Community Liaison Officer (65/23 PTA) at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Roles and Responsibilities:

The crux of the role is supporting the morale and well-being of staff in UK in South Africa, with particular regard to the effective arrival and integration of UK based staff.  The job holder will have some leeway in how to achieve this, but it is likely to include much of the following:

• Supporting delivery of social, community, charitable and other team events for staff, for example potentially around: Easter, Christmas, Women’s Day, Youth Day, Heritage Day, Mandela Day, Halloween, Pride Marches/ Celebrations;  among other possibilities.
• Advice, assistance and support to British diplomatic staff and their families considering postings to South Africa and when they arrive and depart the country, especially ensuring their arrival and settling-in is managed well and supported fully.
• Gathering/ developing and disseminating information and guidance to British diplomatic staff and their families about living in South Africa.
• Researching, updating, editing and maintaining multiple information documents and sources for British Diplomatic staff.
• Provide a welfare, liaison and engagement role for diplomatic staff and their families.
• Gather information, produce guidance and provide returns to London on living costs in South Africa for diplomats, and on a broad range of other areas including, for example, education/ schooling, healthcare, local employment and housing; among others.
• Provide information, support and advice to managers and decision-making committees on diplomatic housing, support to diplomatic staff and their families, and on welfare issues (including welfare matters in crisis planning).
• Develop and help deliver regular events, initiatives and activities that help new arrivals settle, build the community sense, promote social opportunities and support staff & family engagement.
• Help deliver effective internal comms to staff, and where applicable, their spouses or partners, through a mix of in-person engagement -  eg, all staff meetings, social engagements, meetings with diplomatic families etc.  -  and written comms  -  eg, newsletters, fact sheets & reports, social media comms, e-mails to staff etc.  -  which cover living in South Africa, social and community opportunities, education/ schooling, health/ medical etc.
• Ensure staff guidance, information and advice is readily available to staff and their spouses/ partners, and is updated regularly and remains accurate.
• Help contribute to coordination of staff and corporate comms across the British Offices in South Africa, eg, regular notices on staff initiatives, contributing to newsletters or similar publications.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Experience carrying out roles that have required personal resilience and demonstrating empathy / emotional intelligence.
• Excellence in customer service, support, advice and assistance, including communicating with customers and stakeholders.
• The highest standards possible of integrity and confidentiality.
• Multi-tasking, dealing with conflicting priorities, and exceptional time-management and organisational skills.
• Strong administration skills.
• Valid Driver’s licence. The jobholder must be able to drive.
• Language requirements: Must be fully fluent in English, with exceptional written & verbal English.
• Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 1 
• Experience in working with Diplomats or Expat communities.
• Experience of financial processes.
• Experience of working in staff support, welfare or other related areas, or past work in HR.