The British Embassy Tunis invites applications for the position of Pro Consul, job grade Administrative Officer (AO).

Our purpose is to provide consular assistance to British people in Tunisia and Libya who are in need, as well as building partnerships with the British community, Tunisian authorities, and other stakeholders, and working to maintain high levels of consular and crisis preparedness. The jobholder will report to the Vice Consul based in Tunis, and the team is supervised by the Consular Regional Operations Manager (CROM) based in Rabat.

Consular work can sometimes be emotionally challenging, distressing, and of a sensitive nature. Resources and support are available to help staff manage stress, but the successful candidate will need to demonstrate high levels of personal resilience. Consular staff must also maintain absolute confidentiality and impartiality, in line with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Consular Strategy, consular guidance and Customer Charter, business targets and local procedures.

Duties and responsibilities:

Provide consular assistance to distressed or vulnerable British people (50%)

• Advising and assisting victims/ families following the hospitalisation or bereavement of British people by liaising with local police, hospitals, funeral directors, courts, insurance companies, and other local authorities and offering help and advice where required.
• Assisting British people (and their families) following arrest or detention by liaising with courts, prisons, lawyers, and other local authorities. Undertaking prison visits as necessary.
• Advising and assisting British people and families in distress, including procedures for dealing with missing persons.
• Provide timely and accurate written records of case actions taken and written and verbal updates to senior Embassy and HQ staff in the UK.
• Consular assistance can be provided by telephone, e-mail, in person, or by visiting customers – sometimes (though rarely) out-of-hours or at weekends if there is an emergency which requires local action.
• Administrative work, e.g., filing, completing consular returns, and updating consular information.

Consular services (25%)

• Process requests for notarial services (e.g., marriage documentation).
• Process requests for Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) and emergency passports.

Partnership and communication (15%)

• Cultivate key external strategic partners.
• Assist in producing and developing prevention campaigns that help reduce the need for consular services.
• Organise and take part in activities to increase the British community’s understanding and awareness of the role of the Consular Section.

Crisis planning and response (10%)

• Contribute to crisis planning work within Tunisia and Libya, including helping to maintain consular elements of the Crisis Management Plan.
• Maintain readiness to respond to a declared crisis.
• Provide prompt and professional assistance to British people caught up in a crisis, including working outside of normal office hours and deploying to the scene of the incident where appropriate.
• Provide regional crisis cover both remotely and through deployment to other countries where required.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other tasks as required. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs.

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.
• Making Effective Decisions – Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications, and risks of decisions.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.
• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
• Changing and Improving – Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.

Eligibility:

Applicants must already have the right to work and reside in Tunisia.

• Excellent/ highly proficient language skills in English (at least IELTS 7.0 or at least C1 level under CEFR or equivalent), Arabic and French (at least C1 level under CEFR or equivalent). Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication. Able to simplify complexities and adapt communication so others can understand.
• Proven experience in a customer-facing role, meeting the needs of a wide range of customers.
• Proven track record of developing and maintaining a range of external contacts.
• Flexibility and patience to deal with often difficult and demanding situations, including the ability to sometimes work unsocial hours in a consular emergency or crisis, and to travel, sometimes at short notice, in response to operational needs.
• IT literate and well versed in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and with accurate typing skills.