View Vacancy - COMMUNITY LIASION OFFICER (FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME)

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)
Community Liaison

Main purpose of job:

The British Government’s Mission and Consulate in New York has an exciting opportunity for a welcoming and inclusive person to join the HMG in New York as Community Liaison Officer. This opportunity is a rewarding role which supports staff in New York who are developing the special relationship between the UK and the US and the UN, supporting work at the forefront of international diplomacy in order to make a real difference globally.

The US Network offers a unique career enhancing opportunity and is committed to supporting its staff through a variety of benefits including generous leave, insurance packages and a highly competitive 401k programme.  It also promotes a culture of flexibility which enables people to better maintain wellness through an excellent work/life balance approach that encompasses hybrid working, including working from home and flexible hours, where possible.  In this role you would be working in a diverse international environment to support UK diplomats, armed forces personnel and other country-based staff operating across the British Government’s network of Consulates and Government Offices in the United States. This network provides a platform for approximately 30 Government departments and agencies to conduct their work in the United States and is made up of over 900 staff with a rich and diverse background, skill sets, and experiences.

The Community Liaison Officer is crucial to the smooth running of the Corporate Services operation in New York, providing critical support to UK-based staff and their families being posted to New York and contributing to the welfare of the . The position is key to ensuring a consistent delivery of quality and efficient corporate services to the UK’s Mission to the United Nations (UKMis) and the British Consulate-General (BCG), New York (comprising c.200 staff and 8 separate British Government Departments and partners).

The ideal candidate will have experience of working for HMG and have experience of being posted overseas with HMG either as an officer or a spouse. You should be a be a people-person with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to deal empathetically with people in a positive, proactive and supportive manner, even under pressure.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve

The CLO provides practical and pastoral support primarily to UK-based staff and families, and to a lesser degree all staff in both BCG and UKMis New York. The successful candidate will be an energetic and enthusiastic self starter, and must be able to confidently work autonomously to a high standard, as well as collaboratively with several busy teams. They will be knowlegeable of FCDO policies and guidance in relation to their areas of expertise, they must also be approachable, empathetic, and resilient. The key roles and responsibilies of the job are:

1.      Managing a smooth on-boarding and departure for UK-Based officers and their families. To include information on spouse/partner employment in New York; children's education, a complex process in New York, (through completion of separate HR School and Nursery Information Sheets of authorised schools); comprehensive information on childcare; career and training opportunities for spouses/partners; single officer and foreign born spouse/partner issues; recreational facilities; social matters.  Research and collation of information to accurately complete DSFA Spouse and Partner Annual Employment Report, annual Education Return and the biannual Cost of Living Allowance returns.  FCDO HQ on policies affecting families on behalf of Post(s).

2.      Staff Welfare Providing welfare support to all staff at BCG and UKMis New York, as well as to the families of UK-Based diplomatic staff. Signposting staff and families to relevant support services and (when trained) providing mental health first aid support as needed. Actively participating in Post’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Committee. Welcoming all staff their accompanying families,  both on confirmation of their successful posting and on arrival to ensure as smooth an integration as possible into the life of the our Post(s) community; following up to check that the settling in process is working; being a source of referral and support where questions, problems and difficulties arise; and providing a short community induction.

3.      Advocate for UK-based staff and families in addressing issues of importance with Post Management, including as their representative on Post Housing Committee, Health & Safety Committee, Post Security Committee, Crisis Committee, and as the chief link between Post(s) and DSFA in London. The CLO will work closely with Corporate Services to ensure the needs of staff and families are appropriately taken into consideration with regard to policy and procedures at Post; and that all families are treated fairly and equitably.  The CLO will champion staff issues with Post Leadership and be confident in bringing staff concerns (and suggested solutions to address those concerns) to the attention of senior staff. The CLO will support Post Leadership in implementing a OneHMG culture of inclusivity, embracing equality and diversity at Post.  with FCDO HQ in relation to the education policy for children at Post; the CLO will be able to confidently and professionally present the education situation at Post to senior staff in HQ, advocating on behalf of staff and families to get the best educational outcomes for UKB children living in New York.

