AUH - Cultural Affairs Officer (EO)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)
The British Embassy Abu Dhabi has a vacancy for a Cultural Affairs Officer on
a fixed-term contract for two (‎2) years.
The jobholder will work closely with wider Embassy teams in Abu Dhabi and
Dubai, the British Council, VisitBritain, Department for Culture Media and
Sport (DCMS), and Department for Education (DfE) to develop and drive forward
the Embassy's soft power agenda. They will help to manage events and drive
forward engagement on priority soft power issues, in particular focussing on
the Embassy's cultural agenda.
Whilst the role is based in Abu Dhabi, the jobholder will be required to visit
the Embassy in Dubai, subject to COVID-‎19 restrictions and to operational
needs.

Duties and responsibilities:*
As Cultural Affairs Officer, you will be responsible for delivering the
Embassy 's Soft Power Strategy, in line with the Country Business Plan
objectives. You will need to build strong relationships with external
stakeholders to promote the UK and all it has to offer in areas of culture,
media, sport, education, tourism, values, heritage, and language. You will
need to provide insight into the UAE and how UK and UAE objectives align,
writing reports and spotting opportunities for collaboration.
You will identify opportunities and develop an innovative and varied programme
of events that promote the bilateral relationship and the UK (e.g., heavy
involvement in the Queen's Birthday Party, which takes place annually). Often
working to tight deadlines, you will source appropriate venues and suppliers
to deliver top quality events, ensuring value for money, seeking feedback, and
always improving events.
You will deliver a range of off-site and on-site events (e.g., at the
Ambassador's Residence), working closely with the Executive Office, Chancery,
wider Embassy teams, as well as the Residence and Estates Teams to ensure
events run smoothly and Her Majesty's Ambassador (HMA) and Deputy Head of
Mission (DHM) are supported. This will require flexible working and some
evening work.
You will also maintain a database of relevant cultural contacts and event
venues and manage the soft power events budget, ensuring full compliance with
financial reporting responsibilities and procurement rules.
The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be
flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating
in the Embassy's emergency planning and any other response to a crisis
affecting UK citizens.

Key behaviours required:
* Seeing the Big Picture - Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
* 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 - Forming effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds; sharing information, resources, and support.
* Managing a Quality Service - Delivering service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
* Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
* Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
The ideal candidate will have
* Previous relevant experience in events management planning and delivery, along with an awareness of soft power issues, a good knowledge of the UAE and the ability to implement soft power themes through events. Previous relevant experience in events management, planning, and delivery in the Middle East will be highly regarded.
* Excellent interpersonal, organisational, customer handling, and communication skills.
* Ability to work autonomously and have strong planning and self-management skills.
* Excellent organisational skills, with proven ability to plan and prioritise tasks.
* Experience of working in a team.
* Customer-focused approach and confidence to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders, including governmental.
* Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
* Ability to anticipate and solve problems, pay close attention to detail, be able to think strategically to spot opportunities and plan large-scale events.
* Strong IT skills, including proficiency in MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
* Holds at least a bachelor's degree.
* Arabic language skills (both written and spoken).
* Project management experience would be useful for planning large-scale events.
* Experience in resource or budget management will be an advantage.
Required behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality
Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
Application deadline Application deadline - day Application deadline - month
Application deadline - year
‎6 July ‎2022
Grade
Executive Officer (EO)
Type of Position
Fixed Term, Full-time
Working hours per week
‎38
Duration of Post
‎24 months
Region
Middle East & North Africa
Country/Territory
United Arab Emirates
Location (City)
Abu Dhabi
Type of Post
British Embassy
Number of vacancies
‎1
Salary Currency
AED
Salary
‎14,059
Start Date Start Date - day Start Date - month Start Date - year
‎29 August ‎2022
Other benefits and conditions of employment
The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration
package for this role, including: ‎25 days of leave per annum; on-site swimming
pool, gym, and sports facilities (subject to COVID-‎19 restrictions).
Salary is at AED ‎14,059 per month.
There are no other allowances payable as part of this package. No
accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this
position.
Effective ‎01 January ‎2022, the Embassy will be open from Monday to Friday,
from ‎07:30 to ‎18:00. Conditioned working hours are ‎38 hours per week
(including breaks), and specific working hours for this role will be confirmed
at a later time.
The successful candidate should be flexible in their approach to hours worked
as these will also be dictated by operational needs and may involve working
out of hours, especially during events and visits. Flexible working
arrangements may be considered based on operational requirements and agreement
with the line manager, and in line with FCDO and Embassy policies.
Whilst the role is based in Abu Dhabi, the jobholder will be required to visit
the Embassy in Dubai, subject to COVID-‎19 restrictions and to operational
needs.
The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the
Embassy's sponsorship.
Additional information
How to apply:
Interested candidates must attach ‎1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and ‎2) a
covering letter to their online application form.
Your application must also include examples of when you have demonstrated the
required behaviours in the Behaviours Questions section of the online
application form.
Closing date for applications is at ‎11:55 PM UAE local time on ‎06 July
‎2022.
Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Process:
The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take
around two months.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, only those shortlisted for
the next step of the recruitment process will be contacted. Assessments and/
or interviews will be done remotely if the existing situation determines this
to be the right course of action.
The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the
successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures.
Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable
clearances.

The British Embassy Abu Dhabi an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to
inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.*
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.