View Vacancy - DXB - Expo 2020 Project Support Officer A2(L)

The British Embassy Dubai has a vacancy for a Project Support Officer in the Expo 2020 Dubai team for a fixed term contract until April 2022.

The UK’s participation in Expo is led by the Department of International Trade (DIT) and is a cross-government priority project for Her Majesty’s Government (HMG). The team is spread across London and the British Embassy Dubai – with another to be based at the Expo site.

The UK theme for Expo 2020 Dubai is Global Britain – Innovating for a Shared Future. Our participation will consist of a country pavilion with an accompanying business and cultural programme to promote the UK as an excellent destination for business, education, and tourism.

The Project Support Officer role will be vital in supporting the senior leadership in every aspect of their work to enable the efficient running of the Expo 2020 Dubai project in the UAE.

The position requires excellent organisational, communication, and time management skills. You will be integral to the functioning of the UAE Expo team at a time when preparations are ramping up and the wider Expo team move into positions in the UAE. You will work dynamically in a fast paced role with shifting priorities. Flexibility and adaptability is essential as we rapidly evolve from planning to delivery. The jobholder will need to be a self-starter with passion and motivation to make this project a success alongside the growing team.

You will work closely with Expo colleagues, Embassy teams in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and with the UAE government and Expo organisers. You may be required to work out of hours, sometimes at short notice, including to support VIP visits which will involve work and travel in both Emirates. The successful candidate will need to work flexibly across the British Embassy Dubai and Expo 2020 site (Dubai).

Duties and responsibilities:

• Managing Commissioner General and Deputy Commissioner General’s diary, meetings and appointments, successfully de-conflicting and prioritising to meet the needs of the CG and DCG. Possibility to take on management of additional senior diaries and meetings as required.
• Develop effective relationships with key stakeholders across Embassy, Expo team, and externally to support business requirements – key during Expo when ad hoc requests will be plentiful and require careful management.
• Arrange meetings, events and support on visits – to include invites, access permissions, security approvals, transport and programmes, coordinating documentation and paperwork.
• Confidently manage responses to internal and external enquiries and monitor the shared Expo 2020 inbox responding as appropriate.
• Provide support (including secretarial/ administrative) for high level visits by Ministers and senior officials coming to Dubai to visit the Expo 2020 site and engage with the senior Expo organising committee. To involve working in a fast paced environment across London teams, and internal and external UAE stakeholders.
• Lead administrative duties for the team, including organising meetings, transportation and programmes, drafting, office management, co-ordinating team-wide travel and expenses, budget monitoring, and to manage filing system for Teams and SharePoint site.
• Maintain administrative processes and records in line with all major project auditable requirements, working to ensure gateway reviews and other formal requirements are met with regular checks. 
• As preparations for Expo 2020 gather pace at the British Embassy, the duties of this position will expand to support Expo delivery - tasks will evolve in line with that plan so the candidate must be flexible and willing.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis affecting UK citizens.

Key competencies required:

• Managing a Quality Service - Valuing and modelling professional excellence and expertise to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. Effectively planning, organising, and managing time and activities to deliver a high-quality, secure, reliable, and efficient service, applying programme and project and risk management approaches to support service delivery.
• Collaborating and Partnering - Being a team player who creates and maintains positive, professional, and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the organisation to help get business done. Working collaboratively, sharing information appropriately, and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions. Being approachable, delivering objectives through creating an inclusive environment, encouraging collaboration and building effective partnerships and welcoming challenge however uncomfortable.
• Delivering at Pace - Focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. Working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way.
• Changing and Improving - Being responsive and innovative, and seeking out opportunities to create effective change. Learning from what has worked well and what has not; being open to change, suggesting ideas for improvements to the way things are done; and working in ’smarter’, more focused ways. Seeking out ways to improve policy implementation and making use of alternative delivery models including digital and shared service approaches wherever possible.

• Previous experience as an administrative assistant and/ or as a personal assistant/ executive assistant, including diary management of more than one individual
• Fluent in English, both verbal and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Excellent organisational ability and a proactive approach to problem solving
• Proven ability to work autonomously, support others and deliver results, including in a fast-paced and changing environment
• IT literate and well versed in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams).