British Embassy Senior Political Advisor HEO - Jobs in Ethiopia

British Embassy Senior Political Advisor HEO - Jobs in Ethiopia

Main purpose of job:

To be the lead advisor in the British Embassy on political developments within Ethiopia and in the Horn of Africa. To provide written reporting and oral briefing in English to senior stakeholders including the Ambassador and senior officials in London. To work with political team colleagues and teams across the British Embassy to advise on the political implications of development and cultural programmes.


Roles and responsibilities:

The UK’s Embassy in Addis Ababa is one of our largest in Africa, and the development programme run from within it is our biggest on the continent. The UK also works closely with the Government of Ethiopia to support on the most important domestic issues of regional conflicts, dialogue, and the economy, on matters of regional and international security, and in promoting the Government’s reform work. We are proud of our longstanding bilateral relationship with Ethiopia and we are committed to continuing to support the country in these important and exciting times.

However to do this well we need to understand the political situation in Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa in depth, and to make sure that we have connections to the right people in the Ethiopian Government. This role is at the heart of doing that. The successful candidate will be expected to be an excellent analyst of Ethiopian and Horn of Africa politics; able to identify trends and developments that matter for UK interests, and able to communicate them clearly and concisely in English.

At a time of divided political views in Ethiopia, the successful candidate will need to be able to set aside their own political views to look dispassionately at the situation and provide a high quality of analysis. They will need to be able to produce high quality written reports in English and under time pressure, as well as to be able to explain their views orally – whether that is in briefing the Ambassador or visiting British ministers, or engaging with colleagues from across the Embassy to advise on the political implications of their work on a range of issues.

In order to be able to deliver in this role, the successful candidate will need to have, or to quickly build, a wide network of contacts with the Federal and Regional Governments, civil society and academia in order to gather information and in order to identify which departments and individuals the UK should most closely seek to work with in order to deliver on our aims. They will need to be equally comfortable meeting with stakeholders themselves or advising the Ambassador and other diplomatic staff on who they should be engaging with.

They will need to be able to draw links between different issues in the politics of Ethiopia and the wider Horn and see the big picture of how they link together. They will need to be well organised to manage competing work priorities and to support on major visits and events, and to travel across Ethiopia as part of Embassy-wide visits. And they will need to be a team player: to work closely with political team colleagues in order to support our provision of excellent political analysis, but also to work seamlessly across the Embassy, particularly supporting communications, soft power and human capital and development teams.

This all adds up to a fascinating job – busy and fast-paced, but with rewarding access and recognition across the Embassy. The political team is highly motivated and collegiate, and the team provides a supportive place to work for all. The Embassy is made up of multi-cultural teams from different backgrounds, with a strong focus on working together to achieve our goals. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to making the Embassy an even better place, and to make the most of the development opportunities.


Essential qualifications, skills and experience

At least 5 years’ experience working in the fields of governance, politics or international relations, including of working in or with the Ethiopian Government

Excellent written English and verbal communication skills

A Bachelors degree

English and Amharic (both spoken and written) are essential

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Other Ethiopian languages would be an advantage

Masters degree in a relevant field such as political science or international relations

Relationships and contacts across Federal and Regional Governments, civil society and academia


Required behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together


Other benefits and conditions of employment
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The successful candidate will get access to a range of learning and development opportunities, including on the job training and workshops. They will also be able to benefit from the wide range of training run by the British Embassy including on management and leadership, cross-cultural communication, and understanding the UK. There may be occasional opportunities to travel to regional conferences and training courses in the region and in London.



Additional information

Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.

Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.

The British Embassy will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.

Employees recruited locally by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Ethiopia.

All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.

The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;

Obtain the relevant permit

Pay the fees for the permit

Make arrangements to relocate

Meet the costs to relocation

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.

Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.



How to apply
For more information and job application details, see; British Embassy Senior Political Advisor HEO Jobs in Ethiopia



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