Vice Consul

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. Job Category 1 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Consular Roles) Job Subcategory 1 Consular Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities) 1

Main purpose of job:

We are seeking a dynamic and customer-oriented Vice Consul, Head of the Consular Section to join and manage the consular team based in the British Embassy Lima, Peru. The team is also part of the Americas Consular Network. The Americas Consular Network provides high quality, professional, empathetic services to British nationals, providing tailored support to the most vulnerable, encourages British nationals to take personal responsibility, works with stakeholders to reduce risks and is ready to scale and flex our response in a crisis.

The successful applicant will lead day-to-day consular operations, manage and deliver a targeted consular prevention programme and ensure the provision of high-quality consular support to British nationals in Peru.

The role will involve interaction with members of the public, local, regional and UK authorities and organisations, as well as colleagues across the Americas Consular Network and London in order to fulfil the delivery of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO’s) Consular Strategy. As a Head of Section, the role will also require collaboration across the Embassy, including engagement with senior management on a regular basis, the line management of two staff members and of the Honorary Consuls network in Peru.

The Vice-Consul will report to, and be managed by, the Consular Regional Operations Manager (CROM) based in Bogota, Colombia.

Roles and responsibilities:

Oversee and provide guidance to the Consular team in Lima, and to the wider network of Honorary Consuls and Consular Agents around Peru. Ensure service delivery, audit requirements, and case management exceed the minimum expected standards and are in line with the Consular Strategy, Consular Charter and FCDO Consular Guidance. Conduct a strategic review of active consular casework; liaising with UK, Post and regional stakeholders as appropriate to effectively manage high profile and/or complex cases. Monitor casework trends, making recommendations and adjustment to casework management and/or prevention activity as appropriate in consultation with key stakeholders. Provide consular assistance in accordance with current guidelines including, but not limited to, visiting British nationals in hospital, jail or mortuary, providing support following bereavement, child custody matters, sexual assault, and cases involving mental health issues. Provide reports and coordinate strategy discussions with senior leadership on high profile cases, and ad hoc notarial and Emergency Travel Documents production. Work with senior leadership to ensure accurate travel advice for Peru. Proactively identify, manage, deliver and evaluate prevention activities, working in conjunction with political and other internal teams. This will include representation at events, public speaking duties and project management. Develop and maintain positive relationships with local authorities (e.g. police, prison service, immigration, Ombudsman, hospitals, ministries and children’s services), key stakeholders (e.g. travel and tourism industry, support groups, NGOs) and other diplomatic missions. Resolve customer concerns effectively and fairly, pre-empting these where possible; reviewing the consular service offering at Post and the customer journey utilised on case management. Bid for and manage the consular budget ensuring that resources are profiled accurately, used effectively and in accordance with published guidance. Highlight concerns and leverage opportunities to maximise spend in a timely manner. Lead on Consular aspects of the whole of mission crisis response. Ensure the Consular team is fully trained and assist the Honorary Consuls in ensuring they take relevant training and understand their role in a crisis. Respond to crisis events as necessary. Work with colleagues in the Americas Consular Region contributing as necessary to help shape the development and application of consular strategy and policy in the network, provide resilience when necessary and share best practice. Provide out of hours assistance to emergency consular cases as appropriate.

Resources Managed:

Staff: Line management of 2 x AO(L) Pro-Consuls and management of 7 x Honorary Consuls/Consular Agents. Budgets: Manage the Consular section budget for travel and prevention activity (approx. £8,000 yearly).  Essential qualifications, skills and experience 1 A strong team player with previous management experience, both staff and budget. 3+ years of relevant work experience (to include working with the public and staff management skills). Excellent communication skills: both written and oral, including the ability to communicate at all levels. Proactive, flexible, adaptable and the ability to work across small teams. Initiative, drive & determination with superior problem-solving skills, sound judgement, common sense and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Ability to sensitively handle difficult situations. Proven ability to prioritise, effectively manage and execute multiple tasks. Proven ability to demonstrate initiative and self-motivation, self-starter. The successful candidate must be available to attend a virtual training course within the first 3 months of employment and then a weeklong in-person training course in the UK within the first 6-8 months of starting in the role. Proficiency in MS Office. Fluency in English and Spanish, spoken and written. Level of language required: CFER C1. Legal status to live and work in Peru in your own right, from time of application. Please note that we are unable to sponsor visas. Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 1 A relevant bachelor's degree. Experience of managing outreach programmes including undertaking a wide variety of public speaking duties. A good knowledge of multi-cultural Britain, its language, and geography. Required behaviours 1 Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Working Together Application deadline 1 18 February 2024 Grade 1 Executive Officer (EO) Type of Position 1 Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal Working hours per week 1 37 Region 1 Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean Country/Territory 1 Peru Location (City) 1 Lima Type of Post 1 British Embassy Number of vacancies 1 1 Salary Currency 1 PEN Salary 1 S/.8,988 + CTS benefits and bonus salary in Fuly and December. Start Date 1 25 March 2024 End Date 1 25 March 2026 Other benefits and conditions of employment 1

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

Core Consular Mandatory Training: e-learning and self-study – Introduction to Consular work, Wellbeing, Resilience and Stress, Supporting Vulnerable People, Safeguarding Children, Assistance Guidance and other modules as set out on HERA Learn for Consular Officers at the time of hiring. Other FCDO Mandatory Training: Responsible for Information, Diversity at Work, Health & Safety Awareness, Unconscious Bias, Disability Awareness, LBGT Awareness and other modules as set out on HERA Learn for Consular Officers at the time of hiring. Delivering Consular Services: Consular Fundamentals (virtually within one to three months of starting) and then Developing Consular Expertise (one week in person in the UK within six to eight months of starting); induction to the Consular IT systems, Delivering Digital Consular Services, Effective Digital Content and other modules as set out on the FCDO’s digital learning platform for Consular Officers at the time of hiring. Additional Consular and Crisis Management: variety of e-learning, workshops and videos will be provided. Induction segments: reading, discussion and mentorship. Good Line Management learning packages, the provision of ad-hoc support to Consular Sections in other British Embassies / High Commissions in the Americas.

The role brings the opportunity to acquire knowledge of consular policy and practice. In addition, it offers the chance to develop wider applicable skills, for example in stakeholder management and good line management. The Americas Consular Network places great emphasis on promoting L&D - additional opportunities can be bid for through both the Post and Consular L&D programme.

Please note:

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in Peru in their own right.

The successful candidate will be subject to a security clearance and professional reference checks.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, e.g., some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6-12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

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