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Community Liaison Officer

UK Embassy Zambia | Lusaka

UK Embassy Zambia

Innovating the future of tech solutions in Zambia.

Job Description

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.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Community Liaison
Main purpose of job:

Work closely with British High Commission Management for the well-being of staff in Lusaka.  Support and advocate for UK Based staff and families on community issues, especially focussing on welfare, communication with families and information gathering.  Support new arrivals at the mission, including leading on Post Fact Sheet and Post Report revisions.  Liaise with contacts with similar responsibilities in other friendly missions and British Missions in the region to share best practice, contacts and information.

Roles and responsibilities:

Arrivals/Departures: Arriving and Departing from post is a stressful time.  The CLO will provide support to new staff.  In the planning phase the CLO will gather information about family composition and any special needs which may impact on the new arrivals needs, including accommodation allocation.  In return the CLO will ensure the family has access to relevant information about post including spouse/partner employment, education options, childcare etc.  Departing staff can expect support from the CLO as they go through the process of leaving post.

Community Support: The CLO will welcome all new arrivals to ensure a smooth integration into the life of the mission community.  This will be through undertaking an essential groceries shop for items to be pre-positioned in arrival accommodation, providing familiarisation tours for new arrivals of key locations in Lusaka, introducing new family members to the spouse/partner UKB community.  The CLO will maintain contact with new arrivals until they are settled.  The CLO also provides support for the BHC community as a source of information/direction and to raise any arising problems and difficulties.   Issues may need to be handled sensitively and with discretion.  Where appropriate, the CLO will seek intervention on behalf of the affected individual/family either directly or by highlighting the issue with Managers.  The CLO will lead on community cohesion through the occasional organisation of social gatherings or events.

Committee Representation: The CLO will advocate for UK-based staff and families in addressing issues of importance with Mission Management, including as their representative on Post Operations Committee, Post Housing Committee and Post Security Committee, reporting back any relevant outcomes to BHC families.  The CLO will also maintain an awareness of aware of and be involved in Mission contingency and drawdown plans. All CLOs should complete the Crisis Preparedness Management eLearning on Hera.  The CLO will assist post managers in the maintenance of family details which may be required in the event of evacuation or drawdown.

Information Management: The CLO leads on a number of periodic tasks which directly impact on families.  These include:

Ensuring that pre-posting information sources remain relevant and up to date.   These include

  • Welcome Pack
  • Post report
  • Post Fact Sheet
  • Nursery & School Information Sheets
  • Spouse/Partner Employment Information

Completion of BHC Lusaka’s (normally) six monthly Cost of Living (COLA) return

Liaison with the FCDO’s medical provider (currently Healix), including, when required, over provision of vaccines and engagement with local medical providers (no medical knowledge is required)

Wider Support: The CLO will assist the Residence Team with organisation of the annual King’s Birthday Party and an All Staff Christmas Party.  During all interactions, the CLO will be on the lookout for staff and family members who are struggling with life at post and intervene or flag to managers as appropriate.

All the above tasks require the CLO to have strong links with senior management, relevant FCDO departments and the DSFA’s London office.

  • Experience of life in the UK or a similar western environment required
Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
29 May 2024
Administrative Officer (AO)
Permanent
19 hours
Africa
Zambia
Lusaka
British High Commission
1
ZMW 10,194.10 (monthly)
3 July 2024
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
  • All CLOs should attend the CLO course as soon as possible after completing probation to help them fully meet the demands of the job.
  • Preparing to work at an HMG post” and “Induction to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)”
Working patterns:
  • Yes – in fact, flexibility will be a requirement as demands on the CLO ebb and flow.  The CLO will largely manage their own hours in consultation with DHM(Ops).
  • 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 High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Lusaka are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Zambia.
  • 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 fees for the permit
  • Make arrangements to relocate
  • Meet the costs to relocate
  • The British High Commission do not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.
  • 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 . Please note:  AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
  • 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 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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