View Vacancy - Vice Consul - South Africa & Lesotho (Cape Town based) - 43/18 CPT

Main purpose of job:

Delivering consular services and assistance to British Nationals in South Africa and Lesotho in line with the standards set out in our publication "Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide”

Role and responsibilities:

This role is based in Cape Town, and the bulk of consular assistance and management work will take place there. However, the jobholder will work closely with the Pretoria team (1 x B3 Vice Consul, 2 x A2 Consular Assistants) to deliver excellent customer service for South Africa as a whole. The jobholder will also have oversight of the delivery of consular assistance in Mozambique (1 x A2 Consular Assistant) and will be required to travel at least twice a year for short visits to the consular post.

Providing consular assistance to distressed British Nationals (BNs) across South Africa by leading on high profile/complex cases and providing support for team members on all other cases (40%):

•  Leading on complex/high profile cases involving vulnerable British Nationals. Assistance work includes issues such as welfare, mental illness, rape/sexual assault, victims of serious crime (including the families of murder and manslaughter victims; please note this could require visiting mortuaries and other challenging environments); and cases with media/parliamentary interest.
•  Supporting and advising consular assistants in South Africa and the wider region on complex assistance cases, alongside covering where necessary for the vice-consul based in Pretoria.
• Meeting consular business targets and ensuring team promptly record casework on our case management system and submit monthly statistical returns;
• Effective management of the consular section in Cape Town.

Consular Prevention work: lobbying, liaison, campaigns and other activities that contributr to a reductionof consular cases, or to making consular cases less complex (30%):

• Active outreach to British Nationals and partner organisations around South Africa to establish further sources of assistance for British Nationals;
• Organise visits, seminars and events to engage stakeholders on key areas of policy;
• Identify, lobby and build productive relationships with relevant authorities;
• Creation and delivery of prevention and other communications campaigns;
• In 2019, working with colleagues in South Africa and London, deliver a training event with local law enforcement partners.

Staff and resource management (20%):

• Line management of 1 x A2 Consular Assistant in Cape Town and providing remote support to 0.5 x A2 Consular Assistant in Maputo in accordance with FCO guidance. Providing support and guidance to other consular staff in the region;
• Management of Honorary Consuls in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Lesotho;
• Ensuring your team follow FCO guidance on all procedures and action any points raised in annual consular checklists or internal audit reports;
• Creation and delivery of projects and events which further the FCO’s Consular Strategy;
• Management and profiling of section budgets ensuring full spend is achieved within the financial year. Producing business cases for future financial year budgets.

Support South Africa crisis preparations (10%): 

• Lead on consular elements of CG Cape Town’s Crisis Management Plan (CMP) and lead the Consular Team during crises in the Cape/KZN region;
• Participation in the South Africa crisis team; organisation and participation in crisis exercises. Provide crisis training to consular volunteers in the CMP as appropriate;
• Work closely with Regional Crisis Adviser to ensure South Africa consular crisis preparedness is up to date and appropriate.

 Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Line management of 1 full time A2 Consular Assistant in Cape Town and one part time Consular Assistant in Maputo. Line management of 3 x Honorary Consuls across South Africa and Lesotho. Management and delivery of projects from the Consular Devolved Budget.

The successful candidate will need to have excellent all-round communication skills to manage customer expectations and deliver difficult messages; calmness under pressure; ability to research and follow guidelines, and to plan and prioritise effectively; experience working in a customer facing environment; evidence of supporting and developing staff.

This is a rewarding and often challenging role. You will be supported by your line manager, wider team, and colleagues in the CG, but you must have high levels of personal resilience to succeed.