View Vacancy - Development & Climate Officer B3/EO (03/21 ABI)

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 (Policy & Political roles)
Political

Main purpose of job: 

Working closely with the Development Counsellor, this role will work flexibly on a range of development issues at the Embassy.  We would currently expect this role to be the embassy’s lead in particular on climate change, programme management, demography and health issues, including Covid. 

Roles and responsibilities:

The postholder will have responsibility and autonomy, working closely with the Development Counsellor and other colleagues across the small embassy team. Responsibilities of the job holder may include: 

  • (25%) Lead the embassy’s diplomatic, policy and, as relevant, programme work on climate change, including follow-up to the Glasgow COP 26, building further on, and leveraging, the UK’s relationships with key Ministries in the Ivorian Government;
  • (25%) Lead the embassy’s engagement on health issues, in particular on Covid, including engaging with the government’s formal weekly briefing forum and other government and international stakeholders on Covid and reporting back to HQ;
  • (10%) Leading from post on the design and implementation of an analytical and engagement strategy on demographic trends and policies in Côte d’Ivoire, including linking to wider embassy work on sexual and reproductive health and rights and girls’ education;
  • (25%) Be the embassy’s lead and main source of guidance and knowledge on all programme management issues,  in particular to provide: excellent programme management and oversight of our embassy projects (this financial year, totalling £120,000); and lead on the bidding process for programme funds to be allocated by HQ for Côte d’Ivoire from 1 April next year;
  • (15%) Be an excellent, flexible, collegiate team player, contributing to wider team work, such as the development in early 2022 of a new  3-year UK Country Business Plan for Côte d’Ivoire;  developing creative ideas for supporting  Ivorian civil society across the range of UK objectives; and building relationships with other UK government colleagues across the region and at HQ with a view to spotting further opportunities, in particular funding/programming, to support  UK objectives in Côte d’Ivoire. 

These areas of focus may evolve/have some flexibility, subject to, for instance,  future UK country business planning and strategic priorities, and in light of any particular areas of expertise/interest of the successful candidate.

This is a great and really varied role.  It provides plenty of opportunity to learn and develop, as well as to demonstrate leadership – you will be expected to work autonomously and be encouraged to be creative and proactive in pursuing your agenda  in line with our collective objectives.

Teamwork is absolutely critical to how we work, and you will need to be able to work flexibly and collaboratively across a range of colleagues, drawing the best out of them to aid you, as well as to contribute your own ideas and actions to others’ work. 

You will work closely with a range of external colleagues including Ivorian Government, NGOs and multilaterals, as well as with  a range of colleagues internally, across multiple locations. 

You will need to be equally happy and comfortable scrutinising and challenging a partner’s project budget; writing an excellent brief for a visiting UK Minister;  representing the UK in a multistakeholder meeting; and brainstorming with a group of NGOs about what new action the UK might be able to take in relation to a particular issue.

Resources managed:

Responsible for programme management of £120k Small Posts Fund this financial year (similar may be expected next financial year).

No staff management.

  • EITHER Higher education qualification in a relevant field (eg development, public policy, international relations etc) + minimum 2 years’ professional experience of working on development/climate issues , ideally in Côte d’Ivoire; OR 
  • No, or no relevant, higher education qualification but minimum 6 years’ professional experience of working on development/climate  issues, ideally in Côte d’Ivoire;
  • Programme management;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills;
  • Fluent written and oral, English and French.
15 December 2021
Executive Officer (EO)
Permanent
34 hours
Africa
Côte d'Ivoire
Abidjan
British Embassy
1
XOF 951,463 gross paid 13 times per year, plus Transport Allowance XOF 30,000 paid 12 times per year
4 January 2022

Learning and development opportunities:

There are a huge range of formal and informal, remote and in-person, free and paid-for learning and development opportunities, which the successful candidate will be able to access, based on personal  learning and development objectives drawn up each year with their manager.  These can be tailored both to the immediate on-the-job needs as well as longer-term career aspirations.  Examples include: programme management training; economics course; communications training; core briefing skills; mentoring by, or shadowing of, senior staff; familiarisation visit to HQ; and regular lecture series on a range of African (geographic and thematic) issues.  Some initial mandatory training will also include, for instance, data protection compliance training, and safeguarding compliance training. 

Working patterns:

The British Embassy’s working hours are:

Monday-Thursday: 0830-1630

Friday: 0830-1430

Occasional evening events to attend which attract TOIL

Full Time only. But flexible working patterns within this may be possible. Some working from home is possible indeed, during Covid is mandatory (at the moment, we are each working roughly ½ week from the office, and ½ from home).

British Embassy Abidjan is a small and friendly embassy, comprising around 20 colleagues in total. As well as the development team, the embassy comprises a trade team, political team, corporate services and consular. This role will report to the Development Counsellor.

Our policy priorities in Côte d’Ivoire are around resilient and inclusive economic growth; human development; open societies (i.e. good governance, inclusive political participation, active civil society etc) and security.  As a team, we work closely with other UK government colleagues around the region, including Dakar, Accra and Abuja, as well as colleagues back in HQ (London and East Kilbride in Scotland). 

  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British Embassy in Abidjan are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Côte d’Ivoire .
  • All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.
  • The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;
  1. Obtain the relevant permit
  2. Pay fees for the permit
  3. Make arrangements to relocate
  4. Meet the costs to relocation
  • The British Embassy/High Commission does not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.
  • 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.    
  • Information about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Competency Framework can be found on this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework Please note: AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
  • The British Embassy will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position
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This opportunity is closed to applications.