VUFO NGO Resource Centre
External Relations Officer, EO
View Vacancy - VNM (HCMC) - External Relations Officer, EO
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 category 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)
Main purpose of job:
The British Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City is hiring an External Relations Officer. The Consulate General is part of a world-wide network of 230 Posts, representing British political, economic, trade and consular interests overseas. The successful candidate for this role will manage the external relations of the Consulate.
Based in Ho Chi Minh City, but part of the wider Political Team in the Embassy in Ha Noi, you will be responsible for managing the Consulate’s relations with local and regional government in Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam. This will also include reporting on the domestic social, political and economic situation in Vietnam. This job will give you unrivalled access to senior leaders in both the Vietnamese and British governments and an insight into the developing bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:
- Monitor, analyse and report on domestic social and political issues, including through media monitoring and a network of contacts.
- Provide verbal and written briefings on emerging issues and in-depth reports on key political organisations/matters, including on issues that will have a long term impact on the UK’s relationship with Vietnam and British business opportunities.
- Develop political networks and understanding of the Party, People’s Committees and People’s Councils of Ho Chi Minh City and Southern Vietnam, including the Mekong region, and the interaction between central and local government in order to best help the UK secure its objectives.
- Systematically identify, understand, engage and influence networks in Vietnamese academia, think tanks and civil society and other similar organisations that have an interest in shaping government policy.
- Work closely with colleagues from across the UK in Vietnam network on various agendas such as strengthening the business environment and monitoring human rights.
- Ensure both inward and outward high level visits are well organized, including arranging programmes, providing briefing and post-visit reporting and interpreting where necessary.
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
- Evidence of a university degree; evidence of post-graduate study preferred
- Experience in, or academic study of, international relations or a related subject preferred
- Strong interpersonal, networking and communication skills
- Strong initiative and ability to work independently delivering high quality results
- Strong understanding of and ability to operate in the political environment in Vietnam
- Project management skills and experience preferred
- Good IT skills, including a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Native level of written and spoken Vietnamese
- Fluent written and spoken English (IELTS / TOEFL certification preferable)
Required behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing
Application deadline: 28 June 2023
Grade: Executive Officer (EO)
Type of Position: Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
Working hours per week: 39.5
Region: Asia Pacific
Country/Territory: Vietnam
Location (City): Ho Chi Minh City
Type of Post: British Consulate General
Number of vacancies: 1
Salary Currency: VND
Salary: VND 36,350,886
Start Date: 28 August 2023
Other benefits and conditions of employment:
This position is being advertised as a full-time, fixed-term role with possibility of renewal in Ho Chi Minh City.
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to developing its staff. There will be opportunities for formal training alongside collaborating with a wide range of colleagues delivering on-the-job learning.
- Working in a diplomatic mission
- International policy skills course
- UK Diplomatic Academy foundation learning
- Regional and London-based formal learning opportunities
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are locally recruited by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. Visa sponsorship may be possible for non-Vietnamese nationals if meet local requirements.
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.
Disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be invited to interviews if meeting the minimum requirement of the job.
Working patterns:
This is a full-time post with 39.5 of working hours per week. The Consulate would be willing to discuss flexible working options.
Additional information
All applications must be received before 23:55 (Local Vietnam Time) on the day of the deadline indicated above.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.
Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate”.
Please check the application centre regularly for any update on your application.
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.