Foreign & Commonwealth Office Abu Dhabi Jobs 2022 – Apply Online AUH/ DXB – Strategic Coordinator and Senior Chief of Staff (SEO) Vacancy in Abu Dhabi, UAE

The British Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have a vacancy for a Strategic Co-ordinator and Senior Chief of Staff on a fixed-term contract for three (3) years, with a possibility of renewal.

This is an exciting and critical role supporting the Embassy’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) including Her Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA), Deputy Ambassador, and Deputy Consul General. You will play a key role in defining, driving, and communicating change across our Missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, both to improve how we work together and in response to commissions from HQ (e.g., business planning). You will ensure our governance and corporate structures, particularly the Country Board, deliver an effective, cohesive, and motivated network. You will also ensure effective cross-network Internal Communications.

You will also oversee the SLT Executive Office and ensure its effective operation; ensuring an office that is an exemplar of our values, especially respect and inclusion.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Post strategy: Lead development of UAE Network business planning process, working collaboratively with SLT and all Partners Across Government (PAGs) on the Embassy’s platform to review the external operating context, horizon scan, identify trends and emerging issues and to define key shared post objectives as well as critical cross-cutting and underpinning campaigns and projects. Develop and manage post risk registers and overall corporate approach to risk. Support SLT to define the resources and skills required to deliver across business and cultural goals.
• Governance and oversight of delivery: Provide strategic support to key post governance mechanisms: as Secretary to the SLT and Country Board; and working closely with Corporate Services and colleagues on the Management and People Boards to cohere and coordinate activity. Review and make recommendations on future post governance, including potential to introduce new/ agile groupings and to incorporate oversight of other committees including Health and Safety, Post Security Committees (PSCs), Post Housing Committees (PHCs). Develop, oversee, and cohere One HMG Alignment arrangements on line management and integration with wider governance. Use these bodies to track and flex vision, objectives, delivery, resourcing and culture/values in an agile way.
• Coordination of external engagement and hospitality: Improve the join-up between post objectives and the way in which we engage with the UAE system, strategically and tactically, working with and acting as a focal and coordinating point for SLT objectives and targets; for Political Section, stakeholder mapping and future engagement targets and planning; for PAG customers on-platform; and with Residence, events and diary teams.
• Internal change: Flowing from the Country Business Plan, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Strategic Workforce Plan, Department for International Trade (DIT) regional programmes, new UAE Labour Law, and other key strategies and workstreams: support SLT in defining objectives, plans, activities and resource requirements for internal change in what we deliver and how, and what we ask of and offer to staff across capabilities, performance, skills structures and behaviours; and work with teams at post to shape, cohere and where relevant implement the change.
• Internal communications: Working with the existing Press and Political Affairs (PPA) Team, develop a corporate communications plan and activity that brings together the workstreams above in a coherent way and engages, consults and informs staff.
• Leadership and management: Lead the new and expanded Executive Office Team; supporting the Ambassador, Deputy Ambassador, and Deputy Consul General; help to refine and develop its purpose, vision, resources, and internal/ external relationships, in consultation with the SLT, Heads of Section and others. Engage other teams at Post on the team’s work, what it offers to them, and what it needs from them in response.

The jobholder will also be managing three (3) staff members – one at Executive Officer (EO) level two at Administrative Officer (AO) level.

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.

• Relevant experience in Corporate Governance, ideally in an international organisation or a multinational company.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders, preferably within the FCDO network or of Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) programme management or delivery.
• Demonstrated experience leading change management programmes, internal communications, corporate or business management.
• Proven leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent relationship development and management skills, capable of operating at all organisational levels. Experience of developing relationships and building influence with multiple stakeholders in public and private sectors.
• Flexible, resilient, decisive and calm under pressure. With a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard with a tight deadline whilst maintaining attention to detail.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Strong IT computer skills and in using MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams).
• Holds at least a bachelor’s degree.

• Experience working with government and other official authorities in the UAE.
• Experience in events management, business hospitality, hosting senior events, and/ or office management.

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 29,682 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.

Whilst the role may be based in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai, the jobholder will be required to visit the Embassy in the other Emirate, subject to COVID-19 restrictions and to operational needs. The jobholder will also be expected to visit to take part in relevant meetings and events, which may also require out-of-hours work (evenings/ weekends). Flexible working arrangements may be considered based on operational requirements and agreement with the line manager, and in line with FCDO and Embassy policies.

The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassy’s sponsorship.