View Vacancy - Consular Officer, Emergency Travel Documents Centre Madrid (ESP20.255)
Due to COVID-19, you may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign. We are working hard to minimise any disruption. You may find more information in the Additional Information section below.
The British Embassy is part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) worldwide network of 270 Posts, representing British political, military, economic, and consular interests overseas.
Consular assistance is a FCO priority and issuing Emergency Travel Documents (ETD’s) is a large part of the assistance offered to British nationals whilst working or travelling overseas. The Emergency Travel Document (ETD) Centre processes applications and produces ETDs for British Nationals whose full validity passport has expired, been damaged, lost or stolen or is otherwise unavailable and need to travel urgently. The vast majority of these will have been online applicants and will not attend the High Commission.
Working in a busy team in the ETD Centre, your primary role will be to support your direct reports as you and they process applications for and issue thousands of ETDs.
Your role will include:
Leading a small team to deliver the ETDs within published FCO timescales. This includes setting objectives and providing line management support for your direct reports, focussing on their delivery and development
Actively monitoring team performance and resolving potential issues in achieving the FCO service levels
Providing regular updates to your line manager
Having a good understanding of the ETD end to end process and the ability to organise the team to implement it
Having a good understanding of the ETD policy and guidance and helping to shape these
Checking documents and assessing applicant’s eligibility
Determining applicant’s entitlement to British Nationality (in exceptional cases)
Taking payments for applications
Data inputting and processing applications
Quality assuring travel documents ensuring compliance to policy/guidance and approving the issue of ETDs
Printing ETDs and organising courier delivery
Liaising with customers, usually by email or by phone but some face-to-face contact
Interviewing some applicants by video link or occasionally face-to-face or by phone
Liaison with consular colleagues at Consulates from a wide geographical range
Adhere to and meet processing benchmarks/key performance indicators
ETD Stock management duties
You would also be required to lead on the more complicated applications, ensuring we meet our commitment to British nationals whilst ensuring both security and accuracy of documents.
Using Consular and Her Majesty’s Passport Office systems to:
Liaison with customers throughout the ETD process, where it is relevant. Liaison with posts, other consular departments, couriers and other partners.
Fully IT literate
Attention to detail
Line management experience in a busy, customer focused operation
Excellent organisational skills
Customer service skills with 3 years experience minimum
Experience working in a hub, centralised operation or processing centre
Experience in working to deadlines, benchmarks, key performance indicators and quality standards
- Knowledge or experience of working in consular services;
- Previous experience of interviewing customers;
- Previous experience interpreting and applying policy and guidelines
This is a full-time permanent position and the working hours are 37.5 hrs per week. Shift rotation basis, varying work schedule each week Monday through to Sunday including unsociable hours and public holidays. The exact working hours and shifts will be laid down by the British Embassy in Madrid but the centre is open 24/7 and working patterns will reflect this.
The successful candidate is subject to a confirmation of a background check, security clearance and the successful completion of a probationary period.
The successful candidate will be enrolled in the Spanish Social Security Scheme and will therefore not be entitled to any gratuity from the Embassy based on gross annual salary.
The Embassy is a Diplomatic Mission with tax exempt status and does not collect taxes for other States. Employees are fully responsible for payment of Spanish income tax at the legally required rate. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Spain are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Spanish employment law.
Visa / passport requirements: must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Spain and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
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.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
FCO does not pay for travel related expense incurred in interviews (including Security Check) or accept any financial risk, including cancelation or reschedule costs. The FCO will not meet the costs connected with relocation if offered a position.
Additional Information (due to Covid-19):
You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign and we are working hard to minimise any disruption;
Interviews will be done remotely if the existing situation determines this to be the right course of action;
Starting date may be delayed depending on circumstances at the time and it will be agreed with the selected candidate.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
