Consular Officer

Permanent Consular Officer (Ref. TUR570)

The British Consulate General Istanbul is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is seeking a permanent Consular Officer for the Consular section. This is a challenging and busy post, which requires a self-starter who can work with minimal supervision.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide assistance to distressed British nationals in the Istanbul Consular District by visiting hospitals, airports, detention centres and police stations, liaising with families, Turkish and UK authorities;
• Prison visiting & family liaison: Ensure all British National prisoners are treated equally regardless of the (alleged) offence by face to face meetings, enabling family contact and following up welfare needs;
• Build strong professional relationships with internal and external contacts to enable the consular team to provide an efficient and professional service, particularly to our most vulnerable customers;
• Give advice on consular matters by answering telephone enquiries, drafting replies to e-mails and dealing face to face with customers at the counter;
• Prepare documentary services including Emergency Travel Documents in line with the FCO’s Consular Guidance;
• Contribute to the Consular elements of the Turkey network’s Crisis Management Plan including maintenance of Istanbul’s emergency equipment;
• Carry out office functions in support of the above including filing, faxing, handling fees, daily, monthly and periodic returns including management information and activity recording;
• Any ad hoc requests to support the Consular Team;
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the line manager or senior manager.

Required Experience & Skills

• Fluent English and Turkish written and verbal communication skills;
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office applications;
• Able to work under pressure and within a team;
• Excellent interpersonal and organisation skills;
• Ability to work flexible hours and to travel within Turkey at short notice;
• Previous office and customer care experience;
• Proficiency in the following FCO key competences:

o    Seeing the Big Picture – seeing the big picture is about having an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives and the wider public needs.

o    Changing and Improving – people who are effective in this area are responsive, innovative and seek out opportunities to create effective change.

o    Making Effective Decisions – effectiveness in this area is about using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and advice.

o    Collaborating and Partnering – people skilled in this area are team players who create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service to help get business done.

o    Managing a Quality Service – effectiveness in this area is about valuing and modelling professional excellence and expertise to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements.

o    Delivering at Pace - effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes.

Terms and Conditions

This is a full-time permanent contract, for 5 working days (36.25 hours net) per week. The position includes an initial probationary period of 2 months.

The successful candidate will be subject to a professional background check and security clearance and is expected to commence employment on March 2016.

The annual salary for this position is 56,469.60 TL gross, A2 level. Please note that staff members are responsible for paying any income tax required by local law.

Staff recruited locally by the British Consulate General in Istanbul are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Turkish employment law.

To Apply

All applicants should have the right to live and work in Turkey. The British Consulate General does not sponsor for work permits.

All applicants should submit their CV (in English, up to 3 pages) and Covering Letter (in English, no more than 1 page of A4, Arial 11) setting out their motivation for the role and how they meet the above criteria.

Applications should be sent to jobapplications.tur@fco.gov.uk and the email subject line must be formatted as follows: TUR570.

The closing date for applications is the 10^th February 2016.

Kindly note that your application will only be considered if:

1      Your application has been sent within the time frame requested.

2      Your application documents are fully in English.

3      Your application documents are in .pdf format.

Please note that, because of the volume of applications we receive, we will only contact candidates selected for interview. If you do not hear from us you should assume that your application has not been successful.

Please be advised that the 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.

British Diplomatic Missions are equal opportunities employers, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.