SRJ - Executive Assistant to His Majesty’s Consul General (AO)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)
The British Consulate General in Jeddah has a vacancy for an Executive
Assistant to His Majesty's Consul General on a fixed-term contract of two (‎2)
years, with a possibility of renewal.
The jobholder will report to His Majesty's Consul General (HMCG) and will
provide executive assistance to the CG to ensure the smooth running and
management of the CG office and Consulate General as requested, covering
organisational, events, logistical and administrative support.
In addition to having very good secretarial skills, the jobholder needs strong
personal skills to act as an effective interface between HMCG, staff members,
and outside contacts. Resilience, good organisational skills, strong judgement
about priorities, and understanding others are also essential to the role.

Duties and responsibilities:
* Proactively manage CG 's schedule, diary, and travel arrangements, coordinating with colleagues/ meeting participants and set up IT as necessary;
* Provide timely executive support for CG's meetings including preparation of agendas, collation and quality assurance of relevant briefs, reading material, write up meeting notes and follow up action when required;
* Establish productive working relationships with a wide range of contacts both within the UK Government's Saudi Network and externally to support their engagement with the CG;
* Support VIP visits including any administrative and logistical arrangements; meet and greet visitors and arrange hospitality as required;
* Support the CG and colleagues in planning and organising events, e.g., dinners and receptions, manage databases, issue invitations and handle RSVPs;
* Action all of the above for the Deputy CG in the absence of the CG;
* Provide wider support to Consulate colleagues as required, including participating in a corporate objective e.g., Green Committee.
The above list is not exhaustive and the job holder will be required to be
flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating
in the Consulate's emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:
* Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
* Making Effective Decisions - Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
* Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
* Working Together - Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.

Eligibility:
The position is available to Saudi Nationals and to current holders of valid
Saudi residence permits or transferable iqamas. The successful candidate will
be required to transfer their sponsorship to the British Consulate General.
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
* Relevant experience as a Personal/ Executive Assistant to a senior leader in a large organisation or government body, ideally for at least three (‎3) years.
* Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
* Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely. Accurate typing and proofreading skills.
* Excellent planning and organisation skills. Ability to respond quickly and flexibly to meet multiple and changing priorities whilst maintaining close attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
* Initiative to solve problems, raise matters of concern, and understand competing priorities. Ability to work rigorously and independently and make judgement calls on when to use own initiative to deal directly with enquiries and seek guidance where necessary.
* Strong interpersonal skills and works well as part of a team. Capable of working on their own initiative as well as with and through others, including in a fast-paced and changing environment.
* Good customer skills in dealing with colleagues and external parties, able to work closely with senior staff and their contacts. Able to handle people on the phone and in person effectively.
* Demonstrates cultural awareness, courtesy, and consideration in dealing with all stakeholders. Able to show discretion in handling any sensitive matters, with the trust of all involved.
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
* Arabic language skills.
* Event management experience.
Required behaviours
Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing,
Working Together
Application deadline Application deadline - day Application deadline - month
Application deadline - year
‎27 April ‎2023
Grade
Administrative Officer (AO)
Type of Position
Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
Working hours per week
‎35
Region
Middle East & North Africa
Country/Territory
Saudi Arabia
Location (City)
Jeddah
Type of Post
British Consulate General
Number of vacancies
‎1
Salary Currency
SAR
Salary
‎7,908
Start Date Start Date - day Start Date - month Start Date - year
‎1 July ‎2023
Other benefits and conditions of employment
The Consulate General aims to offer an attractive working environment and
remuneration package for this role.
Monthly salary details:
* Base Salary - SAR ‎6,006
* Housing Allowance - SAR ‎1,502 (subject to eligibility)
* Travel Allowance - SAR ‎400 (subject to eligibility)
* Total - SAR ‎7,908
* Allowances are not payable to staff who receive official provision for such expenditure in some other form. Spouses/ Dependents of UKBS officers working at the Embassy are not eligible to Housing or Travel Allowance.
No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this
position.
This position is full-time, based on ‎35 hours per week. Normal working hours
are from ‎08:00 to ‎15:00 from Sunday to Thursday, with core working hours from
‎10:00-‎15:00. Core working hours is the period of the day that employees are
required to be at work. The working day outside of the core hours is a
flexible period, which allows employees to choose when they work, subject to
operational needs.
The jobholder will be required to be flexible in their approach to hours
worked as these will be dictated by operational needs and may involve working
out of hours (evening/ weekend), especially during visits and events. Flexible
working arrangements will be considered based on operational requirements and
upon agreement with the Line Manager and in line with FCDO and Consulate-
General 's policies.
The successful candidate will be subject to a ‎90-day probationary period.
Additional information
How to apply:
Interested candidates must include in their online application form
‎1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV);
‎2) a covering letter/ motivation essay stating how you meet the requirements
of the role; and
‎3) specific examples in the relevant sections of the online application form
of how you meet the key behaviours and skills required.
Applications that do not include these information will not be considered.
The closing date for applications is at ‎23:55 KSA local time on ‎27 April
‎2023.
Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, only those shortlisted for
the next step in the recruitment process will be contacted.
Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful at interview may be placed on a
'reserve list'. If during the reserve period of six (‎6) months the same or a
largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second
or subsequent candidate.
The start date mentioned in the 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 and reference checks.
The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take
around ‎2-‎3 months. The security clearance process includes checks available in
country and in the UK, dependant on the security level required for the role
and the candidates profile and UK footprint. You may experience some delay in
the progress of this recruitment campaign, and we are working hard to minimise
any disruption.

The British Consulate General is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to
inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited
locally by the British Consulate General is subject to Terms and Conditions of
Service according to local Saudi Arabia employment law.
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.