Personal Assistant to High Commissioner (MLT22.209)

Job Description
Job vacancy: Personal Assistant to High Commissioner (MLT22.209)

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 categories protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

Job Category:
Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Job Subcategory:  
Political

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities):
The British High Commission (BHC) in Malta is part of a worldwide network, representing British political, economic, and consular interests overseas and is now looking for a Personal Assistant to High Commissioner based in Valletta. The main purpose of the job is to work within the office of the High Commissioner and reporting directly to her, the Personal Assistant (PA) to High Commissioner provides an interface between staff and external contacts. The PA will ensure the smooth functioning of the office of the High Commissioner including diary management and management of logistics for events, meetings, and visits. 

Main Responsibilities:

• Manage High Commissioner’s office: respond to telephone and email enquiries, welcome visitors, liaise with colleagues to organise meetings, manage IT and stationery, ensure expenditure is paid promptly and recorded
• Manage the High Commissioner’s diary - organise her official and social programme, making appointments, set up meetings, respond to invitations
• Coordinate official visit programmes, booking travel, accommodation and appointments
• Manage the High Commissioner’s correspondence – ensuring incoming and outgoing correspondence is dealt with in a professional and timely manner, drafting replies
• Events. Organise events hosted by the High Commissioner – in partnership with the Residence and Events Manager - manage databases, and issue invitations. Co-ordinate invitations for a major annual event
• Briefing. Coordinate briefing with Political team to ensure this reaches the HC in good time
• Wider Team Support. Support the wider team by organising visits, meetings, minute taking for meetings as agreed with the HC/DHC

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  :

• Fluent in English (both oral and written);
• Professional experience directly relevant to the key duties described above;
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and internet skills;
• Excellent all-round communication skills to manage customer expectations and deliver difficult messages;
• Ability to work well in a team and independently;
• Strong problem-solving skills using own judgment.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience:

• A knowledge of UK, Maltese and EU affairs and the workings of the UK and Maltese governments;
• Maltese Language.

Required behaviours: 

• Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together.

Application deadline: 29 May 2022
Grade: Administrative Officer (AO)
Type of Position: Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
Working hours per week: 35hrs
Country/Territory: Malta
Salary: €1,828.49
Start Date: 1 July 2022

Other benefits and conditions of employment:
Initial one-year full-time contract with possibility of extension. Normal office hours 0900 – 1700. The gross salary for this position is EUR 1,828.49 gross per month. 

The successful candidate will be subject to confirmation of a background check and security clearance. All applicants should have the right to live and work in Malta. The British High Commission does not sponsor work permits. Staff recruited locally by the British High Commission in Malta are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Maltese employment law. Visa/Passport requirements: candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Malta and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract. The successful candidate will be subject to professional background and security clearance.

Additional information:
When completing the motivation field please make sure you present clearly and concisely why are you applying for the position. We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered. Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.  FCDO does not pay for travel-related expenses incurred in interviews (including Security checks) or accept any financial risk, including cancelation or rescheduling costs. The FCDO will not meet the costs connected with relocation if offered a position.

*Please note Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment indicates Level C1 as Mastery or proficiency Level which comprehends that a person can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices. For more information please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skills are going to be assessed.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third-party websites, however, our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.