View Vacancy - MNL - Private Office Support Officer, A1 (L)
The British Embassy Manila is a large diplomatic mission (around 250 staff) delivering a dynamic and rapidly expanding programme of activity in support of the UK’s objectives on prosperity, security and consular matters. The Embassy is a modern, diverse and inclusive employer where everyone contributes to the Embassy’s CORE Values of Collaboration, Opportunity, Respect and Excellence.
Main purpose of job:
This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of a large Embassy with a dynamic programme of bilateral and regional activity. You will be a key member of the small team working closely for the Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission to deliver the UK’s objectives on prosperity, security and consular matters. The Embassy is a modern, diverse and inclusive employer where everyone contributes to realising an Embassy vision based on the principles of Collaboration, Opportunity, Respect and Excellence.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Provide word processing and secretarial support to the Head of Private Office and Residence Manager.
- Supporting the Deputy Head of Mission by coordinating with all sections across the Embassy and collating material from Embassy colleagues and setting up presentations, charts, spreadsheets, and tables.
- Assist in the Ambassador’s and Deputy Head of Mission’s diary management and appointments with internal and external stakeholders.
- Dealing effectively with all correspondence (telephone, email, and post) using standardised response/template and original drafting and sending replies and letters to senior level stakeholders on behalf of the Ambassador.
- Deal with a range of straightforward day-to-day enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
- Providing cover for the Head of Private Office and Residence Manager during annual leave/sick absence (e.g. preparation of guests’ name cards, menu cards, seating arrangement during residence events)
- Maintaining the contacts database
- Managing external calls for the Ambassador and the Deputy Head of Mission and making sure guests for each meetings are well coordinated with as well as the reservation arrangements for the venue.
- Booking of flights and accommodation for the Ambassador and the Deputy Head of Mission during official travel and arranging logistics of each meeting in the programme. Comparing and compiling best flight options.
- Acting as secretariat for meetings, including arrangements for teleconferences. Taking down minutes of weekly and monthly committee meetings.
- Provide other embassy teams with support for events including Queen’s Birthday Party, and Remembrance Sunday and visit management by coordinating with events team lead and external stakeholders.
- Integrity and confidentiality
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- At least 1-2 years administrative experience
- Technical proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
- Excellent organizational skills and the ability to multitask.
- Punctuality
- In depth knowledge of office management and basic accounting procedures
- Minimum Bachelor’s degree
- An interest in international relations
- Excellent prioritization and time management skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Familiarity with cloud systems and Outlook calendar software
- Can work in a fast paced environment under pressure
The role being advertised is for a fixed-term duration of one (1) year, with the possibility for renewal.
Applicants must be willing and able to adopt a flexible working pattern when necessary, to support events and the Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission’s activities out of regular office hours.
The British Embassy offers a competitive compensation package, 36-hour work week, guaranteed 13th and 14th month pay, 20 days paid annual leave (calculated on Pro-rata basis if joined after 1 January), extensive medical insurance, life insurance and access to a guaranteed 5 days of learning opportunities a year.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. You must have work authorisation for the Philippines in order to apply.
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment checks. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy Manila is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Philippine employment law.
Candidates are expected to have a valid NBI Clearance.
All applications must be received before 23:55 local time at the specified application deadline.
Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested. We regret to advise that we will only be contacting short-listed candidates. Applicants called for an interview will be assessed on the core competencies listed above. Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount. Reference and security clearances checks will be conducted.
The successful candidate's start date would depend on the successful clearance of pre-employment/security checks.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Embassy is operating at reduced capacity (in response to Crisis tasks). Therefore, there may be a delay in reviewing applications.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
