View Vacancy - Chevening and Political Officer – Political Section

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)
Protocol, Visits and Events

Main purpose of job:

The Chevening and Political Officer’s main responsibility will be to lead and manage the Chevening Scholarship Programme and the implementation of a strategy to promote the UK as a leader in the education sector in Colombia. The post holder will also have administrative and programme management tasks to support the Political Section planning and organising high-level and technical events and missions, and contributing to the political section’s political engagement across a number of UK Government objectives. The role will thus create opportunities for the UK in Colombia, across all the range of embassy priorities. The successful candidate will create and maintain relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, and support the wider Political Section, Ambassador and Deputy Ambassador in their political engagements.

Roles and responsibilities:

Chevening (50%)

  • Manage the Chevening Scholarship Award; delivering successful programme management of the entire candidate selection process, marketing and promotion; including engagement with key stakeholders. 
  • Manage the Colombia Chevening Scholarship Programme brand and stakeholders effectively, including planning and delivery of pre-departure and orientation events.
  • Deliver promotional conferences and panels and lead in all Alumni engagement communications and activities. 
  • Serve as academic liaison to increase opportunities, brand recognition and build profile in Colombia. Support an inclusive and diverse programme of students and alumni. 
  • Lead and oversee communications and marketing opportunities to increase participation and secure of sponsorship opportunities, working with the Communications Team.
  • Manage overall financial and staff resources.

Political Section / Higher Education Taskforce (50%)

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to promote UK as a destination for education (focus in Higher Education) in Colombia
  • Identify and manage relations with key stakeholders in the public and private sector in Education. 
  • Seek other opportunities to deliver the Embassy’s soft power strategy, creating strategic engagements to deliver the UK’s public diplomacy work in Colombia (including with the British Council).
  • Provide programme management, administrative and budget support for the Political Section, especially focusing on procurement, logistics, invoicing, budgets, organising key electronic files on Microsoft Teams, preparing minutes and calendar updates. 
  • Support the Political Section to deliver policy objectives, strategic communications and awareness of current affairs through reporting and support to political engagements. This includes planning, organising and supporting high-level visits, working level events, liaising with external stakeholders, drafting and sending invites, following up on attendance and agendas, contributing to briefs, compiling meeting minutes.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 
Manage 1 -2 junior staff members (depending of peak seasons).
Manage Programme Fund with a yearly budget of £500,000.
Manage Special Projects between £20,000-£100,000.

•    Excellent project management skills.
•    Good interpersonal abilities, press and communication knowledge.
•    Excellent spoken and written communication and written in English / Spanish.
•    Event management experience.

Language requirements: 

English – Full proficiency
Spanish – Full proficiency

Level of language required: C1 under international qualification 

Must have the legal status to live and work in Colombia. 

•    Protocol and International affairs knowledge.
•    Knowledge of UK culture and the UK education system.
•    Communication and design software experience
•    Public speaking experience.
•    Budget management experience
Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together
13 December 2023
Administrative Officer (AO)
Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
35
Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean
Colombia
Bogota
British Embassy
1
COP
COP$ 5,062,099 Monthly
monthly
15 January 2023
14 July 2023

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, eg some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

If during the reserve period of 6-12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate. 

Learning and development opportunities:

  • Candidate will have access to mentoring and job shadowing, as well as the opportunity to work on cross-embassy teams or projects.
  • Scope for participation in learning opportunities provided by the L&D committee and / or wider Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).

Working patterns:
Embassy working hours are 8:30 to 5:00 pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:30 to 1:30 pm on Fridays. Some flexibility of working hours may be allowed and required. Job holder may be required to work evenings and weekends on occasions an peak seasons. Travel at short notice might be required.On specific events, candidate might be required to work flexible hours. 
Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.