British High Commission Chief of Staff - SEO Jobs in South Africa

British High Commission Chief of Staff - SEO Jobs in South Africa

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

Job Subcategory : Private Office

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job:

You will play a critical role supporting the High Commissioner/Deputy High Commissioner and the senior leadership team, particularly in ensuring effective organisational governance, change management and internal comms.

You will ensure key changes as a result of Business Planning are well designed and implemented; ensuring that our governance and corporate structures, particularly the Country Board and Risk Committee, operate to build network effectiveness, cohesiveness and purpose; and overseeing key horizontal tasks such as crisis preparedness and cross-network Internal Communications.

You will also oversee the High Commissioner/Deputy High Commissioner’s Executive Office and ensure its effective operation.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Change Leader – you will support the High Commissioner/Deputy High Commissioner in effectively managing the Country Plan and Country Board. This includes; ensuring an effectively functioning Country Board is in place and acting as secretariat to that board; ensuring effective governance structures to ensure cross-network delivery, working closely with the Programme Management Unit; ensuring effective reporting of delivery, both for internal and external audiences; managing the risk process and ensuring robust monitoring and reporting processes, such as KPIs, are in place.

You will deliver changes to these processes as required, for example because of Business Planning exercises or other changes to priorities, objectives or structures. You will support the High Commissioner/Deputy High Commissioner in ensuring we have an effective plan/approach for any exercises or commissions from HQ, such as workforce planning or business planning. You will ensure the process is effectively and rigorously managed, all stakeholders are appropriately engaged or informed and appropriate communications are delivered to staff.

Internal comms – you will ensure delivery of coherent and engaging internal comms to the network ensuring we have greater clarity on the key things we are trying to communicate to staff; and the channels

we are using for that communication. As set out above you will through your team ensure we have the key corporate material needed for staff to understand our purpose, structure and strategy. You will ensure the Internal Comms strategy is regularly reviewed and adapted to meet the needs of staff and the organisation.

Horizontal tasks – you will coordinate the centrally commissioned business planning process for the mission, working with senior leaders and teams across the network to ensure that we are reflecting a one team approach and delivering a product that supports diversity and inclusion across the UK in South Africa network.

Horizontal tasks – you will have overall responsibility for the induction process to ensure that all incoming staff have a positive experience in their early days, feel part of team, understand our values and culture and have everything they need to do their jobs. You will work closely with HR and CLO to deliver this.

Horizontal tasks - support High Commissioner/Deputy High Commissioner with other tasks, as required, in support of the running of the Executive Office or the wider network.

Management – you will manage the Executive Office (1xEO and 2xAO) ensuring that the office provides effective support to the High Commissioner and DHC.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

3 members of staff – 1xEO and 2xAO


Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Proven leadership and people management skills
Corporate governance experience

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Experience leading change programmes
Internal comms, corporate or business management

Required behaviours

Seeing the Big Picture, Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together

Application deadline: 25 October 2022

Grade: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

Type of Position: Permanent

Working hours per week: 36.5 hours

Region: Africa

Country/Territory: South Africa

Location (City): Pretoria

Type of Post: British High Commission

Number of vacancies:1


How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; British High Commission Chief of Staff - SEO Jobs in South Africa

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