Security Officer - (01/24 CPT) at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Roles and Responsibilities / what will the job holder be expected to achieve:

The below roles and responsibilities are general guidelines. The role is not limited to the detail below and the responsibilities are subject to change from time to time with prior consultation if circumstances, structures, work pressures or priorities alter, or if absences need covering.

• Meeting and greeting new diplomatic and some visiting staff and providing security briefings.  Ensure all staff have been briefed at the various level of briefing required. Maintain a log of briefings.
• Keep up to date with current affairs that may have an impact on security of the staff and buildings and ensure up to date messaging is sent out. Keep security managers updated.
• Responding to incidents affecting staff and liaise with emergency services and other authorities/security providers to ensure staff receive help as soon as possible. Keep the ROSM and others updated.
• Plan and provide security support for high-level visitors with the support of the security managers. Carry out reconnaissance visits to vulnerable areas with security support in place. Manage convoys of official vehicles and ensure good communications are in place throughout visits.
• Establish a strong security network with diplomatic and other organisations that provide security in Cape Town and other areas.
• Planning security support and measures for events at the main residence and other locations. Working alongside other teams within the mission.
• Conducting security assessments for new properties, hotels and other accommodation as informed by the ROSM or Security Operations Manager, against periodic reviews or in response to issues arising, ensuring British High Commission standards are met, compliance with Health & Safety requirements, and a high standard of customer service for staff and residential occupants.
• Maintaining security features such as alarms, electric fences, CCTV, access control and other security measures used at the offices and residences to a high standard. Planning regular service reviews with contractors. Ensuring staff follow security policies and protocols.
• Testing the contracted guards and security companies on periodic security incident responses. Be an active member in the crisis team, post security committees and other committees that require security input.
• Organising work to deliver security works in offices and properties including planning / scheduling of work tracking progress and record keeping.
• Raising requisitions orders and receipting funds on the British High Commission’s IT systems, dealing with financial issues and budgeting requirements and researching and assessing works quotes and costs.
• Monitoring security related maintenance requests, ensuring that issues are addressed in line with agreed standards and deadlines, and communicating with staff and residential occupants.
• Security administration duties including responding to email and phone enquiries from staff, service suppliers, contractors and others. Update security asset registers. Understand the procurement processes and account for security works procured. Possible admin duties related to security work at other British High Commission locations.
• Using experience / knowledge to observe and highlight any estate or security concerns, including accompanying security contractors, related to property inspections and maintenance around generators, electrical, plumbing, security equipment and other similar issues.  Assess security standards at properties and offices and report on these to managers.
• Provide advice on physical and procedural security matters, and about local security threats, risks and trends (covering different areas of Western Cape, and its facilities, eg, hotels, places to visit etc.), to staff, UK Government visitors to Cape Town and to managers based in Pretoria. / BC premises.  Support visits to Cape Town by UK Government representatives, including VIPs, in particular security considerations for the logistical and public-facing elements of such visits.
• Liaising with landlords as required to ensure security standards are met. Reporting on these to managers based in Pretoria.
• Provide a strong contribution with the security department in Pretoria and other teams in the British Consulate in Cape Town, especially related to learning and development, teamwork, collaboration and support to others, respect to colleagues, and diversity and inclusion.
• Deliver professionally other security tasks and new work as delegated by managers on an ad hoc basis, often outside the above areas, to support the work of the British High Commission in South Africa.
• Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Essential qualifications, skills and experience 1 

• Strong computer literacy
• Multi-tasking, planning, communication with customers and time-management skills
• Valid Driver’s licence.  The jobholder must be able to drive
• Administration experience, including dealing with external contractors and being able to deliver proactively on their own initiative
• Fluent in written and spoken English

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 1 

• Experience in property management / facilities management / working in the security sector
• Budgetary experience
• Full training will be provided to the successful candidate if they do not have this experience