View Vacancy - HK - Executive Assistant to the Deputy Consul General and Support to the Economic Diplomacy Team A2(L)

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)
Private Office

Main purpose of job:

This is a varied and interesting role providing support to the Deputy Consul General and the Economic Diplomacy Team. The successful candidate needs to be highly organised, and have good interpersonal skills. The role requires someone who is enthusiastic, able to work as part of a team, or independently on specific projects.

The job combines Executive Assistant work for the Deputy Consul General, ensuring their time is as effectively used as possible, representing them in correspondence with external and internal stakeholders, and supporting their role leading the mission, alongside a wider support function for the Economic Diplomacy Team. This might involve supporting the organisation of events, conferences and seminars, taking responsibility for the smooth and professional delivery of practical operations such as facilities, guest lists, and catering arrangements, as well as supporting individual team members arrange meetings or travel.

This is an excellent opportunity to be part of the British Consulate-General, working closely with senior leadership team and developing core professional skills including from Executive Assistant work to budget management to event management.

Roles and responsibilities

Executive Assistant to the Deputy Consul General (DCG):

  • Provide executive support to the Deputy Consul General (DCG).This includes diary management, meeting preparations, venue bookings, budget management and making travel arrangements as appropriate. The DCG will look to you to make the best use of their time, to support them to lead the Consulate in an engaging and effective way, and to represent them when interacting with external and internal stakeholders.
  • Provide the secretariat function for the Consulate-General’s Joint Management Board. Lead on organising Consulate wide meetings, regional conferences, securing facilitators, booking rooms, setting up equipment. Manage internal audit requirements which include maintaining the gift register and a surprise check roster. Cover for the EA to the Consul General during leave of absence.

Supporting Economic Diplomacy and Political Teams:

  • Ensure the effective daily delivery of the team’s programme of meetings and engagements. Manage and monitor the team’s devolved travel and entertainment budget including planning and monthly monitoring throughout the year.  Assist with the production of the Consulate-General’s internal bulletin. Support the wider team on VIP visits.

Identify and map stakeholders to understand Hong Kong’s economic issues. Produce basic research in preparation for external engagement. Support the wider team on delivering the Chevening scholarship programme. There will likely be opportunities to become involved in wider policy work as the role holder settles into the position.

Corporate Role:

  • The DHM has a broad corporate leadership role and the EA will work closely with them to prioritise and monitor corporate objectives. Provide flexible support on corporate projects linked to HMG’s priorities. This can be tailored to fit the candidate’s interest and experience.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Financial monitoring and management of approx. HKD 150,000.00 for travel and HKD 100,000 for business hospitality split between the DHM and the Econ Dip team.

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

This role provides plenty of opportunity to learn and develop and scope to shape the role. You will have the opportunity to work closely with senior leaders and there will be considerable scope for learning on the job as well as opportunities such as a shadowing placement to a regional British Embassy to compare their working practises with ours. On the job training for project management as used in event planning, and functional financial management will also be provided

In addition there are a wide range of opportunities for the incumbent to work with colleagues across the mission on a range of corporate and representational work. There will be opportunity to take part in the Consulate’s job shadowing scheme as well. The Deputy Consul General and Head of Economic Diplomacy are committed to helping the job holder design a personal development plan that fits their aspiration and priorities.

 Working patterns:

If the job is suitable for flexible working patterns, please provide details: Could be done in compressed hours, but unfortunately for security reasons it is not possible to work from home. Some flexibility from the job holder, for instance when organising events, would be an asset.

  • Fluent in spoken and written English
  • Must be proficient in Microsoft office applications
  • Previous experience of working for the UK government would be an advantage, but not essential
  • Spoken and written Cantonese would be an advantage.
11 May 2021
Administrative Officer (AO)
Permanent
41
Asia Pacific
Hong Kong SAR
Hong Kong SAR
British Consulate General
1
HKD
17,782
21 June 2021

This position is open to Hong Kong citizens, permanent residents, and partners/dependents of UK-based diplomatic staff currently posted in Hong Kong. Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment checks. No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. Candidates must have or be able to obtain work authorisation for Hong Kong in order to apply.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.

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.

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.

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.