View Vacancy - Executive Assistant to the Deputy High Commissioner EO (03/25 ABJ)

Main purpose:

• The Private Office is the front-facing part of the British High Commission, Abuja, working closely with senior Leader Team (SLT) members to ensure excellent service delivery. The position of Executive Assistant  (EA) to the Deputy High Commisisoner (DHC) is a Country Based Staff (CBS) role is pivotal to this machinery. 
  This role will provide excellent support to the Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in her various roles including Chargé d’Affaires, Post Security Officer, SRO for high level visits and events and Crisis Leader/Manager. The EA works in collaboration with the High Commissioner’s Chief of Staff to support the effective and efficient running of the the High Commissioner’s Nigeria Network Private Office. This role carries a lot of responsbility  and is far more demanding of its incumbant due to the reduced headcount in Private office and due to the high-profile interactions with senior internal and external stakeholders; in addition to the level of confidentiality required having to deal with sensitive HR matters. This role requires you to work independently navigating a vast orgainstation comprising of over 480 people, across 7 locations, making us the largest post in Africa. 

Roles and responsibilities:

• The jobholder will be the Executive Assistant to the Deputy High Commissioner, proactively managing their time, diaries and logistics to enable them to deliver on HMG priorities. Alongside this, they will provide business support the wider Nigeria Network, playing a central role supporting cross-office delivery of programme, policy and corporate priorities.
• Working directly to Deputy High Commissioner to facilitate her diary, proactively managing her meeting schedules. This will include understanding Network and wider FCDO objectives, using discretion to prioritise meetings, and being propositional in advising DHC on engagements.
• This is an excellent opportunity to develop a range of skills and knowledge around the breadth of issues that the DHC deals with.  No two days are ever the same. As their EA you are expected to provide a strategic partnership and resilience not only for your principle but the wider SLT members.

Financial Management

• Management of the DHC’s business hospitality and representational budgets and monitoring income/expenditure for external events
• Oversight of the procurement of goods and services for the DHC, the BHC’S annual King’s Birthday Party ( KBP) and other events, ensuring that this offers value for money in line with the FCDO guidelines
• Assurance that expenditure is forecasted accurately and accounts and statistics are produced clearly for the DHC and any other data requests (FOI, PQs, Audits) are dealt with effectively
• Government Credit Card (GPC) holder for Private Office, making purchases and ensuring all expenditure is accounted for within guidelines.

General

• You will be both an administrative officer and a Private Secretary to the Deputy High Commissioner.  You will manage their workflow, helping to disseminate policy decisions and steers to the wider office. You will be responsible for managing their diaries and organising meetings as priorities emerge and change.  You will often serve as a final point of quality control before products issue, and collaborate to ensure overarching consistency in the quality and style of incoming and outgoing material.  You will gain a unique insight into the DHCs’s , including the Senior Leadership Team (SLT),  ways of working, and help to build capacity across the office.
• You will lead on the co-ordination and execution of all DHC business hospitality, including booking all venues, catering and support delivery of such events.
• You will required to deputise for the Chief of Staff (HEO) , analysing incoming advice and correspondence and ensuring they meet the High Commisisoner’s needs and preferences, proactively seeking additional information or clarification as required, and preparing work for the HC/DHC’s box. You will liaise with geographical/thematic desks on their behalf. You will hold ownership of certain routine processes including  clearance of Memoranda of Understanding, Annual Reviews, Business Cases on behalf of the DHC.
• You will serve as the point of expertise for the wider office on private office processes and standards, including for managing correspondence, submissions, diary bids, update paragraphs, write rounds and NVs.  Sharing guidance on how to work with the DHC, and becoming a key source of institutional knowledge. You will lead on upskilling new joiners on the above. You will establish and build relationships  across our network at all levels to ensure smooth communication and collaboration. This  includes attending meetings, taking minutes and communicating these with the Network.
• You will liaise directly with interlocutors and external Stakeholders, on occasions delivering difficult messages to very senior stakeholders.  You will have the opportunity to work across all portfolios in the office and offer high quality support such as Collating briefings (and drafting/redrafting when applicable) for DHC for meetings; including drafing the wider SLT minutes and update readouts tracker database, ensuring all readouts are uploaded and kept up to date
• Secretary to the Post Security Committee responsible for taking minutes and liaison with the Security Team, including on sensitive security and staff matters, requiring SC clearance.
• Secretary to the 1 HMG Corporate Board responsible for taking minutes and liaison with Corporate Services Team, including on HR, People to People, Finance, Health and Safety, Transport and Estates matters. 
• Supporting the DHC with crisis preparation and underpinning support when she is Chargé. You will help the DHC to provide strategic direction by creating an action plan; colloate a volunteer cadre/ contacts database of all those we are expected to be on duty; ensure the crisis room is always equipped and ready to use; to run quaterly exercise tests for the BHC.
• Arrange travel and logistics for the DHC’s duty travel (including to Lagos and regional offices), including booking flights and accommodation and co-ordinating the itinerary. In addition, support visitors to BHC as required, advising on programmes and providing logistical support. This will include high-level visits (VVIPs/Ministers) from Nigeria & London.
• The jobholder will be expected to work autonomously with limited day-to-day line manager supervision. They will be the bridge between DHC and the rest of the mission, providing advice to Principal where there are competing priorities and managing her relationship with the Nigeria Network.
• Leading the co-ordination and delivery of the King’s Birthday Party (KBP), including taking key responsibility for guestlist and invitations with support of Private Office and working on budget allocations. This will entail: convening an events panel; liaising with Comms regarding Comms planning for the event; creating a KBP VVIP contact lists; leading on logistical planning, Health and Safety clearances and Security arrangements; instructing the Residence on menu choices and layout (in the absence currently of a Residence Manager ); being the main point of contact on the day; managing the reception volunteers to get guests into the compound within a timely mannner.
• Facilitate the esculation of visa requests of senior host nation officials and stakeholders as necessary.
• Ensure Private Office have the stationery and other office resources needed to operate efficiently.
• Maintain a clean, orderly and safe working environment for Private Office staff through effective and proactive outreach to the BHC corporate services team, cleaning contractors etc and through representing Private Office on the health and safety committee.
• Countersigning officer to  HC/DHC flag car drivers and three AA members of staff
• Corporate contribution expected. Current job holder is MH First Aider, TRIM practitioner, Fairness Champion and a member of Wellbeing Committee and the Inclusion Committee. 

Essential Qualifications:

• At least 2 years previous experience in a large office.
• Strong English language skills with the ability to both speak and write clearly and fluently.