Main Purpose of Job:

The British Government’s Mission and Consulate in New York has an exciting opportunity for a driven and skilled person to join the Corporate Services Team as The Head of HR, Finance and Protocol. This opportunity is a rewarding role which supports and further develops the special relationship between the UK and the US and the UN, supporting work at the forefront of international diplomacy in order to make a real difference globally. 

The US Network offers a unique career enhancing opportunity and is committed to supporting its staff through a variety of benefits including generous leave, insurance packages and a highly competitive 401k programme.  It also promotes a culture of flexibility which enables people to better maintain wellness through an excellent work/life balance approach that encompasses hybrid working, including working from home and flexible hours, where possible.  In this role you would be working in a diverse international environment to support UK diplomats, armed forces personnel and other country based staff operating across the British Government’s network of Consulates and Government Offices in the United States.

This network provides a platform for approximately 30 Government departments and agencies to conduct their work in the United States and is made up of over 900 staff with a rich and diverse background, skill sets, and experiences. 

The Head of HR, Finance, and Protocol position is crucial to the smooth running of the Corporate Services operation in New York, providing critical support to the Head of Corporate Services, and leadership to the wider Corporate Services Team. The position is key to ensuring a consistent delivery of quality and efficient corporate services to the UK’s Mission to the United Nations (UKMis) and the British Consulate-General (BCG), New York (comprising c.200 staff and 8 separate British Government Departments and partners). 

The ideal candidate will be an experienced manager, strong communicator, strong attention to detail and the ability to deliver at pace with a background in HR and/or Finance. The individual will need to juggle multiple demands in a fast-paced environment to deliver a quality service delivery to a broad range of stakeholders while supporting compliance with US law and FCDO rules and regulations. The successful applicant will need to be able to learn, understand, adapt, and implement complex and bespoke FCDO policies in the New York workplace setting. They must be able to lead, motivate, and drive improved outcomes across the wider team as well as gaining and then maintaining the confidence of senior managers through the advice and support they provide.

Roles and responsibilities:

Leadership and Management:

• Ensure successful delivery of the day-to-day operation of the British Government office from a HR, Finance, Protocol and Transport perspective.
• Direct line management of a team of 4 staff (HR Business Partner, Protocol and Transport Officer, Corporate Services Officer, Finance Officer) and the indirect management of 2 staff (Drivers).
• Strategic oversight of financial planning and management, annual allocation bid preparation, monthly spend reconciliation and annual business planning for the British Consulate and UK Mission to the UN.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight of HR policy and its delivery in New York. Ensure HR policies and procedures are implemented fully and that managers and staff have the HR advice they need.
• Ensuring effective governance and accountability systems are in place for HR, Finance, Protocol and Transport.
• Working with the Head of Corporate Services and Senior Stakeholders, reviewing business processes to identify new ways of working and deliver a more effective, efficient and professional operation.
  

Finance and Budgeting: 

• Oversee day-to-day management of the British Consulate’s and UK Mission’s budgets (totalling $8m), ensuring spending remains within budget and maximises value for money.
• Ensuring that transaction processing, invoicing, collections and internal transfers are carried out within agreed policies and timeframes.
• Engage with the British Embassy in Washington DC, central Finance in the UK, and BCG & UKMis Deputy Heads of Mission to ensure budgets are allocated, tracked accurately and in a timely fashion.
• Provide monthly budget reports to Deputy Heads of BCG and UKMis, detailing analysis of spend and any pressure / risk areas, suggesting mitigating actions as necessary to ensure the budget remains on forecast.
• Responsible for ensuring the quality and timeliness of the Finance Officer’s budget reports, briefs, and financial analysis for Senior Leadership meetings and Management Boards.
• Implement existing corporate policies, compliance regulations, and best practices around finance and procurement.
• Drive awareness of, and compliance to, proper FCDO finance procedures across both posts.
• Manage external contracts with local suppliers and vendors, as necessary.

Human Resources:

• Oversee and implement HR policies, including terms and conditions of service, compliance with local labour laws, and adherence to FCDO policies.
• Provide guidance to line managers and staff on HR issues and policies.
• Provide strategic advice to senior managers on HR matters and the implementation of HR Policies in New York.
• Advise senior management on sensitive staff matters, including management issues and dispute resolution.
• Oversee the induction, on-boarding and departure processes, including completion of new hire paperwork, payroll set up/management, benefits, IT set up, protocol and accreditation.
• Support DC HR Hub on management of Employee Relations cases as present across both posts.

Additional Duties: 

• Liaise with teams in London and Washington DC on network policies, change management, procurement, operational and legal issues, audits and restructuring.
• Conduct internal/external stakeholder outreach and management related to policy changes and rollouts.
• Provide opportunities for your team to promote their learning and development. Consider and plan succession planning for your team.
• Provide oversight for transport bookings and drivers, and ensure processes and prioritisation of driver bookings are smooth.
• Any other ad-hoc duties as requested.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Direct line management of a team of 4 staff (HR Business Partner, Protocol and Transport Officer, Corporate Services Officer, Finance Officer) and the indirect management of 2 staff (Drivers).
• Leadership of Finance, HR and Protocol responsibilities to a staff body of 200.
• Oversee day-to-day management of the British Consulate and UK Mission budgets (totalling $8m), ensuring spending remains within budget and maximises value for money.
• Your team is part of the Corporate Services Team which is a 30 person team responsible for delivering all aspects of operations for the British Government Offices in New York.
• You sit on the Senior Management Team of the Corporate Services Team, alongside the Head of Corporate Services and your colleagues managing other CST teams- Head of Estates, Head of Security and IT Managers.
  

Essential on arrival:

• Strong leadership, staff management and service delivery qualities in a corporate services environment.
• Proven track record of resource management and operational delivery.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to learn, understand and champion complex and bespoke rules, regulations and policies, including relating to finance and human resources, in a fast-paced and changing office environment.
• Budget/financial management experience.
• US HR management experience.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to follow through with minimal direction.
• Confident IT user with experience of using excel to interpret data.
• Exceptional inter-personal and communication skills, with a strong ability to engage a broad range of staff and senior managers with confidence and authority.
• Ability to prioritise and deliver high quality results across multiple areas with competing priorities and deadlines.
• Must be fluent in English, written and oral.
• Must have at least 5-7 years of experience in either budget/financial management and/ or US HR management.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Language requirements: 

Language: English

Level of language required: Expert