British Embassy
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Residence and Support Staff)
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Private Office
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Who are we?
The British Embassy in Madrid, Spain, is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. We are looking for a Social Secretary.
Main purpose of job:
This is an opportunity to form part of the fast-paced teams in the Ambassador’s Private Office and Residence, at the very heart of our Spain Network. You will be expected to consistently provide high quality customer service to the Ambassador, as well as to internal and external contacts, and effectively support both the Residence and Private Office teams. This is a varied role for a discreet, conscientious individual who can work quickly, effectively and flexibly and at times under pressure.
Roles and responsibilities:
The Ambassador’s Private Office:
- Leading on the Ambassador’s correspondence and invitations;
- Managing the Ambassador’s travel bookings and travel budget;
- Processing the Ambassador’s claims and expenses;
- Maintaining Private Office Outlook contacts;
- Providing the Ambassador with personal administrative support as required;
- Maintaining the Ambassador’s gifts and hospitality register.
The Ambassador’s Residence:
- Paying invoices and keeping a monthly record;
- Supporting the Residence Manager in issuing invitations for Residence events and following-up on RSVPs, as required;
- Supporting the Residence Manager in the preparation of events and proving practical hands on support at larger events;
- Printing protocol documents (place cards, menus, seating plans, programmes etc.) for Residence events and assisting the Residence Manager with any last minutes changes;
- Supporting the Residence Manager at large events to meet and greet and get the Guest Book signed.
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Our Ideal Candidate shows:
- Full professional proficiency in English, both verbal and written, with excellent communications skills (a minimum of C1 level, according to CEFR*);
- Minimum 3 years of previous experience of working in an executive support function or similar environment / experience of working with senior executives.
- Experience of event management;
- Budget management experience
- Excellent writing and correspondence skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite programmes including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams and Outlook;
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail;
- Ability to work at pace, at times under pressure and adapt to changing priorities;
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate and work in a team;
- Flexibility in working hours and availability to work outside of normal hours on occasion.
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Nice to have:
- Basic level protocol studies or experience working in formal environments.
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Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
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12 January 2025
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Administrative Officer (AO)
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Full-time, Permanent
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37.5
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Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
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Spain
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Madrid
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British Embassy
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1
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EUR
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€ 34,712.13
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yearly
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10 March 2025
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This is a full-time, permanent contract at AO grade level, based in Madrid.
The successful candidate is subject to a confirmation of a background check, security clearance and the successful completion of a probationary period.
The successful candidate will be enrolled in the Spanish Social Security Scheme and will therefore not be entitled to any gratuity from the Embassy based on gross annual salary.
The Embassy is a Diplomatic Mission with tax exempt status and does not collect taxes for other States. Employees are fully responsible for payment of income tax at the legally required rate. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Spain are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Spanish employment law.
Visa/work permit requirements:
Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Spain and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.
Working patterns:
Normal working hours are 37.5 per week. You will on occasion be asked to work outside of normal hours to support events at the Residence, and will be given time-off-in-lieu (TOIL).
Learning & Development:
We offer time and financial support for the successful candidate to take advantage of professional learning and development opportunities inside and outside of the organisation.
All new hires undertake a workplace induction and there are a number of mandatory e-learning courses that must be completed in order to pass probation.
The job holder will need training on embassy IT systems on arrival, and will complete a full induction programme. The embassy offers extensive learning and development opportunities, which the job holder will be able to benefit from.
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Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
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.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
FCDO does not pay for travel-related expense incurred in interviews (including Security Check) or accept any financial risk, including cancelation or reschedule costs. The FCDO will not meet the costs connected with relocation if offered a position.
*Please note for more information on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment levels please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skill is going to be assessed.
The Embassy is committed to employee development and wellbeing and has several initiatives in both areas that benefit staff.
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To apply please copy and paste this link: https://fco.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/1/adv/
To help us track our recruitment effort, please specify on the application/indicate in your cover letter where (nearmejobs.eu) you saw this job posting.
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