Head of Corporate Services - UK Mission to the UN

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View Vacancy - Head of Corporate Services - UK Mission to the UN

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

Job Category

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Job Subcategory

UKMIS (UK Mission to the United Nations)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The British Government in New York has an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to take up the position of Head of Corporate Services. This opportunity is a unique role to lead the enabling function of both HMG's bilateral work in New York and multilaterally through the UK Mission to the United Nations.

The US Network offers a unique career enhancing opportunity and is committed to supporting its staff through a variety of benefits including generous leave, insurance packages, and a highly competitive 401k programme. It also promotes a culture of flexibility which enables people to better maintain wellness through an excellent work/life balance approach that encompasses hybrid working, including working from home and flexible hours, where possible. In this role you would be working in a diverse international environment supporting UK diplomats and country-based staff operating across the British Government's network of Consulates and Government Offices in the United States. This network provides a platform for approximately 30 Government departments and agencies to conduct their work in the United States and is made up of over 900 staff with a rich and diverse background, skill sets, and experiences.

This is a role is similar to a Chief Operating Officer role, in that you will have responsibility of running all elements on enablement of the UK Government in New York: Estates, IT, Finance, HR, Protocol, Transport, and Security. This role is primarily internally focused, but developing your relationship with your counterparts in other Missions and Consulates will be helpful to your successful delivery.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader and manager, a clear communicator, with the ability to shift focus between various priorities and support the team to effectively prioritise with prior experience of working in the UK Government.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Lead the Corporate Services Team to:
  • Support and enable the delivery of both the BCG and UKMIS New York objectives (outlined in business plans).
  • Respond promptly and professionally to all queries coming into our team.
  • Be suitably trained and equipped to undertake their roles efficiently and effectively.
  • Collaborate constructively with all those who share our platform on a day-to-day business, including visitors. Work closely with CST and Hub in DC.
• Oversee the Security team to:
  • Ensure we are providing secure places to work (and to live for UKB staff and dependants).
• Oversee the Estates team to:
  • Ensure we deliver healthy, safe, modern, organised, and green places to work (and to live for UKB staff and dependants), and lead/support office remodelling according to business requirements.
  • Provide well-maintained, fit-for-purpose residences which enhance our convening and influencing power.
  • Lead work to implement a major overhaul of the UKMIS Official Diplomatic Residences in New York, with the ability to provide strategic advice to senior managers, driver forward implementation including engaging with external contractors and private sector real estate professionals.
• Oversee the IT team to:
  • Ensure secure, reliable, flexible IT and high-quality IT support for all users and visitors.
• Oversee the HR, Finance and Protocol team to:
  • Deliver first-line HR, finance and protocol support which supports the business, complies with best practice, and provides value-for-money to the taxpayer.
  • Manage an efficient and responsive driver service.
  • Undertake Protocol and Diplomatic arrangements for the UK Offices in New York, in particular relating to UN activities, and by representing the UK at the UN's Host Country Committee covering UN Protocol matters.
• Support the Community Liaison Officer to:
  • Provide friendly, empathetic support to staff and their families living in New York.
• Undertake a wider corporate leadership role where you will:
  • Sit on the Senior Leadership Teams of both the BCG and UKMIS.
  • Provide inclusive and consultative corporate governance structures which engage and empower staff and support decision-making.
  • Steer the Joint Management Board which makes all corporate decisions pertinent to the New York office, ensures that mandated post Committees are running efficiently, and takes reporting from voluntary joint staff Committees.
  • Provide strategic and operational advice on all corporate issues to senior managers and the Offices' collective leadership teams, prioritising competing demands, delivering solutions for managers and challenging approaches when necessary.
• Lead collaboration and work closely with corporate leadership colleagues at the British Embassy in Washington, in particular on implementing US Network-wide polices, and with resource and HR counterparts at headquarters offices in London.
• Lead the development and implementation of new corporate policies and initiatives and drive improved corporate management across the UK Offices identifying best practice and areas to improve.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Lead 30-person Corporate Services Team, directly line managing 4 staff, overseeing management of the whole team, setting direction and standards and by delivering through others to ensure a high performing and motivated team to deliver a quality and efficient service on all corporate issues in BCG New York and UKMIS.
• Manage a $6.5mn budget, accountable to senior managers and London headquarters, ensuring effective budget management and implementation of financial processes, the availability of resources for priority and essential activity, and that financial risk is mitigated, and compliance met.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Essential criteria:

• Strong leadership staff management skills.
• Proven track record of resource management.
• Ability to learn, understand and champion complex and bespoke rules, regulations, and policies, including relating to finance and human resources, in a fast-paced and changing office environment.
• Exceptional inter-personal and communication skills, with a strong ability to engage stakeholders, a broad range of staff and senior managers with confidence and authority.
• Ability to prioritise and deliver high quality results on multiple areas of competing work to tight deadlines.
• IT literate.

Please note: Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents, A and NATO visa holders with EAD cards, and L2 visa holders with an up-to-date I-94 form.

You may refer to our website for additional information: . All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work.

Language requirements:

Language: English
Level of language required: Excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Desirable characteristics are:

• Previous experience of Consulates and/or Missions to the UN in New York, and knowledge of the New York Diplomatic community.
• Previous experience of corporate services work in a New York Office environment, including office facilities, estates, and human resources management in New York.
• Familiarity of working in public service, particularly the UK Government.
• Professional qualifications in corporate leadership, business administration, finance or human resources would be beneficial.

Required behaviours

Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing, Leadership, Making Effective Decisions

Application deadline

14 May 2024

Grade

Grade 6 (G6)

Type of Position

Full-time, Permanent

Working hours per week

40

Region

Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories

Country/Territory

United States

Location (City)

New York

Type of Post

UK Delegation

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

USD

Salary

$140,000 annually

Start Date

12 August 2024

Other benefits and conditions of employment

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.

Learning and development opportunities:

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.).

Working patterns:

Typically, the role requires a standard working pattern of 9:00 - 5:00, Monday - Friday.

Able to accommodate a job share.

This role is 40 hours a week.

The British Embassy and its US Network embraces hybrid working, allowing its staff to typically work from home 2 times a week, according to business need. This role however is typically more suited to working from home 1 day a week rather than two. During busy periods working from home will not be possible at all. We are an organization that also recognises the critical value of teamwork, and we embrace and endorse collaboration by ensuring that all staff attend the office flexibly yet regularly.

Additional information

We can accommodate a job share for this role, but applicants will need to apply with a job share arrangement already in place to cover the 40 hours per week. (I.e., you cannot apply for this role to cover only 20 hours without a job share partner referenced who will cover the remaining 20 hours). Both halves of a job share will need to submit an application. Any applications not meeting these criteria will be automatically rejected.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a 'reserve list'. If during the reserve period of 6-12 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, eg 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.

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.

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.

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

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.