Consular Assistant

(Ref. BEL 649)

British Bilateral Embassy

Brussels, Belgium

(Temporary cover for absence)

The British Bilateral Embassy in Belgium is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking for a Consular Assistant based in Brussels.

The British Bilateral Embassy in Belgium provides consular advice and services to British residents and over 882,000 annual British visitors that travel to the country. The consular team is part of the wider Europe North consular region. Our customers rightly expect high levels of service and we aim to deliver. Consular work is very rewarding – you have the chance to make a direct difference to someone’s life, often in very challenging situations. The successful candidates will be working in a busy consular assistance team often under pressure and sometimes dealing with extremely sensitive cases.

Main Duties/Responsibilities

• Assisting British nationals by helping them to find solutions to difficulties they face e.g. following the loss or theft of documents, referring more complex cases to a Pro Consul or Vice Consul;
• Issuing emergency travel documents, fee-taking, and dealing with customers at the counter, by telephone, or via e-mail;
• Preparing documentary services for official signature;
• Producing local management information through collecting statistical data and creating Excel spreadsheets to strict deadlines;
• Dealing with incoming routine correspondence and answering telephone calls;
• Organising and updating information lists, the website, and the online appointments system;
• Liaising with the Belgian authorities and the consular Contact Centre in Malaga;
• Supporting preparedness for mass casualty incidents and if necessary be ready to deploy.

Required Experience & Skills

Essential:

• Fluent English language skills, both oral and written, as well as ability to communicate in French and/or Dutch;
• Previous experience in a customer facing role and excellent customer service skills;
• Excellent time management and organisational skills. A proven record of delivering results and the ability to work well under pressure;
• Excellent team working ability, including the ability to understand your personal impact;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel;
• Flexibility, resilience, patience, and the ability to deal with difficult situations, including the ability to work unsocial hours in an emergency or crisis;
• Ability to display a high level of discretion and responsibility;
• Ability to successfully undergo security clearance procedures;
• Drive and initiative to get things done, adaptability, and a positive mindset towards change and working as part of a wider team;
• Key FCO competences: Collaborating and Partnering, Demonstrating Resilience, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service and Seeing the Big Picture.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the Belgian administrative system, including the justice system, laws and regulations, as well as social services.

Terms and Conditions

This position will be filled on a permanent contract until the usual staff member returns to work.

This is a full-time permanent contract, for 5 working days (36.25 hours net) per week.

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

The monthly salary for this position is € 2,088.47 gross, A1(L) level (The British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium salaries are not subject to annual indexation).

Please note that Belgian nationals will be paid their salary gross and are expected to comply with their tax obligations through completion of a tax return to the Belgian authorities. Non-Belgian nationals will receive their salary net, minus the deduction of an equivalent level of Belgian tax retained at source.

Further information on this will be given to candidates during the recruitment process.

Staff recruited locally by the British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Belgian employment law.

Applications

All applicants should have the right to live and work in Belgium. The British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium does not sponsor work permits.

All applicants should submit their CV (in English, up to 3 pages), Covering Letter (in English, no more than 1 page of A4, Arial11) setting out their motivation for the role and how they meet the above criteria.

Applications should be sent to jobapplications.bel@fco.gov.uk and the email subject line must be formatted as follows: BEL649.

The closing date for applications is the 12 of April 2016.

Kindly note that your application will only be considered if:

1. Your application has been sent within the time frame requested;
2. Your application documents are fully in English;
3. Your applications documents are in .pdf format.

Please note that, because of the volume of applications we receive, we will only contact candidates selected for interview. If you do not hear from us you should assume that your application has not been successful.

Please be advised that the British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.

British Diplomatic Missions are equal opportunities employers, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.