View Vacancy - CPK, SH, CGZ - Operational Support Team Officer, AO (Temporary)

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.
Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)
UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration)

Main purpose of job:

Visas Services and Information’s (VSI) vision is to be a world-leading immigration service, working for a safe and prosperous United Kingdom. In this role you will deliver in-house printing operations for customers in China and support other decision making centres with China-focused enrichment support, as part of our protecting the border strategy. 

Jobholders will undertake a range of tasks in connection with the processing of visa applications.  We are looking for flexible people, who work well in a busy environment. It is extremely important that jobholders are adaptable and show a willingness to undertake a variety of tasks operating to challenging targets. These tasks may include a combination of those detailed below. 

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

  • Printing + dispatching visas to Visa Application Centres across China
  • Working in accordance with the UKVI Operating Mandate ensuring that vignettes are handled with care and are securely stored
  • Accurately recording the daily use and destruction of vignettes and working alongside the Vignette Custodian to maintain a detailed audit trail
  • Securely dispatching vignettes to the Visa Application Centres, ensuring that all packages are traceable and tracking numbers are recorded for every vignette
  • Ensuring that all databases are used correctly and activity is recorded in appropriate logs
  • To be consistently competent, ensuring that backlogs are avoided and customer service standards are met by achieving local productivity benchmarks
  • Checking systems to ensure that data entry errors are identified and amended before visas are printed
  • Completing required tasks for admin duties and ensuring hand-overs are performed at the end of the duty so outstanding work is allocated
  • Ensuring applications with User Pay Fee Services are prioritised accordingly
  • Understanding customer service standards, ensuring that work is prioritised to ensure these are met, and escalating any potential delays
  • Representing the Home Office positively and acting in accordance with the Code of Conduct and Home Office Values by demonstrating professionalism and integrity
  • Protecting personal information in accordance with best practice and data protection principles
  • Understanding and embracing operational and policy changes when they happen and pro-actively identifying areas for improvement and passing these to the Manager
  • Support the integrity manager by auditing commercial partner passport banks
  • Contacting applicants, commercial partners and/or counterparts globally to support customer service objectives
  • Creating risk profiles for global decision makers
  • Verifying documentation for global decision makers
  • Providing detailed reports in line with SOPs on enrichment and interviews with customers
  • Performing Chinese/English interpretation
  • Ensuring relevant records are kept updated and performing regular data sweeps
  • Assisting management with ad hoc duties. 

Essential on arrival:

  • An ability to speak and write in English to a high level
  • This is an office based role. Successful candidates must be able to attend the workplace,

Desirable:

  • Previous experience working in UKVI
  • Knowledge of UKVI operational processes
  • Ability to work in a fast paced environment  
  • Good IT skills, knowledge of MS Office applications  
  • Chinese Language
Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace
2 April 2023
Administrative Officer (AO)
Full-time, Temporary
35
Asia Pacific
China
Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai
British Embassy
12
CNY
12,174 for Chinese Nationals | 17,052 for Expats
22 May 2023

We offer a competitive package which includes –

  • Gross monthly salary (before all deductions) of CNY 12,174 for Chinese Nationals paid in 13 month instalments and an abated monthly salary of CNY 17,052 per month for British Nationals and spouses/partners (all nationalities) of diplomats who are ‘W’ (diplomatic) visa holders and meet passport criteria;
  • Insurance plans such as social and housing fund (Chinese Nationals), commercial insurance package including accidental, life, medical and business travel insurance
  • 22 days annual leave entitlement in pro-rata which increases by 0.5 per full calendar year worked up to maximum of 25 days
  • We offer different types of compulsory leave in accordance to Chinese law, e.g. Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Marriage Leave, Parental leave, etc.
  • In addition to the above compulsory leave, we also offer other types of leaves with pay e.g. Study Leave, Volunteering Leave to support staff who undertake volunteering activities, Special Paid Leave to deal with emergencies involving a close family member, and more.
  • Employee Assistance Programme which is a confidential service providing help, support and information to staff to resolve and manage situations causing concern whether at work or personal is available to staff 24/7;

Learning and Development Opportunities:

There is plenty of opportunity to develop on and off the job, and to establish expertise and build capability. We are strongly supportive of the job holder continuing to develop their Visas and Citizenship knowledge. 

Working Patterns:

Conditioned working hours is 35 hours/week from Monday to Friday and flexible working can be arranged upon personal needs. Flexible working arrangements are always considered.

Other Information:

There are 12 positions in total. Staff will have the option to choose their location preference between Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Candidates will be asked their location preference at interview and preference will be given to the highest scorer. 

Number of Vacancies: Guangzhou x5, Shanghai x2, Beijing x5

The contract is until 30 September 2023 with possibility for renewal.

The start date for each post is as follows:

  • Guangzhou: 22 May 2023
  • Shanghai: 5 June 2023
  • Beijing: 3 July 2023

Staff who are locally recruited by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Chinese 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.

Please note that your application must be submitted before 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.  Applicants called for an interview will be assessed on the core behaviours listed above.

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.
 
Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. 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.

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.

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.

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.