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Job Category: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Job Subcategory: Estates

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

About us:

The British Embassy in Pristina is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas.

The British Embassy in Pristina is looking for an enthusiastic and skilful Corporate Services Officer, who will lead on the operational delivery of the British Embassy Pristina residential and non-residential estates to ensure a safe and compliant platform, as per FCDO standards and policies on Estates, Accommodation, and Health & Safety.

This role requires a proficient team-player, who will be collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders including Estates, Security and Network Directorate (ESND), the Regional Technical Lead (RTL), Head of Corporate Services (HCS), a range of suppliers, and all UKB staff members and their families, to ensure property management compliance. The jobholder will be responsible for supporting the arrival and departures process of the UK based staff and their families, providing accommodation with furniture and furnishings, as well as ongoing planned and ad-hoc property maintenance support. The job holder will serve as the Embassy’s Health & Safety contact point, ensuring compliance and supporting implementation of recommendations from Health & Safety inspections.

The jobholder will manage the relevant estates budgets, as well as procure estates and other office related products and services, in line with FCDO Finance and Procurement guidelines. The job holder will also line manage the Maintenance Assistant.

The job holder will be part of the Corporate Services team and is line managed by the Head of Corporate Services. This is a key role in a busy Embassy, and the job holder will need to engage with people at all levels and deliver results with value for money for the Embassy.

The role entails:

Estate Supervision - 70%:

• Ensure all British Embassy properties are effectively managed and compliant with global policy, working closely with Estates, Security and Network Directorate (ESND), Regional Technical Lead (RTL), Head of Corporate Services (HCS) and suppliers.
• Manage the day-to-day running of all properties, including preventive maintenance plan with the support of Maintenance Assistant and suppliers. Act as the initial escalation and contact point for staff queries. Focus on effective customer service, ensuring that the Estate's team is providing a professional service in line with the Mission's Corporate Services Charter.
• Support arrival and departure of UKBS and their families on platform, ensuring accommodation is arranged in compliance with FCDO Accommodation and Health & Safety policies and working closely with the Post Security Manager.
• Ensure that all Embassy properties’ furnishings meet required levels in line with FCDO Accommodation, Estates and Health & Safety policies. Manage inventories of properties and warehouse stock.
• Maintain a safe, compliant and supportive working environment for all staff and diplomatic families.
• Support implementing recommendations from Health & Safety inspections, surveys, and reports. Complete Health and Safety assessments as per Health and Safety Framework.
• Ensure property data compliance in Planon and inventory data compliance on Pyramid.

Finance and Procurement activities (20%):

• Manage estates related budget allocation in liaison with CSO Finance and HCS, including forecast, monitoring and procurement. Ensure all spend is in line with FCDO Accommodation policies, Finance and Procurement guidelines and best practice putting Value for Money at the heart of all activities.
• Liaise with the Embassy suppliers and contractors for quotations, scope of work and implementation of required work. Ensure the delivery is of a quality service, is financially compliant and represents value for money.
• Assist the team in daily procurement activities, including office related procurement, such as stationery, IT, office furniture and supplies etc.

Team support (10%):

• Cover for Corporate Services Officer - Finance during periods of absence.
• Act as Deputy Fire Manager.
• Deputise for Mission IT Support Officer (ITSO).
• Take on the Logistics Officer activities as part of any Crisis response and participate in test exercises.
• Support the Mission Green Committee, by implementing sustainability initiatives at Mission, in line with ESND requirements.

Other duties as required by Line manager and Mission's needs.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): This role will line manage the Maintenance Assistant.

Resources Managed: Budget responsibility for the estates and other related elements of the Mission’s local budget.

Responsibility for efficient management of Embassy Estates (currently 8).

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Our ideal candidate has:

• Minimum 2 years of working for an international organisation or large business, preferably with direct involvement in Estates/Facilities and/or overseeing maintenance teams.
• A bachelor’s degree.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Albanian. (minimum C1 as per the CEFR)
• Confident and clear communicator.
• Excellent customer service skills and ability to manage expectations.
• Experience in managing suppliers and outsourced service delivery.
• Good organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Professionalism and sensitivity when dealing with customers (UKB staff, families, staff members) as well as Embassy suppliers.
• Strong computer skills – confident use of Word, Excel, Outlook, databases, Internet.
• Resilience and the ability to work flexibly, with a can-do attitude.
• Familiarity with procurement processes.
• Good line management skills.
• Valid driver’s license.
  

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Good to have :

• UK and local Health and Safety knowledge, and/or technical qualifications in one or more of the following areas: health and safety management, fire management, building management, etc.
• Previous budget management experience.
  

Required behaviours: Changing and Improving, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together

Application deadline: 11 September 2024

Grade: Administrative Officer (AO)

Type of Position: Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal

Working hours per week: 36 net hours

Region: Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia

Country/Territory: Kosovo

Location (City): Pristina

Type of Post: British Embassy

Number of vacancies: 1

Salary Currency: EUR

Salary: € 1,298.06

Start Date: 21 October 2024

Other benefits and conditions of employment

This is a fixed-term, full-time contract for 5 working days per week. The probation period of this role is 6 months. The contract is awarded on annual basis, with a possibility of extension.

The successful candidate will be subject to confirmation of a background check and security clearance. Candidates that are not able to do so will not be able to take up post.

The successful candidate is required to start as soon as possible. Working hours are 36 net hours per week, within Embassy’s core hours Monday-Thursday 08:00-16:30 and Friday 08:00-14:00.

Employees recruited locally by the British Embassy in Pristina are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Kosovo, as interpreted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

All applicants should have the right to live and work in Kosovo. The British Embassy does not sponsor for work permits.

The Embassy has an active Learning and Development committee with regular opportunities for professional development.

Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

Any questions you may have about this position will be answered during the interview, should you be invited.

Information about the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Success Profiles Framework can be found on this link: Success Profiles - Gov.Uk.

Check your application before you submit your application, as you will not be able to make any changes once submitted.

The British Embassy will never ask you to pay a fee or money to apply for a position.

Learning and Development Opportunities: The British Government offers its staff a range of formal and informal learning and training opportunities which include job shadowing and exchanges, sector-focused training courses, seminars and external training opportunities, with individual learning plans dependent on training needs. There are a number of FCDO corporate services related courses to be completed once the candidate has been recruited. The job holder will be completing Estates related training and Fire Safety training.

Working Patterns: Standard working hours are from 08:00-16:30 from Monday to Thursday and 08:00-13:30 on Fridays. This role will require occasional out-of-hours work including evenings and weekends, which will be compensated with time off in lieu (TOIL) or occasionally overtime.

Additional information

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”. 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 be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
Please be advised that the British Embassy 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.
*Please refer to the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”. For more information please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your languages 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.

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