4.      Communicate effectively on community and social matters across Post(s) to staff and partners/spouses.  The CLO should advertise details of DSFA career support services and courses to eligible UK-Based spouses/partners at Post. The CLO should participate in Social Committee and ensure views of spouses/partners are considered when arranging social activities. CLO will issue regular email communication with spouses/partners including news, events, training and messages from the security team where relevant. The CLO will also set-up and maintain a WhatsApp group for spouses/partners to encourage connectivity and information sharing between members of that group.

5.      Information Management Management of the Welcome to New York Pack, and update and review of the Post Report and Fact Sheet. The CLO will provide information in areas including pre-posting information, spouse/partner employment at Post; child and adult education, childcare, recreation facilities and training opportunities.

6.      Emergency Planning the CLO must be aware of and be involved in Post contingency and crisis planning, including participating in Crisis Committee meetings and crisis training. Once trained, the CLO will take on an active role in Welfare Management in the event of an active crisis at Post.

7.      Ad-hoc duties as required.

All the above tasks require the CLO to have strong links with senior leadership at Post, Corporate Services at Post, relevant FCDO departments, the DSFA, and the global CLO network.

 


·         Sound understanding of expatriate life.

·         Strong English oral and written communication skills.

·         Ability to learn, understand and champion complex and bespoke rules in a fast-paced and changing office environment.

·         First-rate inter-personal skills, with exceptional ability to listen and deal empathetically with people in a positive, proactive and supportive manner even under pressure.

·         Strong inter-personal and communication skills, with an ability to engage a broad range of staff and senior managers with confidence and authority. 

·         Strong networking, collaborative and teamwork skills with colleagues, managers and a broad range of external contacts and partners.

·         Able to work independently with strong organisational skills and ability to follow through with minimal direction.

·         Customer-focused and responsive to customer needs.

·         Confident IT user.

·         Minimum 2 years related work experience

·         Must be eligible to work in the United States

·         Familiarity of working in public service, particularly the UK Government. 

·         Experience of being posted overseas as a diplomat or spouse.

·         Experience with HMG either as an officer or spouse.

·         Knowledge of the practicalities of working and living in New York and/or the UK

Applicants must submit a one page cover letter, explaining their suitability for the role and a full resume covering employment history, responsibilities held in the past and experiences gained.

Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
8 February 2023
Executive Officer (EO)
Part-Time, Full-time, Permanent
40
Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories
United States
UK Mission to the United Nations, New York
British Embassy
1
USD
$62,800
24 April 2023

Training provided for the new post holder:

  • 4 day CLO training course run by DSFA
  • Crisis Preparedness Management eLearning
  • Regional Training Team Crisis Training
  • Mental Health First Aider Training

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents or A visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at our office. Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa. All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work. • A visas are acceptable at the Embassy and Consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas, and British Defence Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas.

 The UK Government operating in the US offers a substantial benefits package including generous leave, a choice of medical insurance, 401(k) matching up to 7%, extensive learning opportunities and a great work/life balance. 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. Internal candidates must inform their supervisor before they apply to a different position. Only successful candidates will be contacted. Please no phone calls. Due to the high volume of resumes we receive, we cannot guarantee consideration of your application if the submission instructions are not properly followed. The British Embassy is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and to creating a diverse working environment, free from discrimination, where everyone is included and treated fairly, based on merit alone. We are an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions without regard to race, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or any other criterion protected by law. 

Working patterns :

This role is 40 hours a week, but does (not) require set working hours each day. Most staff typically work 9am-5pm. We are willing to consider offering this role as a part-time position for the right candidate.

The British Embassy and its US Network embraces hybrid working, allowing its staff to typically work from home 2 times a week according to business need.  We are an organization that also recognises the critical value of team work and we embrace and endorse collaboration by ensuring that all staff attend the office flexibly yet regularly. 

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.