Main purpose of job:

The Political Officer is responsible for helping the British Embassy and His Majesty’s Government to understand and influence Mongolian politics in support of British policies and values. This will entail devising engagement plans and helping to facilitate British officials’ interaction with Mongolian government officials, members of the parliament, local government, political parties, and informed/influential observers in academia and the media. He/she will play a central role in explaining the local political system and how it works to the wider Embassy and UK government.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

1. Strategic relationship management

• Devise and lead the Embassy’s political engagement strategy and its broader engagement with important figures across the spectrum of Mongolian politics: national government, local government, the National Assembly, political parties, social movements, NGOs, think tanks, opinion leaders, etc.
• Support senior Embassy staff (Ambassador, DHM) and VIP visitors from the UK to secure beneficial engagement with high priority stakeholders.
• Build up his/her own network of contacts in order to inform the above strategy and to open doors.
• Provide pre-meeting briefing for the Ambassador and other officials; accompany to meetings, take notes and produce draft summaries for wider distribution.
• Provide informal interpretation in meetings as required.

2. Domestic political analysis

• Ensure that the Ambassador, rest of the Embassy and visiting officials understand the political landscape in Mongolia and political developments. This will entail following the news closely, using contacts to get privileged insights into what is happening behind the scenes and using that information to brief colleagues.
• Monitor social media to understand the public reaction to GoM activities and identify notable issues that may have gone under the radar.
• Understand the background and possible career trajectories of key political figures, including relationship (if any) with the UK, and brief senior Embassy staff and visiting officials on this in order to prioritise meetings and maximise their impact.

3. Board secretary

• Working to the Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) to support the work of the Embassy’s “Country Board” which tracks cross-Embassy activities and priorities, including convening meetings, ensuring papers and updates are prepared and circulated, and timely reporting to London. Tracking the Embassy forward look and supporting strategic review of activities in relation to priorities. There may also be support to annual bilateral dialogues and liaison with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

4. Campaigns, projects & events/ knowledge sharing

• Work closely with the Comms team to devise and deliver campaigns, projects and events to maximise UK influence in the local policy making process, embed UK core values in the Mongolian system and effectively achieve Embassy objectives.
• Guide other sections in how to engage with the Mongolian Parliament, central and local government to achieve their objectives.
• Identify wider opportunities to increase awareness of the Mongolian political system and share understanding of differences and similarities between UK and local values and systems, including by securing external speakers.

• Excellent command of English language
• Native fluency in Mongolian
• Minimum 2 years’ experience of working in an office-based environment.
• Ability to engage with senior colleagues and high-level external stakeholders with credibility.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to multi-task.
• A self-starter, able to work independently with limited supervision
• In depth understanding of Mongolian politics