View Vacancy – Executive Assistant to HM Ambassador (CHEB24.129)

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View Vacancy – Executive Assistant to HM Ambassador (CHEB24.129)


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.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Private Office

The British Embassy in Berne is part of a worldwide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking for an Executive Assistant to His Majesty’s Ambassador.

The Executive Assistant plays a key role in the Embassy, supporting the Ambassador in his leadership, of the organisation and external impact with a wide range of stakeholders, including in government and business.

This is a busy and demanding job, with a range of competing priorities. The successful applicant will need to be able to work and take decisions, often independently without detailed oversight, juggle priorities effectively, and maintain a close grip on the various lines of work the Ambassador oversees.

The Executive Assistant sits at the heart of the Embassy and is crucial in providing effective support to the Ambassador by collating and channelling policy and operational advice from the various Embassy teams.  Having effective links with all teams is key, as well as high impact with senior external contacts.  Confidence, judgement, language skills, communications and teamwork are essential to facilitate the clear and efficient flow of information between the Ambassador and the various Embassy teams.

The Executive Assistant also leads the Ambassador’s support team.  This will involve liaising with the Residence team on use of the Residence for the Ambassador and for wider Embassy events at the Residence. Depending on experience, it could also include some support to planning and delivering events; so, some background in event management would be useful.

Because most correspondence and papers are produced electronically, good knowledge of IT and how to use it to best effect is essential.

Roles and responsibilities:

  • Coordinate the Ambassador’s interaction with all Embassy teams to ensure he gets the information and advice needed, and Embassy colleagues get the responses and direction they need from the Ambassador. Ensure briefings and materials are prepared and delivered in a timely fashion, responses to requests from HMA are promptly responded to, actively disseminate key messages to Embassy colleagues to ensure good communication and a clear understanding of priorities.
  • Know, and be able to explain confidently, the Ambassador’s views on policy issues, providing strategic context to staff at all levels.
  • Manage the Ambassador’s outer office, including monitoring emails, correspondence, contact with external stakeholders, filing and keeping the contacts database up to date.
  • Help to prioritise requests and carefully balance the competing demands for the Ambassador’s advice, feedback and direction.
  • Organise and structure the Ambassador’s diary, meetings and visit programmes to ensure his time is used strategically and to best effect.  Make travel bookings and process expense claims.
  • Provide secretarial leadership to key executive boards at the Embassy focussed on corporate, policy and business planning matters, including preparing agendas, noting and filing key action points/minutes, and monitoring follow-up on action points.
  • Liaise with the Residence team (particularly the Head of Housekeeping and Residence Chef) to ensure good information flow on events, meetings, activities and use of the Residence for the Ambassador.
  • Support to planning and delivering some events at the Residence (depending on experience).

  • Previous experience in a similar role (minimum 2 years);
  • Excellent language skills (written and oral) in English and German (minimum C1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages*);
  • Proven IT competence with the full range of Microsoft Office software and other standard office technology;
  • Excellent communication skills for the telephone, correspondence and face-to-face contact;
  • Experience in engaging with external and senior stakeholders;
  • Strong organisational skills, including an ability to deliver high quality work to deadlines and to create or improve structures to facilitate work flows;
  • Ability to work collaboratively and coordinate across a range of different priorities;
  • Evidence of ability to think ahead and spot opportunities in the context of the Ambassador’s and the Embassy’s priorities and strategic objectives.

  • Experience in organising and managing events;
  • Proficiency in French (minimum B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages*);
  • Staff Management experience;
  • Understanding of Foreign Policy and diplomacy

Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together

15 April 2024

Administrative Officer (AO)

Full-time, Permanent

40h per week

Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia

Switzerland

Berne

British Embassy

1

CHF

CHF 7509.00

1 July 2024

This is permanent position of 40h per week, subject to a probation period of 3 months.

Monthly salary for this position is 7509.00 CHF gross, payable 13 times a year.

The annual leave entitlement is 25 days per year pro rata and the Embassy also enjoys an average of 14 public holidays per year. Specific training and mentoring for the role will be provided for the successful candidate. This may include training in London and the European region.

The British Embassy in Berne believes in a culture of continuous learning and development and works to give all staff the opportunity to build expertise and achieve personal goals through engaging on the job, learning from colleagues and from formal training courses.  The successful candidate will have a tailored induction programme. 

The FCDO’s International Academy offers a range of learning opportunities, including accredited qualifications, to help you learn about the work of the UK government internationally, how diplomacy works, and to develop your professional skills.  Funding is also available to support your bids for further external training that will benefit you in the role, for example to deepen knowledge and expertise in climate and energy policy matters.

The final appointment and commencement will be dependent upon successful security clearance and subject to a professional background check. The successful candidate will be subject to professional background and security clearance. The applicant will be vetted to a achieve a security clearance (SC level) both from UK and Switzerland.

Visa/work permit requirements: All applicants should have permission to live and work in Switzerland. Applicants must hold a full passport valid for at least 18 months for any EU / Schengen country. All applicants should have the right to live and work in Switzerland.

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 successful candidate will need to arrange and pay for their own travel and accommodation, as well as any other living costs and are subject to Swiss taxes.

Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy are subject to terms and conditions service according to Swiss employment law.

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.
Please be advised that the British Embassy Berne, will not be able to meet any cost during the Recruitment and Selection process, Security Check nor the costs connected with relocation.

*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.

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.

Berne

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 (tendersglobal.net) you saw this job posting.

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