View Vacancy - ROK - Vice Consul, EO - Internal Vacancy
Main purpose of job:
To provide a full range of consular services to British nationals in South Korea. To lead on complex casework and outreach activity and to manage and provide advice to the Pro Consul including organising/ monitoring work flow, performance management, training and development, mentoring and coaching.
The Vice Consul will be working within a small team to provide consular assistance to British Nationals in South Korea. The job-holder will be expected to consistently deliver customer services to a high professional standard with empathy, flexibility and resilience. This is a challenging but extremely rewarding job, which will allow the jobholder to improve management, customer service skills, gain experience of supporting people in difficult circumstances and work in an international English language environment.
The team works within a supportive Asia Pacific Consular region and works closely with colleagues to provide wellbeing and resilience to all consular staff.
Assistance provided is through modern and efficient consular services in line with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Consular Services Strategy, Consular Guidance and Customer Charter, local procedures, guidance and performance standards.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:
1. Providing consular assistance to British nationals who are travelling or resident in South Korea by leading on high profile or complex cases
- Leading on complex/high profile cases or cases involving vulnerable British nationals. Assistance work including issues such as parental child abduction, mental illness, rape/sexual assault, missing persons; victims of serious crime; hospitalisations; potentially vulnerable arrests; media sensitive cases;
- Supporting and advising Pro Consul on assistance cases;
- Visiting detained British nationals in police stations and prisons, explaining procedures and monitoring welfare, writing visit reports for family and taking follow-up action with the Korean authorities and London Consular teams as required;
- Providing consular assistance during crises;
- Ensuring the team meet all consular business targets and promptly recording assistance casework on the consular casework management system.
2. Staff management, Resource management, Personal development
- Direct line management of one Pro Consul;
- Carry out management checks of cashier duties and documentary services;
- Carry out monthly management information checks and producing statistics showing trends of types of assistance cases in South Korea;
- Management and profiling of a section budget of approximately £2,500 for prevention activities, a full spend within the financial year;
- Ensure that information for British people in RoK, provided on GOV.UK, is accurate and up-to-date.
- Use the 70:20:10 model to focus own learning and development in line with Personal Development Plan.
3. Outreach to local authorities and partner organisations
- Liaise with central Ministries and local authorities; maintain and build a network of contacts with the Korean authorities (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, police stations, detention centres, prisons, hospitals, airports, immigration);
- Lead on planning the section’s prevention objectives and activities and monitoring ervisse throughout the year;
- Lead on outreach to partner organisations (e.g. embassies, NGOs, charities, churches and other civil society groups) to establish further sources of assistance for British nationals.
4. Provision of fee-bearing notarial and documentary services in line with Consular Guidance
- Oversee the provision of fee-bearing services, ensuring they are conducted in line with policy and appropriate fees are taken;
- Print and issue Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) at Post to replace lost, stolen and expired passports;
- Oversee Same Sex Marriages and Citizenship Ceremonies.
5. Assistance with Post’s network crisis preparations / corporate contribution
- Provide support on: Consular crisis preparation ensuring consular elements of the crisis plan are up to date; organisation of crisis exercises; and support non-consular colleagues on the Crisis Hub platform (the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s consular database for use in crisis);
- Lead on managing the Warden Network.
- Contribute to the Embassy working environment by taking responsibility for corporate delivery or change.
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
- Line management of one Pro Consul
- Budget management (£2,500-£3,500)
- Excellent all-round communication skills to deal with people facing a variety of situations. Ability to demonstrate empathy and professionalism;
- Previous problem solving experience in a customer facing role including working under pressure with highly distressed people;
- Ability to follow guidelines and plan and prioritise effectively;
- Ability to work well with others and to build and maintain relationships with customers and stakeholders;
- Management experience;
- Previous experience of working in an English language environment;
- Should be a proactive and creative self-starter with strong interpersonal skills who has the ability to learn quickly;
- Able to prioritise in a fast-paced work environment, working largely unsupervised, delivering to tight deadlines and agreed targets.
- Local knowledge such as good understanding of Korean law (e.g. criminal procedure), local authorities, and/or social welfare would be an advantage.
The position is being advertised on a 1-year contract with possible extension.
Learning and development opportunities:
The British Embassy in Seoul offers a full range of L&D opportunities, including learning sets, e-learning and face-to-face classes. Online courses and on the job learning will form the core of the jobholder’s induction into embassy work and these may be enhanced by an additional induction course in the UK. Every member of staff is entitled to 5 L&D days per year.
- Successful candidate will be expected to complete mandatory online learning courses and encouraged to pursue other relevant training opportunities.
- Formal learning to be agreed between successful applicant and Line Manager.
The British Embassy is committed to investing in L&D for its staff, and provides a range of L&D opportunities, from learning sets to speaker events, group learning to job shadowing opportunities, as well as an extensive suite of online learning materials. Where job-specific training is identified the British Embassy will provide access to appropriate courses.
Working patterns:
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, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law.
Normal working hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 17:15 (17:00 on Fridays). However, occasional evening and weekend working may be required, for which time off in lieu is given. The British Embassy Seoul encourages flexible working and various flexible working arrangements are possible with line manager agreement, including working from home.
Other information:
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment checks.
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.
Staff who are recruited by the British Embassy Seoul are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law.
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.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
