View Vacancy - Security Officer - (01/24 CPT) - Tenders Global

View Vacancy – Security Officer – (01/24 CPT)

British Consulate General

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View Vacancy – Security Officer – (01/24 CPT)


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 identity, 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.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Security

Main purpose of job:

The British High Commission to South Africa oversees the UK Government’s operations in South Africa across the following locations:

•  The British High Commission Pretoria (BHC)

•  The UK Visas & Immigration Office in Pretoria

•  The UK Department for Business and Trade in Johannesburg (DBT)

•   The British Consulate General Cape Town

Its Security Team is based largely in Pretoria and is overall responsible for delivering property and security services to support the work of the Mission in the above locations.

The Security Officer will work under the supervision of a Security Operations Manager who reports to head of department, the Regional Oversees Security Manager (ROSM). The security officer will help manage security work and support security services for British Consulate Cape Town staff and Diplomatic families, and for UK Government visitors to Cape Town.

The position will take on a role to provide accurate security advice and support to diplomatic families, staff, and official visitors, to review security risks and implement mitigating measures to these risks, and to oversee physical security works and installations.  It also includes supporting and planning for large events and supporting high-level visits that includes engagement with relevant security departments.

The role requires an individual who can work flexibly across multiple, and sometimes competing priorities (with the support of the Security Operations Manager and Regional Overseas Security Manager) and who can demonstrate high standards of professionalism and deliver a very high quality customer service. The jobholder will need to be willing to work flexibly to help others, including responsiveness out of normal work hours and at anti-social times occasionally, contribute to Security work covering all British High Commission locations and staff throughout South Africa, take on different tasks where work pressures are heavy and deal with emergencies.  This can involve calls and work dealing with customers and contractors in the evenings and weekends, for which a mobile phone is provided and a duty system implemented. Overtime is payable for work undertaken outside of and beyond normal conditioned hours of 36.5 per week.

Whilst the role is based in Cape Town, the jobholder will be part of Security teams covering all of South Africa and may therefore need to work remotely to these other locations on a range of admin tasks.  The individual will likely need to travel to Pretoria occasionally (funded fully by the British High Commission).

The Security Officer plays a crucial role in:

  • Preparing our residential properties for occupation by our staff, which requires forward-planning, attention to detail and strong organisational and time-management skills
  • Providing a professional service to our office staff and occupants of residential properties, for which a thorough awareness of the security environment, customer service and good communications skills are essential
  • Managing the work of contractors which are engaged to deliver property and security services, maintenance and other security works, which requires planning and project management skills.

The role is ideally suited to an individual who:

  • Understands the security profession and can manage situations to help ensure people, buildings and assets are kept safe and secure.
  • Enjoys managing an operation and who takes pride in it running smoothly.
  • Is a good team player who can confidently engage with security contacts and network in order to provide essential security advice to staff.
  • Has strong administrative skills, is a good planner, has lots of initiative and wants to develop experience in security management work,
  • has some finance and procurement planning and projects management experience.
  • Is a good communicator and people-person, who takes pride in providing good customer service and enjoys working in a busy team yet can work proactively and with drive independently.

It is essential for the jobholder to have a valid driving licence as driving (in a company vehicle) to sites is required.

Experience of working in a security organisation or security services delivery team at a management level would be desired though having the skills and qualities outlined above are the key attributes for the successful jobholder. Evidence of good organisational, administrative, customer service and experience in dealing with contractors and/or other externals will also be required.

Roles and Responsibilities / what will the job holder be expected to achieve:

The below roles and responsibilities are general guidelines. The role is not limited to the detail below and the responsibilities are subject to change from time to time with prior consultation if circumstances, structures, work pressures or priorities alter, or if absences need covering.

