View Vacancy - Personal Assistant to Her Majesty’s Ambassador (British Embassy Caracas)
Main purpose of job
The Personal Assistant to Her Majesty’s Ambassador (PA/HMA) runs the Private Office of HMA/Chargé Caracas, through strategic oversight of HMA’s priorities, speechwriting for HMA/Chargé, communications with HMA, error-free diary management for HMA/Chargé, daily logistics, travel & entertainment budget and chairs the Queen’s Birthday Parade committee. The PA/HMA is to go beyond passive diary keeping and proactively manage HMA’s time, anticipating needs and assuring quality-control of briefings and papers.
Roles and responsibilities
- Strategic oversight of HMA/Chargé’s priorities. PA/HMA is a Private Secretary role for HMA as is typical for senior officials in the UK Government System (similar to an aide). The role of Private Office is keeping track of medium and long-term priorities (external and internal). This means that HMA will rely on PA/HMA to monitor the overall balance of priorities relative to the use of his time and engagement with senior stakeholders. HMA will also delegate communications and follow-up actions to PA/HMA.
- Overview of different team priorities within the Embassy. PA will often accompany HMA to external events and join meetings. This means that HMA will rely on to the PA to monitor the overall balance of priorities relative to the use of her time and engagement with senior stakeholders. HMA will also delegate communications and follow-up actions to Marissa.
- HMA/Chargé's agenda managed timely, flexibly and in a fit-for-purpose manner, ensuring clear communications with HMA/Chargé, clients, and event’s organizers. Securing 100% accuracy in diary and strategic oversight of priorities, including weekly, monthly and quarterly forward looks. Proactive monitoring on events, involving and consulting HMA from early planning stages.
- HMA's budgetary processes accurately: following up actions; having a monthly update to adjustments and budget estimates. Assigning budget fund and monitoring expenditures made by Political Section and coordinating with the Residence Manager on amounts and date the invoices are processed.
- Effective delivery of Spanish Language training and exams to UK-based staff.
- To integrate work dynamics with the Political and Economic Section including on supporting on planning coordination and on ad hoc tasks.
- Chairing the Queen’s Birthday Parade committee and other Residence events.
- Excellent English and Spanish writing and speaking, solid communication skills and ability to work in a team.
- Proactive and ability to learn quickly from feedback and handover documents.
- Attention to details and capacity to deliver under pressure.
- Good knowledge of MS Office software.
- Capacity to manage competing priorities from multiple stakeholders.
- Previous experience working for senior officials (private or public sector).
- Understanding of political and diplomatic issues in Venezuela.
This role is a maternity cover.
Due to COVID-19 we are unable to confirm any start date of employment at this time. We will continue to monitor progress and developments, and will be touch as soon as there is an update.
This opportunity is closed to applications.