View Vacancy - Outer Office Manager, Defence Section

The British Embassy in Amman is seeking an individual for the position of Outer Office Manager for the Defence Section.

This is a high-profile position working for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) within the British Embassy. The jobholder is responsible for: management of the Defence and Air Attachés’ outer office and providing first point of contact and coordination for all senior Defence officer engagement in Jordan; direct liaison with the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) and other senior Jordanian interlocutors to plan and coordinate UK sponsored activity; and planning and running Defence Engagement ceremonial and social events. The role also includes the opportunity to support the wider British Embassy platform as appropriate.

This is an excellent opportunity to work as part of a close-knit and dedicated team delivering UK Defence Engagement activity and supporting wider UK interests in Jordan. The successful candidate will work directly to the Defence Attaché and, as a core member of the UK Defence in Jordan team, will be at the forefront of Defence Engagement activity. They will be comfortable working at pace in a busy and, at times, pressured environment and with dealing with the highest level of the Jordanian military and the wider international defence community. They will have excellent communication and organisational skills and will be a self-starter, able to regularly produce accurate and timely work under pressure and with little supervision. The role suits a calm, experienced and pragmatic individual.

Main duties and responsibilities:

- Management of the Attaché Outer Office

• Arranging and scheduling briefings and office calls for the Defence Attaché, Air Attaché, and visiting senior military officers and Defence officials with: The Royal Hashemite Court; the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and other offices of senior Jordanian military officers and government as required.
• Managing the Defence and Air Attachés’ schedules and providing administrative and programming support and advice as required.
• Drafting correspondence to the General Headquarters of the JAF and the Headquarters of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) on behalf of the Defence and Air Attachés.
• Organising the translation of correspondence (Arabic/English and English/Arabic) as required.

- Coordination and management of Defence Section activity

• Maintaining the Defence Engagement forecast and planner and calendar.
• Maintaining the Defence Section Activity Spreadsheet, Contacts Database, and the Attachés’ Military Influence Lists.
• Line managing and tasking the Defence Section Driver and completing associated appraisals and reports.

- Event organisation and management

• Under guidance from the Defence Attaché, arranging and coordinating the programmes of senior British officers visiting Jordan.
• Organising and facilitating visits for senior Jordanian officers to the UK.
• Planning and arranging Defence Engagement events on behalf of the Defence Attaché.
• Coordination of Defence Section input to Embassy sponsored events and visits as required.

- Supporting wider Defence outputs

• Maintenance of the Defence Section relationship with the JAF through direct liaison with the outer offices and the Attaché Branch.
• Deputising for other members of the Defence Section where appropriate.
• Assisting in the coordination of wider Embassy visits and activities as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key competencies required:

• Leading and Communicating - Leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction, and enthusiasm. Managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity. Displaying enthusiasm around goals and activities and adopting a positive approach when interacting with others.
• Collaborating and Partnering - Creating and maintaining 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, and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions.
• 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, and encouraging others to perform effectively during challenging and changing times.
• Managing a Quality Service - Being organised 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 and efficient service, applying programme and project management approaches to support service delivery.

• Background in and experience of working in a key administrative role. Previous successful team co-ordination and office management experience.
• Experience of having managed visits and/ or events.
• Excellent organisational ability with proven ability to manage, plan, and prioritise task and workload to meet deadlines whilst maintaining attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
• Proven ability to work autonomously as well as being a team player, supporting others to deliver results.
• Demonstrates proactive approach to problem solving and working under pressure. Ability to understand competing priorities and make judgement calls on when to use own initiative to deal directly with enquiries and when to consult before taking decisions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and collaborative approach to colleagues and stakeholder partnerships. Able to maintain a range of contacts to build and maintain effective working relationships, and work closely with senior staff and their contacts.
• Demonstrates courtesy and consideration in dealing with stakeholders. Able to show discretion in handling any sensitive matters, with the trust of all involved.
• Excellent communication skills in English both verbal and written. Able to express ideas and messages clearly, concisely, and confidently, both orally and in written communication.
• Very good level of IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).