British High Commission Jobs in South Africa - Economic Officer Vacancies in Pretoria
British High Commission Jobs in South Africa - Economic Officer Vacancies in Pretoria
Job CategoryForeign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)
Job Subcategory
Chancery
Job Description
Main purpose of job:
This is a high profile policy position at the British High Commission. You will be an essential part of the Political Team working on UK-SA bilateral relations.
Your focus will be on economics – working with teams across the mission to provide analysis and reporting on the South African economy and economic policy.
You will also lead on wider economic policy issues such as good governance, the business environment and international multilateral organisations in close collaboration with the Department for International Development.
This is an important role, working on key policy issues and with regular contact with senior British and South African officials.
You will be encouraged and have the freedom and support to develop your own diverse network of contacts.
Roles and Responsibilities:
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of the Political Section at the British High Commission.
It is a high profile policy position, requiring a self-starter with a background in economics.
The job holder should have a good grasp of the wider South African economic and political context, and the impact of developments in the global economy on South Africa.
The job involves regular liaison with colleagues in London and teams across the High Commission, to provide policy and handling advice on the following policy issues on which the jobholder will lead:
Lead policy officer on business environment issues.
Working closely with colleagues in various teams across the mission to deliver analysis on issues such as legislation, developments in state-owned enterprises, labour relations and policy developments.
This will be delivered through regular reports for policy teams in London and British business in South Africa (working closely with the Department for International Trade and British Chamber of Commerce)
Produce written analysis of macroeconomic and economic policy developments and their impact on South African development interests such as employment, investment and service delivery as well as UK commercial and other interests.
Topics typically covered include sovereign credit rating decisions, budgets, MPC decisions, economic growth, etc.
Coordinate a wide range of stakeholders who are working on good governance and transparency issues at the High Commission to inform and advance cooperation with the South African Government.
Research, plan and deliver ad hoc projects on the above policy topics, with a particular focus on: economic empowerment and governance. Identify and prime suitable projects for funding to advance the UK’s objectives in South Africa, through reaching out to civil society, government and business.
Develop and maintain a network of contacts from South African politics, economics and business sectors.
This will include government, industry, academics, trade unions, think-tanks, economists at multilateral organisations such as the IMF and World Bank, and counterparts at other diplomatic missions.
The jobholder will have the support to be creative in their approach to networking building.
As a member of the Political Team, the job holder will also be fully involved with the day to day tasks of bilateral diplomacy including monitoring developments and organising events and programmes for visiting Ministers
and officials.
A number of corporate tasks are also shared across the team.
The job holder should also have an interest in wider foreign affairs issues.
The team is looking for an individual who is a proactive self-starter and inquisitive to learn about new issues affecting the world.
The job holder should be willing to adapt to new challenges and deliver under pressure, as a part of a diverse team.
Resources managed:
Potential management of project and event funds.
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
A university degree with qualifications demonstrating competence in economics (e.g. macro/micro-economics)
Strong analysis, drafting and interpersonal skills
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
Relevant work experience is an advantage
Project management skills
Good knowledge of statistics
Required competencies
Making Effective Decisions, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Delivering at Pace
Other benefits and conditions of employment
Learning and development opportunities :
The High Commission has an excellent personal development offer and the job would suit a self-starter keen to take advantage of this.
They will have the opportunity to develop their skills in economic and political analysis and will get involved in other areas of work such as communications and events.
Other development opportunities could potentially include specialist training: the previous jobholder undertook training and attended conferences in London.
The British High Commission pays in full for the Key Care Plus option on Discovery Health for staff including spouses/partners and dependants.
Once you have successfully completed your probation the British High Commission will contribute 9% of your monthly salary to a Provident Fund.
Annual leave entitlement of 25 days.
Working hours per week of 36.5
How to Apply
The job will involve some travel, for example to Cape Town, Durban or London.
There is a requirement for external engagement with contacts away from the office, including occasionally out of hours.
Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Pretoria are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa.
All applicants must be legally able to work in the country of application with the correct visa/status or work permit.
Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
Reference and security clearances checks will be conducted.
If you don’t already hold a valid SA Police Clearance Certificate, we recommend that you apply for the certificate at the time of your application.
Any questions you may have about this position will be answered during the interview, should you be invited.
Information about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Competency Framework can be found on this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework
Complete the application form in full as the information provided will be used for screening purposes.
Check your application before you submit, as you will not be able to make any changes once submitted.
The British High Commission will never ask you to pay a fee or money to apply for a position
Interested candidates should apply online by 21st March 2019
For more information and job application details, see; British High Commission Jobs in South Africa - Economic Officer Vacancies in Pretoria
