View Vacancy – Executive Assistant and Accessibility Support to the Ambassador, Ljubljana (SVN25.104)

An overview:

The British Embassy in Ljubljana is part of a worldwide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is looking to recruit an Executive Assistant & Accessibility Support to His Majesty’s Ambassador(HMA). 

This role provides essential disability-related administrative and practical support to the British Ambassador, who is blind.

The job has two equally important components: Office-based support and support at external engagements. This is a unique, varied and high-profile role that plays a vital part in enabling the Ambassador to carry out her work on an equal footing to others who are not disabled. It requires a team player who is resilient and flexible, has sound judgment and the ability to provide support confidently and discreetly in different settings. The jobholder will be based in the Ambassador’s office and work closely with the Chief of Staff, who has primary responsibility for the Ambassador’s diary.

No experience of working with someone who is blind or visually impaired is needed as training and guidance will be provided.

Key deliverables of the role are:

1️.In-office administrative Support (45%)

• Managing the Ambassador’s inbox: Ensuring emails are prioritised and accessible for screen reader use and flagging and tracking key actions.
• Converting PowerPoint, scanned PDF and graphical documents into a screen-reader-friendly format and describing graphics orally as needed.
• Supporting the Ambassador with IT tasks where accessibility features are limited e.g. in Microsoft Teams and other collaboration tools.
• Managing expense claims and other administrative tasks as required.
• Providing administrative cover for the Chief of Staff during her leave, ensuring continuity of diary and office management functions.
• Coordinating with the Chief of Staff on prioritising engagements and scheduling.
• Other administrative tasks as required.

2️. External Engagement & Event Support (45%)

• Providing practical and professional support at external meetings, receptions, media interviews, and other official events.
• Guiding the Ambassador to and at engagements outside the Embassy.
• Identifying contacts, facilitating introductions and supporting networking interactions. Providing clear verbal descriptions of surroundings at events to ensure accessibility and other practical support.
• Accompanying the Ambassador on official travel outside Ljubljana and Slovenia. 
• Other accessibility support as needed for the Ambassador’s official duties.

3️. Other Administrative Tasks (10%)

• Acting as the point of contact for accessibility-related queries relating to the Ambassador’s engagements.
• Coordinating logistics for official events (e.g. transport, attendees etc) and meetings.
• Providing ad hoc support as required to facilitate the efficient running of the Ambassador’s office.

Additional Information:

• No experience of working with someone who is blind or visually impaired is needed as training and guidance will be provided. What is important is an inclusive and open attitude, willingness to learn and confidence in asking questions if unsure.
• The role requires regular flexibility in working hours, as the jobholder will frequently need to provide support outside standard office hours—typically once or twice per week—for example, at evening receptions, official engagements, or work-related travel. Where possible, working hours will be adjusted to accommodate these commitments—for example, by starting later on days when evening work is required. Where such flexibility is not possible—such as when travelling outside Ljubljana—time off in lieu (TOIL) will be provided.

Our ideal candidate will have:

• Languages: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Slovene (minimum of C1 level according to CEFR*)
• Education: 5 GCSEs, grades A*-C, including English and Maths (or equivalent Slovene school certificate).
• Interpersonal Skills & Professionalism: A strong team player, confident and comfortable working very closely with a senior colleague, including in formal settings and at high-profile events; reads social situations well to provide assistance discretely and appropriately in different settings.
• Resilience and adaptability: Able to remain calm, composed and professional under pressure; uses initiative and adapts to changing circumstances; comfortable giving and receiving feedback in a professional and supportive way.
• Organisation & Attention to Detail: Highly organised, able to prioritise and problem-solve independently. Proactively manages tasks and able to track and coordinate actions from meetings and discussions.
• Communication skills: A clear and concise communicator, able to process and respond quickly and accurately to verbal and written information, confident in engaging with a range of people and presenting information clearly.
• IT & Digital Skills: confident using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), IOS devices and digital collaboration tools for general administrative tasks. Able to problem-solve IT issues and quickly learn new systems, including to make documents accessible for screen reader users (training will be provided).
• Comfort around dogs: The Ambassador has a guide dog, so the jobholder must be comfortable working in close proximity to dogs.
• Disability awareness: A basic understanding of accessibility and inclusion principles.
• Office administrative experience: Experience in inbox management, executive assistance, or administrative support in an office setting.