Main purpose of job:

The British Embassy in Santo Domingo is seeking a Head of Office for the British Ambassador.  This role will provide daily executive administrative support to the Ambassador. This will include managing his diary, liaising closely with the offices of senior government ministers and leading business figures, managing correspondence and coordinating tasking across Embassy sections in support of the Ambassador. You will act as a gatekeeper for appointments as well as build excellent contacts with relevant networks of other assistants.

This is a varied, high profile and very interesting role at the heart of the British Embassy. You will work directly with the Ambassador, enjoying exposure to some of the most important and high profile issues of the day and providing support as required. You will work closely with staff in the Embassy, the Ambassador’s Residence, as well as with colleagues in London.

To deliver the job successfully, the Head of Office needs to have good organisational skills, excellent judgement, the ability to develop and make good use of a network of contacts across a range of different fields (including government, politics, business and civil society). The ability to multi-task and work quickly under pressure, whilst keeping attention to detail, is also important.
The role would be suitable for either a more experienced professional or a recent graduate with the right skillset.

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 Embassy’s working language is English – and excellent language skills is essential for this role. 

Roles and responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of the position are as follows, although the jobholder may at times be required to take on other tasks and roles as required:

• Management of the Ambassador’s office: this will include day-to-day management of the Ambassador’s diary, arranging meetings with a range of senior stakeholders, as well as dealing with internal and external correspondence (including letters, briefing requests and invitations);
• Working closely with closely with colleagues across Embassy teams;
• Establishing and maintaining effective relationships with a wide range of relevant contacts in key offices across the public and private sectors;
• Working with the Residence Manager on events for the Ambassador, including invitation lists, VIP attendance and event logistics.

Other support for the Ambassador and Embassy as needed, for example supporting meetings and events.

Resources managed:

Budget: Manage the budget for the Ambassador’s office/administration

• Must have the legal status to live and work in Dominican Republic
• Excellent levels of English and Spanish, covering reading, writing, speaking and listening, and an ability to switch between the two languages seamlessly
• Exceptional planning and organising skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, in writing and in person
• Ability to prioritise, effectively manage and execute multiple tasks and meet deadlines
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and self-motivation
• A college/university level degree in a relevant field (e.g. politics, social sciences, economics, international relations, law, international business, etc) or equivalent experience

Language requirements: 

Language:  English and Spanish 
Level of language required:  Excellent fluency in English and Spanish (written and verbal) are essential.