AUS (Sydney) - Executive Assistant to the British Consul-General, EO

View Vacancy - AUS (Sydney) - Executive Assistant to the British Consul-General, EO

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.

Job Category Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)

Job Subcategory Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job:

To provide an executive office function for the British Consulate General Sydney. Your focus will be on supporting the British Consul General & Deputy Trade Commissioner (ANZ) with some support also provided to the Deputy Consul General.

The role is similar in content and seniority to others in the DBT and wider UK Government operation in Australia. People applying for this position will be considered for other vacancies in the Network.

Those shortlisted can be expected to be interviewed week commencing 17/24 June 2024.

Our network and team

We don’t only recruit government specialist to work with us. Not all our recruits have extensive and specific skills for unique roles. We recruit people with a wide variety of backgrounds and skills that are relevant and transferable. If you have good motivation and core competences, we can help you develop the network and expertise needed to thrive in our network and in specific roles. 

Our team members enjoy large amounts of delegated responsibility and personal involvement with senior staff and visitors. They have the chance to develop a wide range of important and marketable skills as well as important networks for their professional advancement. We have a strong record of preparing people for promotion within the organisation and for helping people develop skills and profile to secure advancement externally.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the UK Government

DBT is the part of UK government with primary responsibility to promote UK trade and investment. DBT brings together policy, promotion and financial expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment and help businesses succeed across the world. The UK–Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), UK–New Zealand FTA and AUKUS agreements offer unprecedented opportunities to strengthen economic ties between our countries. 
The DBT team works as part of core part of the UK Government’s overseas engagement, activity and diplomacy. The successful candidate will work closely with the Consul General to Sydney who is also the Trade Commissioner and head of DBT for Australia and New Zealand. They will also work with colleagues from other departments across the UK in Australia network as well as collaborating on a wide range of VIP visits. You will work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and we work together as one team. 

DBT and the Australia Network are inclusive and equal-opportunity employers. We have a supportive workplace that offers a wide range of continuous learning, development and mentoring opportunities for all our team. We embrace flexible and remote working and have a zero-tolerance policy towards bulling, harassment and discrimination. 

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

Responsibilities include:

• Provide a high-quality executive office function ensuring day to day activities, meetings, internal and external communication and events run smoothly.
• Provide and executive office function on operational matters including internal comms within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) network, budgets and team management.
• Ensure diaries are managed efficiently, arranging and booking travel and co-ordinating the Consul General’s & Deputy Consul General’s domestic and international visit programmes.
• Provide support for the wider team and Australia network on arranging programmes and logistics for incoming Ministerial, VIP and other official visits. 
• Line manage the events/visits and corporate services officer ensuring they are delivering their objectives whilst having opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Work with the events/visits officer to support them manage invitations, guest lists, co-ordinate with members of the team, arrange catering and security. Oversight of events to ensure that they are run to an exceptionally high standard. Some events may require early starts or evenings.
• Provide resilience cover in the office to events/visits and corporate services working as part of a high performing team.
• Work with DBT colleagues and others in Sydney to support event management for British company events, round tables, trade missions, exhibitions and conferences and other internal and external DBT events. Ensure value for money from catering suppliers and other service providers. 
• Develop and maintain a database of contacts for the Consul General and wider team.
• Provide research support as necessary on commercial, economic and political issues for speeches, analysis or operational business.
• Receive, sort and prioritise incoming correspondence and pass to relevant staff for action. Consult and draft suitable replies on behalf of the Consul General where appropriate.
• Manage the Executive Office budget and expenses. Track expenditure against allocation for both DBT and FCDO budgets, monitoring value for money across all expenditure. 
• Other tasks as may be necessary.

Please note that the role holders’ job specification may be subject to change in line with evolving business priorities.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

Responsible for managing budget of Consul General and Deputy Consul General

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Self-Starter – must be able to work at a fast pace to a high standard. 
• Must be able to take initiative using judgement, strong problem-solving skills, and displaying resilience. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills – ability to deal with difficult situations with tact and diplomacy and a high degree of confidentiality when required to achieve desired outcomes.
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Must be confident in dealing with senior figures, Ministers and VVIPs and their offices. 
• Good desk research skills and excellent writing skills
• High level experience using Microsoft Office

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Two years of Executive Assistant experience.
• Strong, proven administrative skills, diary management and programme arranging. 
• Knowledge of business and international trade
• Some direct experience of event management.

Required behaviours Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together

Grade Executive Officer (EO)

Type of Position Full-time, Permanent

Working hours per week 38

Region Asia Pacific

Country/Territory Australia

Location (City) Sydney

Type of Post British Consulate General

Number of vacancies 1

Salary Currency AUD

AUD 87, 507

Start Date 22 July 2024

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Salary is at AU$ 60,694 per annum (paid out monthly), plus 11% superannuation.

Appointment is subject to an AFP records check and UK security clearance.

Open to Australian citizens, permanent residents, and partners/ dependents of UK-based diplomatic staff currently posted in Australia.

The Australia network offers a wide range of learning and development opportunities, including job-specific training as necessary and broader learning linked to the FCO Diplomatic Academy. There are opportunities to job-shadow other staff, and the successful applicant will be encouraged to take part in broader British High Commission activities. The British High Commission is committed to providing all staff with learning and development (L&D) opportunities and we will work with you to develop your own L&D plan.

Working patterns:

The Consulate General promotes a flexible working culture. This is a role which can be done flexibly but due to the requirement to support events and visits, the successful candidate will be required to sometimes work outside of core hours. There are flexible working arrangements offered in compensation.

The successful candidate will be eligible to work up to two days a week from home. The role is not suitable for part-time work.

The overall package also includes the standard 14 days of public holidays that the UK in Australia Network all works to as well as 22 days annual leave. The salary on offer is not negotiable.

Additional information

Your application must be submitted before 23:55 AEST-Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC/ GMT +10) on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”

Applications must include a current CV and kindly omit any personal information such as Name, Contact Details, Birthday and Gender.

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”.

Advertised start date is provisional and subject to completion of reference and security checks.

Kindly check your application centre or email regularly for any update on the status of your application.

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.

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