Main purpose of job:
The successful candidate will play an important role in promoting the UK as a global leader in Science and Technology (S&T) and support the delivery of our S&T partnership with New Zealand.
The job holder will work closely with the Lead Adviser for Science & Technology, administering and supporting collaborations that are mutually beneficial, supporting and promoting the UK’s S&T strengths. Focus areas will evolve over time, so flexibility and willingness to adapt are essential. Please note that engaging with UK stakeholders means that evening / early morning calls are required, for which we provide time off in lieu (TOIL) for hours worked.
They will report on New Zealand S&T activities, and develop relationships with government, research organisations, and policy influencers in the UK and New Zealand. They will provide effective event administrative and policy support, collaborating with, and where necessary, covering for colleagues.
The job holder will be part of the UK Government’s Science and Technology Network (STN) - co-owned by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The UK’s Science & Technology Network (STN) aims to strengthen the UK’s growth, security, and global influence by converting international partnerships into strategic advantage in S&T with our host countries, among which New Zealand is a priority.
The job holder will play a vital role in an ambitious agenda of cooperation, designing, planning and delivering activities that strengthen the UK S&T base, and support growth and jobs in the UK. They will support programmes in areas that are at the heart of the UK-New Zealand S&T relationship.
Currently this is focussed on frontier technologies such as Aerospace, Quantum Technology, AI and Engineering Biology. Outcomes will build on partnerships and joint research programmes, increased profile and visibility of UK capabilities, and commercial opportunities. The job holder will need to be flexible to work on new areas and to support new opportunities for collaboration
Learning and development opportunities are available, including teach-ins from UK subject matter experts and via online collaboration with 100+ colleagues in the UK’s Science & Technology Network.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:
Administration (25%)
Reporting (25%)
Programme delivery (20%)
Stakeholder management (20%)
Communications (10%)
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
No responsibilities for management of staff. No budget management responsibilities. The job holder will administer activity budgets and reporting to meet strategic objectives.
Learning and development opportunities:
In addition to extensive Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office training opportunities available online and in-person, the post holder will have access to extensive science and tech diplomacy insight through the UK’s Science & Technology Network and the UK Government’s Science & Engineering forum.
Working patterns:
The successful applicant would be expected to work full-time for the duration of the contract from Monday – Friday, 09:00 – 17:30 plus overtime / (taken as TOIL). Please note that engaging with UK stakeholders means that evening / early morning calls are required, for which we provide time off in lieu (TOIL) for hours worked.
Other Information:
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are locally recruited by the British High Commission are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to New Zealand local employment law.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. Any costs related to obtaining or renewing permits and visas are the responsibility of the successful applicant.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and building a culturally diverse workplace. We actively encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Our culture of inclusion is underpinned by our excellent staff networks which cover disability, faith and belief, gender equality, social mobility, age, race, LGBT+, and how to be an ally.
The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.
Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline."
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.
For inclusivity and diversity, please remove the following personal information when uploading your CV: name, address, email address, age, date of birth, gender, and nationality.
Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.
The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
