Main purpose of job:
The Corporate Services Assistant will be an integral part of the Transport and Estates team as well as working on a regular basis with other Corporate Services Departments. Working closely with colleagues to deliver a pro-active, customer focused, service in South Africa.
The primary duty is to transport passengers to and from destinations in a comfortable, safe and efficient manner including some estates function. Meeting those goals entails additional responsibilities, tasks, knowledge, and attention to detail, presentable and well spoken.
The successful applicant will be expected to have a pleasant and polite personality and be able to work as part of a team.
The job requires someone with a patient attitude, as the tight deadlines and busy traffic can often add a lot of stress to a driver’s duties. Presenting themselves in a professional way at all times.
Roles and responsibilities:
The below roles and responsibilities are general guidelines. They are not limited to the detail below and are subject to change from time to time with prior consultation.
- To provide a highly efficient customer service role in the area of transport. This may include duties such as collecting customer feedback, accommodate swipe booking changes and appropriate guest interaction during drives.
- Ensuring the vehicle is well maintained, clean both inside and out before each trip and report any defects. Duties include cleaning of the vehicles, taking the vehicles for regular services or repairs and performing the K53 pre-trip inspections before each drive (I.e. No leaks or obstructions under the vehicle; seat belts & doors in working order; mirror & windshield secure; wiper blade up-perished; tyre tread & pressure checked & wheels secure; water, oil, brake fluid & fan belt checked; left side or car same as previous; licence disc valid & petrol cap secure; back window & tail lights secure, not cracked and boot securely closed; signal and head lights in working condition.).
- Provide and confirm journey information to passengers well in advance. Work in partnership with the team and/or suppliers if unexpected changes occur and keeping the customer informed at all times.
- Ensure that vehicles are prepared, fuelled and secured in advance of VIP visits. Also ensure that all aspects of each VIP visit are well communicated, co-ordinated and delivered. You may also be required to drive the Head of Mission and other high profile guests from time to time.
- Adhere to the South African traffic laws and regulations at all times.
- Ensure the customers safety at all times to the best of your ability and work in partnership with the Diplomatic Police should a challenge occur.
- Conduct all round vehicle checks on a daily basis. This may include duties such as ensuring that the vehicles are securely stowed, vehicle keys are securely locked away, and visual vehicle inspections such as spare wheel, wheel jacks, etc. are in working order.
- Transport Administration duties. These duties may include maintaining an accurate record of all bookings, journeys, mileage records and fuel consumption.
- Familiarise, understand and adhere to the British High Commission South Africa’s Transport Policy and Corporate Services Charter. These documents underline the agreed service level agreements between Corporate Services and all other departments as per the Memorandum of Understanding.
- Report to the Transport Supervisor daily; attend weekly transport meetings and monthly Corporate Service Department meetings.
- This position will be required to perform adhoc duties from time to time that may include purchasing for other departments, transporting documentations and/or diplomatic bags and assisting with duties other than transport related functions.
- General administration duties such as updating personal leave records, activity recording, responding to email, reconciling Corporate Credit Cards and Government Procurement Credit Cards within the agreed timelines, expense claim forms, I-expenses, etc
- Substitute for the Transport Supervisor during periods of leave. Therefore need to be computer literate, fluent in English and be able to co-ordinate transport bookings.
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
- Fluent in written and spoken English
- Must have a C1 with PDP Drivers Licence
- Driver/Chauffer Experience essential
- Geographical knowledge
- Good communication skills are essential as well as basic IT literacy
- Computer literacy and basic administration skills required
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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.
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