The British Embassy Amman has a vacancy for the position of Estates Assistant, job grade Administrative Assistant (AA), on a fixed term contract for two (2) years.

This is a busy role that calls for an experienced, well-organised self-starter with drive, initiative, and high-quality personal skills. The jobholder will be working with the Estates Manager and Estates Officer to deliver a great service across some 85+ units of leased accommodation for our Diplomatic staff.

The Estates Assistant will be responsible for finding new properties to lease, helping to ensure those properties meet our statutory requirements and assisting with negotiations on price and maintenance with landlords. You will work with the Estates Officer and the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) to ensure a smooth arrival and departure for our staff from their accommodation, setting up an efficient and welcoming service. You will also be assisting in furnishing the apartments and ensuring they are clean before arrival and on departure of officers (managing through our cleaning contractors). The role is also responsible for operational delivery of services, including management information reporting and generating feedback on service delivery.

You will be a key part of the Embassy’s health, safety, and welfare standards for the benefit of all in a ‘zero harm’ culture. You will also be part of the drive to reduce the Embassy’s carbon footprint through greater use of renewable energy, reduction in waste and the increase of sustainable practices. 

Duties and responsibilities:

– Coordinating service delivery across BE Premises (50%)

• Ensure leased residential units are maintained either by landlords or the Technical Works Group (TWG), with planned preventative maintenance scheduled biannually and reactive or emergency call out maintenance completed to time and quality set in rental contract. Highlight to management where this is not the case.
• Monitor trends in utility usage across properties (water, electricity, diesel). Highlight unusual activity or high usage to Estates Manager and work with them to understand and rectify this.
• Procure furniture, float items, and electrical appliances in compliance with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) policies, ensuring value for money. Keep an accurate stock record of all stored items and ensure they are secure and in good condition. Arrange for repair of items where it makes economic sense.
• Work with Estates Officer to keep a record of upholstered items and order new from the UK in good time, taking into account price and quality. Help to source good local furniture suppliers and where possible ensure furniture is mended or upcycled to avoid waste.

– Residential units management (30%)

• Partner with our chosen estate agent to find high-quality leased accommodation that meets FCDO standards and criteria. Ensure agent is fully briefed on what is required. View and conduct initial checks of proposed apartments.
• Regular check on existing housing stock noting feedback on properties and location. Report to Estates Manager.
• Support the Estates Officer in contract management, including extensions, terminations, and ensuring landlords fulfil contractual obligations. Monitor when leases are due for renewal and rental payments to landlords, highlighting this to the Estates Officer.
• Help ensure compliance with FCDO policies on property standards, health and safety, and statutory obligations, conducting periodic inspections.

– Administrative support (15%)

• Assist with the Property Compliance Assessment (PCA) process and maintain accurate data records in the FCDO’s digital system (Planon).
• Have responsibility for procurement of goods and services under the value of £350, considering FCDO procurement guidelines and audit requirements.
• Provide administrative support to the wider Estates team, including e-filing, documentation, and data entry.

– Stakeholder communication and customer service (5%)

• Act as contact point between UK-based Staff, landlords, and service providers, facilitating clear and effective communication.
• Work closely with the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) to support new arrivals and relocations, ensuring a smooth transition into leased properties.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager/ senior management and agreed with the jobholder. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:

• Managing a Quality Service – Gain a clear understanding of customers’ needs and expectations. Plan, organise and manage your own time to deliver a high quality service which gives taxpayers a good return for their money. Act to prevent problems by identifying issues, reporting them, and providing solutions. Keep customers and all colleagues up to date with progress. Show customers where to access relevant information and support that will help them to use services more effectively.
• Communicating and Influencing – Put forward your views in a clear, constructive, and considerate manner. Use an appropriate method of communication for each person such as an email, telephone call or face-to-face, taking into consideration their individual needs. Use plain and simple language, being careful to check written work for errors. Consider the impact of language used on different groups of stakeholders. Remain honest and truthful when explaining opinions. Listen and ask questions to ensure your understanding.
• Working Together – Proactively contribute to the work of the whole team and remain open to taking on new and different roles. Get to know your colleagues and build supportive relationships. Listen to alternative perspectives and needs, responding sensitively and checking understanding where necessary. Ask for help when needed and support others when the opportunity arises. Be aware of the need to consider your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues. Understand that bullying, harassment, and discrimination are unacceptable.
• Delivering at Pace – Always work with focus and pace to get the job done on time and to a high standard. Follow the relevant policies, procedures and rules that apply to the job. Use own knowledge and expertise to organise work. Keep focused on delivery and take responsibility for the quality of work produced. Keep a consistent level of personal performance. Keep managers and stakeholders updated on how work is progressing.

The jobholder will also need to role model the Civil Service values of:

• Integrity
• Honesty
• Objectivity
• Impartiality

Eligibility:

If you are selected for this position, we will be able to employ you as long as:

• You have the right to live and work in Jordan; and
• You receive the appropriate level of security clearance.

• Relevant experience in a similar estates/ facilities management customer-facing role, ideally for at least three (3) years.
• Demonstrated initiative, adaptability, and the ability to work flexibly both in a small team and individually.
• Highly organised and able to deal with challenging situations, confident in handling day-to-day tasks.
• Excellent team working skills including with evidence of working collaboratively with multicultural colleagues
• Holds at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Arabic. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
• Holds a clean and valid Jordanian driving license with no outstanding penalties or fines. Good knowledge of Amman.