View Vacancy - SRR - Community Liaison Officer (AO)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) for a fixed-term contract of two (2) years.

The jobholder provides community support to British Embassy staff posted to Saudi Arabia from the UK (UK-based staff) and contributes to the wider wellbeing of all staff in the British Embassy network. The CLO should be a visible point of contact for the Embassy on family and community issues, providing outreach and communication, acting as a sounding board, helping staff and their families to get settled in on arrival, and supporting them on departure. The CLO works closely with Embassy management and Corporate Services, gathering and feeding in information, advocating on behalf of British Embassy staff from a community perspective, and supporting measures that promote a happy and thriving community. 

Duties and responsibilities:

Specifically, the CLO should:

• Gather and disseminate key information for UK-Based (UKB) officers and their spouses/ partners and families, and Country Based Staff (CBS) on flexible deployment (those hired through local contracts in Saudi Arabia) where appropriate. This should include comprehensive information on: options for spouse/ partner employment at Post; options for children’s education and childcare; access to adult education, career and training opportunities for partners/spouses; recreational facilities and social matters. Lead on completion of the Diplomatic Service Families Association (DSFA) Spouse and Partner Annual Employment reports, Cost of Living surveys, as well as the Hardship survey, and regularly update the Post Factsheets, the Post Reports for Saudi Arabia, the Welcome Pack for new arrivals to Post and the CLO Team Site.
• Support new UKB Staff arrivals at Post. Welcoming all staff coming to the Embassy on a posting (however long or short the length) and their accompanying families, to ensure as smooth an integration as possible into the life of the Post community. Arrange and conduct and orientation at the start of their stay and following up to check that the settling in process is working, being a source of referral and ongoing support including where questions, problems and difficulties arise. Providing a short Post Community induction. Also provide support at the end-of-tour, for example signposting them on how to sell surplus items at Post or how to access a furniture float once their goods have been packed for shipping.
• Advocate for UK-based staff and families and the network more generally, to ensure issues of community importance are heard by Senior Management and in key management committees – particularly the Housing and Post Security committees. Act as the chief link between Post and DSFA in London. Press for solutions to any systemic problems faced by the Embassy community, for example on the maintenance of recreational facilities.
• Communicate and reach out on community and social matters across Post to all staff. Build up networks and get known across the Embassy community, as well as with key Embassy contacts such as the international schools, key medical clinics and Diplomatic Quarter Authority. Be visible, participate in and host events to help the Embassy family get to know each other outside work, to promote wellbeing and a sense of community. Manage and run an informative WhatsApp group (or groups) to help bring to the community together and ensure they are aware of upcoming events, opportunities and key information (keeping the group in line with FCDO social media policy). Advertise details of DSFA career support services and courses to eligible UK-Based spouses/partners at Post. Promote a range of social activities suitable for different interests and personal circumstances, open to the whole Embassy community (UKB and CBS).
• Promote general welfare and wellbeing in the British Embassy community. Provide a confidential listening ear for any problems and difficulties arising in the community, signposting partners and families to sources of assistance (for example FCDO welfare officers, the Employee Assistance Programme, or Human Resources), and flagging systemic problems with the British Embassy management. Complete Fairness Champion and Metal Health First Aid and wellbeing trainings, complete Crisis Preparedness Management eLearning, and be aware of and involved in Post crisis management plans.

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 behaviours required:

• Managing a Quality Service - Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
• Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
• Changing and Improving - Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.
• Seeing the Big Picture - Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider organisational priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
• Making Effective Decisions - Using evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully considering alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
• Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a strong and empathetic customer focus and the ability to respond to a range of customers’ needs. Demonstrates courtesy and consideration in dealing with stakeholders across all levels.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Exceptional planning, organisational skills and keen attention to detail. Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines without compromising the quality of the work.
• Ability to think logically/ laterally and be able to display sound judgement and common sense.
• Ability to hold sensitive and confidential information.
• Very good level of IT skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).