View Vacancy – Head of Political, Press and Public Affairs

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)

Political

Main Purpose of Job:

The British Consulate General in San Francisco represents the UK diplomatically in 7 states throughout the Pacific North West: Northern California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.  The Consulate is responsible for developing business and political relations between the Pacific North West and the UK; promoting public diplomacy; and offering Consular services for British nationals. 

The Consulate is now seeking an experienced and highly motivated individual to head its Politics, Press & Public Affairs team.  The successful candidate will lead on politics, communications and public diplomacy for the British Consulate-General in San Francisco across the Pacific North West, supporting the Consul General and Deputy Consul General’s state-level engagement.

The position leads on the Consulate’s political and economic reporting, providing value-added insight into developments in the Pacific North West region. Enhancing the UK’s reputation as a crucial partner for the US, the jobholder will also explain and champion British policies and positions to US audiences through political and media relations, digital outreach, and communications campaigns.  The jobholder will be the main interlocutor for legislators and government officials. They will spend a portion of their time monitoring state legislature, and identifying opportunities for the UK to work with individual states to influence legislation, share expertise and technical assistance, and cement the UK as the international partner of choice across a range of policy areas.  

As the fifth largest economy in the world, our relationship with California is key, and the jobholder can expect to spend a significant amount of time building their networks and relationships with state government officials and law makers in Sacramento on everything from climate policy to AI regulation.

The jobholder will be a central member of the Consulate team and will also work alongside our network of Political, Press & Public Affairs and Policy teams across the US led by the British Embassy in Washington, as well as our UK Government Office in Seattle and our Honorary Consuls in Alaska and Oregon.  The jobholder reports to the Deputy Consul General and manages the Press & Public Affairs Officer.

It is an exciting time to be in this role.  Politically the region plays an important role on the US national stage, and reporting and insights will be vital in the run up to, and immediately following, the US Presidential Election.  This year, we are also seeking to reinvigorate our relationships with all of the states across our patch, including through the delivery of ambitious trade and economic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).  The job holder will always be active in supporting the UK Government’s highest priorities across Northern California and the Pacific North West including strengthening our trading relationship and showcasing our innovation and climate expertise.   

Roles and responsibilities:

  • Working with the Consul General and Deputy Consul General to nurture a strong network of senior political, economic and media contacts across the Pacific North West and identify opportunities for political, economic, trade and cultural collaboration between the UK and US. Working with and in support of the Consul General and Deputy Consul General to build strong relationships for the consulate.
  • Closely follow political and economic developments across the Pacific North West and provide high quality analysis to the Embassy in Washington and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London.
  • Through the Press & Public Affairs Officer implement delivery of an effective and dynamic communications strategy which enhances the UK’s reputation and adds value to the British Consulate General’s activities.
  • Develop and implement strategies and projects for the promotion of key UK public diplomacy objectives and soft power initiatives in collaboration with all Consulate teams.  This will include representing the Consulate General at external events and speaking engagements.
  • Lead visits of Her Majesty’s Government Ministers and officials through programme planning, briefing and advance logistical support.  Through collaboration with Consulate and network colleagues, ensure that programmes advance whole of Consulate objectives.
  • Contribute fully to corporate activities and responsibilities, particularly by taking ownership of the communication and political elements of any crisis preparation and response.  Consulate-wide committees that encourage Learning & Development, Diversity & Inclusion, and Wellbeing also readily welcome new members.   

  • Substantial experience and interest in the political and economic make-up of the California and Pacific North-West states and trends in the region;
  • Familiarity with the media, including print, television and digital; experience designing and delivering proactive publicity activities to advance policy or other objectives
  • Strong oral and written communication skills including the ability to effectively communicate with senior leaders;
  • Ability to complete multiple tasks and a high volume of work on deadline and with limited supervision, delivering also through others;
  • Attention to detail and ability to edit and proof-read;
  • Positive and flexible attitude, including willingness to travel in the region.
  • Proven experience in identifying and engaging confidently with external stakeholders

  • Experience creating and implementing communications strategies

Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together

12 January 2025

Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Full-time, Permanent

40

Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories

United States

San Francisco

British Consulate General

1

USD

$91,704

yearly

3 March 2025

The British Embassy and its US Network embraces hybrid working, allowing its staff to typically work from home sometimes, subject to business need and depending on the type of work required to be done, workload, and prior approval of the line manager. Please note that due to the dynamic nature of this role, occasional out-of-hours work commitments may be required.

Please note: The British Embassy and its US Network is committed to all employee’s ongoing learning and development needs. We offer a comprehensive platform for personalised learning for everything from soft skill development (communicating with impact, handling difficult conversations, time management) to more technical or professional skills necessary to complete your job (software training, formal qualifications etc.).   

The UK Government operating in the US offers a substantial benefits package including generous leave, a choice of medical insurance, 401(k) matching up to 7%, extensive learning opportunities and a great work/life balance.  

US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US has restrictions on the type of visas our non-diplomatic staff may hold. If you are not a US Citizen or a US Permanent Resident, or the dependent of a diplomat (with an EAD card), you may not be eligible for employment with the UK government. We cannot accept student Visas (J1, F or M) nor other forms of work Visas (I, H, P). If you hold a work visa it is best to check on your eligibility to work for a foreign government before applying for a position. The UK Government does not routinely sponsor work visas; the job advertisement will state clearly whether sponsorship is available.

You may refer to our website for additional information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-the-usa.

All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work.

Closing date of receiving applications is before 23:55 (Local Time) on 12th January 2025

Only successful candidates will be contacted. Please no phone calls. Due to the high volume of resumes we receive, we cannot guarantee consideration of your application if the submission instructions are not properly followed.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.  If during the reserve period of 12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, e.g. some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

Internal candidates must inform their supervisor before they apply to a different position.

The British Embassy is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and to creating a diverse working environment, free from discrimination, where everyone is included and treated fairly, based on merit alone. We are an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions without regard to race, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or any other criterion protected by law.            

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.


To apply please copy and paste this link: https://fco.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/1/adv/
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