Shanghai
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
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Political
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Main purpose of job:
This role is a key position within the FCDO’s China Political Network. It is a fantastic opportunity to contribute towards increasing UK-China understanding and to develop the relationships which help strengthen the wider bilateral relationship.
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:
The Senior Policy Officer is expected to deliver at pace in a high performing role. They must have a strong grasp of Chinese politics and the Chinese political system as well as a solid grounding in international politics. As a self-starter, the job holder is responsible for analysing and reporting on political and social issues, providing authoritative insight into East China politics and society.
The job holder will build a network of contacts to develop their own and the wider team’s knowledge and understanding. They will attend and report on public and private events, seminars, and meetings and take the lead in facilitating the Consulate’s senior and working-level engagement with universities, think-tanks, non-government organisations, and other key official-level contacts in the region. The job holder will work across Consulate teams and the wider China Network to present their insight and analysis. They will also be required to provide working-level support to senior visitors including Ministers, Government officials, and other senior figures such as the Royal Family.
In turn, the job holder will join a diverse, friendly, and high-performing network, where they will have the opportunity to meet and influence thought leaders, work on high profile bilateral issues, and become a go-to source of knowledge. The British Consulate-General Shanghai places well-being, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of its operations; the job holder will also have the opportunity to join and contribute to Consulate learning and development opportunities.
Political Research, Analysis, and Reporting (60%)
- Conduct high-quality research and analysis on political and social issues in East China.
- Provide insight into local and regional government priorities.
- Monitor political-related news and current affairs, producing time-sensitive, short-form reporting on new and emerging issues.
- Identify, research, and develop high quality reporting products for China literate and non-literate audiences.
- Find new and innovative ways to present and share political insight.
- Lead on facilitating and producing meeting briefings, readouts, and trip reports for the Consul Political and other senior diplomats’ external engagements, events, and visits in East China.
Building Understanding and Knowledge Sharing (30%)
- Identify, establish, maintain, and expand working relationships with key external interlocuters, with particular focus on universities, think-tanks, non-government organisations, media, and other key contacts.
- Attend and report on internal and external talks, seminars, and conferences related to foreign policy, domestic politics and society.
- Lead on the coordination and delivery of internal events, workshops, and learning sessions to share political team insight and analysis.
- Collaborate with China network colleagues on joined-up research, report writing, and presentations.
Interpretation and Logistical Support (5%)
- Provide ad hoc interpretation, translation, and other support as required, both for the political team and senior visitors to East China.
Corporate (5%)
- Make the British Consulate-General Shanghai a better place to work by organising, participating, and contributing to events hosted by the L&D, Wellbeing, and other committees.
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- Excellent knowledge and understanding of Chinese politics and the Chinese political system;
- Strong skills in communication (public speaking), organisation, and presentation (in English);
- Strong skills in research, analysis, and report writing (in English);
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in a liberal arts subject.
Language requirements:
English
- Spoken: Excellent/Highly Proficient
- Written: Excellent/Highly Proficient
Mandarin
- Spoken: Excellent/Highly Proficient
- Written: Excellent/Highly Proficient
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- Experience of policy analysis, report writing, and presentation (public speaking).
- Past experience in journalism, academia or other related fields, with proven quantitative and/or qualitative research skills.
- International experience and exposure, ideally whilst working on China-related issues.
- Good knowledge and understanding of international relations, the UK system, and UK-China bilateral relations
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Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together
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18 February 2025
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Executive Officer (EO)
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Full-time, Fixed Term
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35
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12 months
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Asia Pacific
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China
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Shanghai
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British Consulate General
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1
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CNY
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Chinese: CNY 19,955 ; British CNY: 27,633
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monthly
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7 April 2025
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Benefits:
We offer a competitive package which includes –
- A gross salary of CNY 19,955 for Chinese Nationals and an abated salary of CNY 27,633 for British Nationals and spouses/partners of diplomats who are ‘W’ (diplomatic) visa holders and meet passport criteria;
- Commercial insurance package including accidental, life, medical and business travel insurance
- 22 days annual leave entitlement in pro-rata which increases by 0.5 per full calendar year worked up to maximum of 25 days. We offer different types of compulsory leave in accordance to Chinese law, e.g. Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Marriage Leave, Parental leave, etc.
- In addition to the above compulsory leave, we also offer other types of leaves with pay e.g. Study Leave, Volunteering Leave to support staff who undertakes volunteering activities, Special Paid Leave to deal with emergencies involving a close family member, and more.
- Employee Assistance Programme which is a confidential service providing help, support and information to staff to resolve and manage situations causing concern whether at work or personal nature is available to staff 24/7;
- There is also plenty of opportunity to develop on and off the job, and establish expertise and build capability. We are strongly supportive of the job holder continuing to develop their professional skills. The Mission encourages a blended learning culture based on the 70/20/10 model which includes e-learning, mentoring, coaching, other development activities and role-specific required trainings. This offer also includes supporting staff members to take part in a 5 days of learning activities each year.
Learning and Development Opportunities:
No matter what stage of your career you’re at, you’ll have a positive impact and play a key role. We strongly believe in investing in our people – from day one, you’ll be assigned a dedicated buddy, have guidance from your line manager and support within the wider organisation. You’ll have the opportunity to develop on and off the job, and to establish expertise and build capability. We are strongly supportive of the job holder continuing to develop themselves.
In addition, opportunities and activities include:
- Attending external events and conferences hosted by academic institutions, business chambers, etc.
- Learning and Development programmes, which have recently included leadership, line management, interpretation, presentation skills, effective remote working and trade policy.
- Opportunities for job shadowing across the network.
- An individual bid fund providing funding to support more tailored learning and development needs.
Working Patterns:
35 hours of work per week from Monday to Friday, 08:00-17:00. There will be occasions that require you work outside normal hours.
Other Information:
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are locally recruited by the British Embassy/Consulate General are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Chinese employment law.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. 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. Any costs related to obtaining or renewing permits and visas are the responsibility of the successful applicant.
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Please note that your application must be submitted before 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline.”
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered. Applicants called for an interview will be assessed on the core behaviours listed above.
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.
For inclusivity and diversity, please remove the following personal information when uploading your CV: name, address, email address, age, date of birth, gender, and nationality.
The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.
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