Main purpose of job:

• Delivering consular services and assistance to British Nationals in The Gambia in line with our public guide “Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide”.  Manage consular crises, work with local authorities to support British Nationals abroad, host training events, media campaigns and other activities to help minimise risks to British residents and visitors to help “prevent” them from getting into difficulty.

Roles and responsibilities:

Provide consular assistance to British Nationals (BNs) who get into difficulty in The Gambia, lead on complex consular assistance cases, line manage x1 Consular Officer, and provide resilience/support for consular colleagues across the West Africa region when required (40%)

• Lead on complex/high profile cases involving vulnerable BNs and develop case management strategies, applying consular guidance and consulting seniors when necessary. Assistance work in The Gambia might involve supporting families of people who have been bereaved, including victims of murder; giving welfare assistance to destitute British people; supporting victims of crime and people who have been hospitalised; as well as assisting victims of rape & sexual assault, domestic violence and a host of other issues. Some cases may attract media and UK parliamentary interest
• Work with political, press, senior and other colleagues across the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (particularly at the British High Commission Banjul and in HQ in the UK) to resolve complex assistance cases
• Provide line management to a Consular Officer in post and mentoring support to consular colleagues in neighbouring posts, with expectation of occasional regional travel
• Occasionally cover casework elsewhere in the region, both remotely and in-person at our other British embassies and high commissions
• Meet consular business targets and promptly record casework on our case management system.

Support Consular Directorate’s Prevention objectives by building strong relationships and liaison with local authorities and organisations (25%)

• Active outreach to British nationals and partner organisations around The Gambia to establish further sources of assistance for British nationals
• Organise visits, seminars and events to engage Gambian authorities, businesses and NGOs on key areas of policy that impact British nationals, be they tourists or residents
• Identify and lobby authorities on key consular issues, supported by High Commission colleagues
• Create and deliver prevention campaigns and public communications to help reduce the risk to British people in The Gambia, with support of High Commission media colleagues
• Research and draft online consular guides/publications, using clear language in line with gov.uk’s style

Support British High Commission Banjul crisis preparations (20%)

• Work closely with the Regional Crisis Advisor to ensure the High Commission’s consular crisis preparedness is up to date and appropriate
• Ensure that (consular) elements of the High Commission’s Crisis Management Plan (CMP) are in place, accurate, up-to-date and functional and kept under regular (at least annual) review
• Participate in the British High Commission crisis committee in “peace time”, and act as consular manager in event of the High Commission moving into crisis posture; organise and participate in crisis exercises. Provide crisis training to consular volunteers in the CMP as appropriate.

Regional and Corporate – (10%)

• Contribute to the wider British High Commission in in Banjul as well as the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) consular network by supporting cross-mission activity, advising regional consular colleagues, and providing regional resilience in other SSA posts when required.

Staff and resource management (5%)

• Line manage and supervise the work of the Consular Officer. Resources managed (staff and expenditure)
• Budget tbc – depending on designing and delivering prevention activity.

• Language requirements: Language:  English essential; Level of language required: Fluent
• The successful candidate will need to have excellent written, spoken and listening communication skills in English to manage customer expectations and deliver difficult messages empathetically; demonstrate an ability to remain calm under pressure; be able to research and follow guidelines, be proactive, and plan and prioritise effectively. Experience working in a customer facing environment is essential. This is a rewarding and often challenging role. You will be well supported by your line manager, wider team, and colleagues across the High Commission, but you will need high levels of personal resilience to succeed.