  • Meeting and greeting new diplomatic and some visiting staff and providing security briefings.  Ensure all staff have been briefed at the various level of briefing required. Maintain a log of briefings.
  • Keep up to date with current affairs that may have an impact on security of the staff and buildings and ensure up to date messaging is sent out. Keep security managers updated.
  • Responding to incidents affecting staff and liaise with emergency services and other authorities/security providers to ensure staff receive help as soon as possible. Keep the ROSM and others updated.
  • Plan and provide security support for high-level visitors with the support of the security managers. Carry out reconnaissance visits to vulnerable areas with security support in place. Manage convoys of official vehicles and ensure good communications are in place throughout visits.
  • Establish a strong security network with diplomatic and other organisations that provide security in Cape Town and other areas.
  • Planning security support and measures for events at the main residence and other locations. Working alongside other teams within the mission.
  • Conducting security assessments for new properties, hotels and other accommodation as informed by the ROSM or Security Operations Manager, against periodic reviews or in response to issues arising, ensuring British High Commission standards are met, compliance with Health & Safety requirements, and a high standard of customer service for staff and residential occupants.
  • Maintaining security features such as alarms, electric fences, CCTV, access control and other security measures used at the offices and residences to a high standard. Planning regular service reviews with contractors. Ensuring staff follow security policies and protocols.
  • Testing the contracted guards and security companies on periodic security incident responses. Be an active member in the crisis team, post security committees and other committees that require security input.
  • Organising work to deliver security works in offices and properties including planning / scheduling of work tracking progress and record keeping.
  • Raising requisitions orders and receipting funds on the British High Commission’s IT systems, dealing with financial issues and budgeting requirements and researching and assessing works quotes and costs.
  • Monitoring security related maintenance requests, ensuring that issues are addressed in line with agreed standards and deadlines, and communicating with staff and residential occupants.
  • Security administration duties including responding to email and phone enquiries from staff, service suppliers, contractors and others. Update security asset registers. Understand the procurement processes and account for security works procured. Possible admin duties related to security work at other British High Commission locations.
  • Using experience / knowledge to observe and highlight any estate or security concerns, including accompanying security contractors, related to property inspections and maintenance around generators, electrical, plumbing, security equipment and other similar issues.  Assess security standards at properties and offices and report on these to managers.
  • Provide advice on physical and procedural security matters, and about local security threats, risks and trends (covering different areas of Western Cape, and its facilities, eg, hotels, places to visit etc.), to staff, UK Government visitors to Cape Town and to managers based in Pretoria. / BC premises.  Support visits to Cape Town by UK Government representatives, including VIPs, in particular security considerations for the logistical and public-facing elements of such visits.
  • Liaising with landlords as required to ensure security standards are met. Reporting on these to managers based in Pretoria.
  • Provide a strong contribution with the security department in Pretoria and other teams in the British Consulate in Cape Town, especially related to learning and development, teamwork, collaboration and support to others, respect to colleagues, and diversity and inclusion.
  • Deliver professionally other security tasks and new work as delegated by managers on an ad hoc basis, often outside the above areas, to support the work of the British High Commission in South Africa.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Oversee works funded by the British High Commission estates and security budgets, including researching quotes, assessing these and ensuring costs offer good value for money, financial processes are managed effectively on the IT system and budgetary information is recorded, reported and maintained accurately.

  • Strong computer literacy
  • Multi-tasking, planning, communication with customers and time-management skills
  • Valid Driver’s licence.  The jobholder must be able to drive
  • Administration experience, including dealing with external contractors and being able to deliver proactively on their own initiative
  • Fluent in written and spoken English

  • Experience in property management / facilities management / working in the security sector
  • Budgetary experience
  • Full training will be provided to the successful candidate if they do not have this experience

Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Developing Self and Others

21 January 2024

Administrative Officer (AO)

Permanent

36.5 hours

Africa

South Africa

Cape Town

British Consulate General

1

R 296,469.38 (per annum) plus an additional On Call allowance of R4,941.16 paid 12 times a year

1 March 2024

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

Full training is provided to the successful applicant for all job-related skills.  The British High Commission also offers a huge range of learning and development opportunities, including financial support through study grants.

Working patterns: 

Flexible hours are possible at times, especially to compensate for evenings or weekends worked.  However, security events, visits and office work required often limits the opportunity for working from home, or other remote working, or fully flexible work patterns.

The role requires the officer to take calls in the evenings and weekends to respond to estate maintenance and security issues.  A mobile phone is provided and an allowance over and above salary is paid for this.

  • During visits to Cape Town of UK Government staff, including VIPs, and when events are staged, evening / weekend working will occasionally be required.
  • The jobholder must be able to drive given site visits etc.  A company vehicle is used for such journeys.
  • Occasional travel to Pretoria to meet managers, learn skills and build networks with colleagues.

The British High Commission pays in full for the Key Care Plus option on Discovery Health for staff including spouses/partners and dependants.

  • Once you have successfully completed your probation the British High Commission will contribute 9% of your monthly salary to a Provident Fund.
  • Annual leave entitlement of 25 days
  • Working hours per week of 36.5 hours

  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Pretoria are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa
  • All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit
  • The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;
  • Obtain the relevant permit
  • Pay fees for the permit
  • Make arrangements to relocate
  • Meet the costs to relocation 
  • The British High Commission do not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so
  • Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount
  • Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles. Please note:  AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates
  • Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.  If during the reserve period of 6/12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate”.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

Cape Town

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