Main purpose of job:
The British Embassy Bangkok is a large diplomatic mission of around 150 staff delivering a dynamic and rapidly expanding programme of activity in support of the UK’s objectives including on economic and sustainable development, trade, security, open societies, consular services and law enforcement. This is an exciting opportunity to join our diverse team. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic team which focuses on sustainable development partnerships on economic reform, digital, health, science and innovation, environmental issues and climate change.
As Deputy Head of the Economic and Sustainable Development (ESD) section at the British Embassy Bangkok, the job holder will have the opportunity to work on a fascinating range of domestic, regional and global issues and build networks with a broad range of external stakeholders.
The UK and Thailand recently signed a Strategic Partnership which strengthens cooperation in a range of areas including: economic, trade and investment; political, security and defence; climate, energy and sustainable development; science and technology; health; agriculture and people-to-people links.
This exciting role is part of the UK Embassy’s policy leadership team, delivering on that cooperation. We are looking for an excellent team player who has the ability to think strategically to shape and deliver on UK-Thailand partnerships, in particular on economic issues and green transition.
The UK and Thailand have a longstanding trade and economic partnership, including MoUs with the Bank of Thailand and the Securities and Exchange Commission, to support the development of Thailand’s financial sector and ecosystem to support financial inclusion.
In Thailand, the UK’s activity on climate change spans diplomatic action and lobbying, events and media engagement, and a range of UK-funded programmes to support the Thai government to develop and implement low carbon transition plans and accelerate economic growth in green sectors. As part of the UK Government’s global response to the climate challenge and its commitment to help deliver the aims of the 2015 Paris Agreement, we plan to launch the UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) programme in Thailand with a focus on transportation, sustainable finance and carbon pricing.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?: Responsibilities will be defined with the successful candidate. They are expected to include:
Leadership
Policy and programmes
Stakeholder engagement
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
We are looking for a proactive self-starter, able to work well under pressure and take a flexible approach to emerging priorities. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build strong relations within the British Embassy, with UK teams and a wide range of stakeholders in Thailand. Candidates should demonstrate:
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
The British Embassy Bangkok encourages all staff to develop their capabilities, through both formal training (courses) and informal (job-shadowing, coaching, on-the-job training etc.). The majority of our formal L&D opportunities are drawn from FCDO resources. All staff are encouraged to share their skills and experience with colleagues, through informal training (‘lunch & learn’) or coaching/mentoring. All staff are eligible for 5 L&D days a year.
Working patterns:
This is a full time role - 36 hours/week, Monday to Friday with option to work on a part-time basis - to be discussed with the Hiring Manager.
We are currently operating a hybrid working pattern with staff expected to work from the Embassy for 60% of their working week.
The Embassy has a smarter working policy and is committed to offering flexible working patterns balanced with the operational requirements of the role. In crisis/emergency situations you may need to work as required to support the Embassy response, sometimes on a shift pattern, which may result in unsociable hours and/or weekend working. As an inclusive employer we are happy to discuss alternative working patterns at interview or at the point of any job offer.
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.
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 note that it is likely that any non-Thai national who is successful in securing a role within the Embassy will need to leave the country and re-enter with a specific type of visa if currently living in Thailand or will need to apply for a visa before travelling here if currently based outside of Thailand. Whilst the Embassy can support you with this process, the costs involved will need to be met by the candidate. Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are recruited by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law.
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. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The British Embassy offers a competitive compensation package including a guaranteed 13th month pay, 20 days paid annual leave (calculated on a pro-rata basis if you join after 1 January), extensive medical insurance and access to a guaranteed 5 days of learning opportunities a year.
The British Embassy Bangkok promotes the following values:
To those applicants not short-listed, we extend our appreciation for considering the British Government as a potential employer.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
