View Vacancy – MOR – Prosperity, Education, Migration Senior Officer (HEO)

The British Embassy Rabat has a vacancy for a Prosperity, Education, Migration Senior Officer, job grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO).

This is a diverse and demanding role, in which you will be required to deliver high quality reporting and analysis and support key economic, education, vocational training and cultural priorities as well as being the policy/reporting lead on migration. It involves both policy, engagement and practical delivery, including coordinating high level inward/outward visits, supporting key trade and development Campaigns (e.g. World Cup 2030) and being the FCDO thematic lead on education and liaison with primary leads British Council and Department for Business and Trade (DBT). It will also involve liaising with various stakeholders from His Majesty’s Government (HMG) including Foreign Ministry, Department for Education and UK visa colleagues to support visa facilitation for key embassy stakeholders/contacts.

To deliver this work you will work closely with all teams across the Embassy and will be expected to develop close relationships with counterparts at other Embassies, key INGOs and CSOs (including on migration), and government counterparts.

Duties and responsibilities:

Prosperity including Education (30%)

• You will support the Prosperity Working Group (an economic, trade and development group) ensuring timely, tailored research and reporting through your Economics Officer and working closely with the group’s chair and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) lead as well as London based stakeholders. You will also seek regular feedback to continually refine your reports particularly on highlighting UK interests within your reports. You will support DBT in campaigns promoting British companies including trade missions (World Cup 2030), access to the Moroccan Market and expansion plans.
• You’ll review financial proposals involving UK funds, like loans from organisations such as the African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or new projects from the World Bank, which need the embassy’s approval.
• You will work with the Education Working Group (an internal embassy team focused on education, job training, and culture) alongside the British Council director. You’ll also manage relationships with British schools and coordinate with UK government officials on education matters.
• On higher education, you will support the UK/Morocco joint higher education working groups including reporting back on progress at Annual Strategic Dialogues (Ministerial level) and the drafting, HMG liaison and signing of a new UK/Morocco Higher Education Memorandum of Understanding (agreement on ways of working on joint priorities).

Migration/ Visas (35%)

• You will be embassy point of contact for the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) officer based in Tunis and the Moroccan government. You will act as the central point in the embassy for visa facilitation, with a focus on high-value and VIP visa requests, including senior MFA/Royal cases, with oversight from the 2nd Secretary Internal Political and Head of Political. You will lead on some visa policy issues including supporting UKVI with countering fraudulent documentation efforts, reporting regularly on visa processing challenges, and making recommendations to improve this vital aspect of the bilateral relationship. For irregular migration and returns policy, you will engage with the FCDO Migration teams and Home Office policy leads, ensuring a timely response to London on irregular migration statistics and trends.

Chevening/Events/Outreach (10%)

• Oversee the running of the Chevening programme, which is managed by the Chevening Officer (AO political officer) and Comms team, to support marketing strategy and campaigns, potential partnerships, related events and interviewing potential scholars for 2024/25 application cycle. Ensure Chevening and particularly alumni networks are used as a soft power tool to promote and further British interests in Morocco.
• You will also lead on events and outreach initiatives, such as the Ambassador for a Day programme, aiming to strengthen the embassy’s network and soft power within Morocco. These initiatives should also contribute to making a positive impact on the local Moroccan community and align with the embassy’s broader objectives.

Country Board Secretariat (10%)

• As the Country Board secretariat, you will ensure that agendas are prepared and that comprehensive notes are taken during these critical cross-embassy meetings. You will track progress against the country business plan and wider UK priorities, ensuring all teams are aligned and informed.

Line Management and Corporate (15%)

• You will line manage one Economics officer and manage or support the Chevening Officer, plus any related recruitment. (10%) and support other elements of corporate work (5%) and the Annual Strategic Bilateral Dialogue. Throughout your post, you will have access to the FCDO’s policy training courses for your own personal and professional development. The role may be subject to change given possible changes to Embassy HMG priorities between now and when you take up the role, or during, subject to e.g. visit or event priorities or crises. You will also be designated a crisis role.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager or head of section. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:

• Seeing the Big Picture – Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
• Delivering at Pace – Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.

• Fluent communication skills in English, Arabic/ Darija, and French, both spoken and written. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely.
• Excellent drafting and editing skills, requiring minimal/no editing.
• Excellent understanding of Moroccan economic context and government domestically and its profile internationally, and of related sensitivities.
• Experience of political and economic reporting and analysis.
• Experience of policy work e.g. via a thinktank, academic institution and/or within government, CSOs.
• Academic degree/masters in relevant field e.g. Economics, Political economy, Public Policy, International relations.