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View Vacancy – British Defence Attaché Assistant (LAT25.415)
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Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)
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MOD (Ministry of Defence)
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Who are we?
The British Embassy Riga is part of a world-wide network of 230 Diplomatic Posts, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. The British Embassy Riga is a dynamic, welcoming international working environment with staff from a range of backgrounds and experience, and we are now looking for a British Defence Attaché Assistant.
The UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Defence Section in Riga is a small and highly motivated team committed to delivering a high-quality service in support of a One HMG ethos. It seeks to establish and nurture a broad range of contacts to build productive relationships predominantly within the Latvian MOD and Armed Forces to better understand Host Nation priorities and to promote UK interests.
Main purpose of the job:
Whilst fully integrated with other Embassy staff, the Defence Section is unique and independent, subject to particular practices and Security requirements which make for a multi-faceted Assistant role. The incumbent will also work closely with the Defence Sections of Estonia and Lithuania and the wider Nordic network to advance the UK’s interests in the fields of Defence and Security.
The job holder will be expected to be methodical, proficient in IT and have excellent English and Latvian writing and speaking skills, be a good organiser and an excellent communicator, able to confidently engage with colleagues at all levels to achieve the Defence Section’s outputs which can often be reactive and fast paced, requiring flexibility.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Lead on the general administration required to support the Defence Section in Riga, including the planning and coordination of the Defence Attaché’s schedule.
- Coordinate work strands to ensure that the Defence Section delivers against the Embassy’s Objectives and Business Plan.
- Monitor and report on the Defence Section budget, including keeping of relevant logs and records.
- Where appropriate, work with the Defence Sections in Estonia and Lithuania and wider Nordic Baltic Network to advance the UK’s interests in the fields of defence and security.
- Lead on defence analysis and reporting, through engagement with both Latvian MOD and Armed Forces, plus the monitoring of all relevant defence related info channels; including reporting on Latvian position ahead of relevant EU/NATO engagement.
- Coordinate delivery of visits and other projects to deepen the UK/Latvia defence relationship.
- Provide information, via the Embassy Comms Team, to the public and media on UK defence policy and security partnership with Latvia.
- Support to the Defence Attaché and prospective UK businesses in order to promote the UK Defence Industry and the UK Prosperity Agenda in Latvia.
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Essential on arrival:
- fluency in English and Latvian, both written and spoken, at minimum of a C1 level according to CEFR*
- Completed university degree at a minimum level of a Bachelor’s degree
- At least 3 years of experience in effective administrative support and/or personal assistant roles
- Competency in MS Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
- Excellent organisational skills, including an ability to prioritise tasks and deliver work within tight deadlines
- A self-starter with excellent administrative skills, resilience and attention to detail
- Ability to work independently, unsupervised and contribute positively as part of a small team
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Nice to have:
- Experience coordinating and arranging successful programme/events/visits with minimal supervision
- Budget monitoring, reporting and forecasting experience
- Knowledge or prior experience in Defence matters
- Experience in Government, Military, Non-Governmental Organisation or similar international institutions
- Experience in Defence Industry business lobbying and sales
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Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
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11 January 2026
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Executive Officer (EO)
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Full-time, Permanent
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37.5 hours net per week
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Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
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Latvia
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Riga
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British Embassy
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1
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EUR
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2,651.12 gross per month
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monthly
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2 March 2026
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This is a full-time, permanent position. Working time is 37.5 hours per week (net).
Embassy provides all its employees the following benefits:
- Two additional annual leave days on top of those mandated by law.
- A combination of Latvian and UK public holidays – 14 working days-off per year.
- Comprehensive Health Insurance that among others also includes dental care and sports.
The British Embassy has an active learning and development culture and there will be opportunities for informal training and shadowing. We offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities, including contract and programme management training, and broader learning linked to our International Academy.
The Embassy offers: job-specific training; job-shadowing/learning from more experienced colleagues in the network; five development days per year; a wealth of learning & development opportunities provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The British Embassy takes learning and development seriously. We have an active L&D Committee which promotes different ways of learning, as well as offering Diplomatic Academy sessions and bringing in formal courses. In this role in particular you will continue to develop your media engagement experience; develop (or acquire) diplomatic skills; enhance your leadership, policy, and problem-solving skills; and strengthen your team leadership.
There will be mandatory training and optional training opportunities to support personal development goals after joining the team. No training is required before starting the position and a handover will be provided by the outgoing job holder.
The successful candidate will be subject to professional background and security clearance.
Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Riga are subject to terms and conditions of service that are in line with the employment laws in Latvia.
Visa/work permit requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Latvia and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.
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Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the legal requirements to live and work in this country.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
Interviews for this position are expected to take place on 27 and 29 January 2026.
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.
Please be advised that the British Embassy will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a position.
*Please note for more information on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment levels please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skill is going to be assessed.
The start date mentioned in the advert is only indicative. The date is flexible subject to the successful candidate clearing the Security checks and also based on their availability to join at the earliest.
Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
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To apply please copy and paste this link: https://fco.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/1/adv/
To help us track our recruitment effort, please specify on the application form/indicate in your cover letter where (ngotenders.net) you saw this job posting.

