in the advert is an assumed start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security clearance procedures through the Embassy as soon as possible. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances and pre-employment checks.  

 

The British Embassy Bahrain is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local labour 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.