The British Consulate General in Erbil has a vacancy for an Executive Assistant and IT Support Officer, job grade Executive Officer (EO), on a permanent contract. 

The jobholder will be working in the British Consulate to provide a cross section of important support services.  The jobholder’s main responsibilities include providing Executive Assistant support to the Consul General, support with organisation of inward visits and acting as IT Support Officer. 

This is a varied and busy job, which will suit someone looking to play an active role at the British Consulate General Erbil. The jobholder must have well-developed interpersonal skills. The job can be challenging at times, but it can also be very rewarding. 

Roles and responsibilities:

Executive Assistant to Consul General 40%

• Manage the Consul General’s calendar, including scheduling meetings, official engagements and travel arrangements.
• Handle correspondence.
• Maintain files and records in accordance with FCDO policy.
• Maintain registers, diaries and databases as required for audit compliance;
• Prepare briefing material for meetings and events.
• Coordinate official receptions and events.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the Consul General and internal/external stakeholders, including government officials, diplomats, business leaders and community representatives.
• Facilitate communication with other diplomatic missions and local authorities.
• Coordinate with Consulate staff to ensure efficient workflow and adherence to policies.
• Build and maintain strong relationship with internal/external stakeholders.
• Prepare forward look and plan for Consul General’s diary, coordinating with relevant sections.
• Support with logistics, meetings and transportation arrangements for Consul General.
• Perform other administrative duties as requested.  

IT Support 40%

• Provide first-line IT support to staff, resolving hardware, software and network issues.
• Install, configure, and maintain computers, printers, and IT equipment in line with FCDO policy and audit requirements.
• Monitor and maintain server rooms and network devices.
• Perform routine system updates and security checks for standalone computers/laptops.
• Champion digital transformation initiatives and process automation.
• Support to IT infrastructure management and upkeep of servers, systems, network and application support.
• Proactively maintain IT Infrastructure, reporting incidents and degradations in performance promptly and escalating through the correct channel where necessary.
• Administer user accounts (for Osprey and standalone network) e.g. requesting new account creations from the Helpdesk, and where no Helpdesk intervention is necessary unlock, disable, enable and reset passwords.
• Conduct IT induction and set up new arrivals with workstations and access to systems.
• Support end users’ devices, responding to queries, including support of telecommunications, videoconferencing, telephony, and official mobile phones.
• Keep IT asset inventory up to date
• Manage assets, invoices and other general admin tasks relating to IT.
• Administer non-corporate internet access.
• Provide resilience to the wider Corporate Services Team and take on new/additional work streams as required.

Administrative Support 20%

• Assist with logistical arrangements for Consulate events and receptions.
• Provide administrative support to FCDO sections and Partners.
• Support with hotel booking, logistical and catering arrangements.
• Oversee and maintain inward visitor process.
• Build and maintain strong relationship with hotels and airlines

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required.

Key behaviours required:

• Managing a Quality Service: Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise, and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
• Delivering at Pace: Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
• Seeing the Big Picture: Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
• Working Together: Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.

Eligibility: 

Applicants are responsible for ensuring they already have the right to live and work in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Obtaining the correct permissions can be particularly complicated if employees and any dependants are not already resident in the country. Unfortunately, neither the Consulate nor the Embassy can arrange an Iraqi residency for this role. 

Applicants must also be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate level of local and UK security clearance required for this role.

• Fluent spoken and written communication skills in English and Kurdish language.
• Proven experience in working in a support role within a wider team.
• Educational qualification in IT.
• IT qualifications (hardware, software and services), knowledge of Microsoft applications, particularly Windows 10, Office 365, and Ms Teams.
• Excellent customer care and communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to work to strict deadlines and good prioritisation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to be professional, and deal directly with senior level contacts both inside and outside the Consulate.