Personal Assistant to Deputy Head of Mission (DEU23.654) in Berlin bei Forei & Commonwealth Office

Personal Assistant to Deputy Head of Mission (DEU23.654) in Berlin bei Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities) 1

The British Embassy in Berlin is a large overseas mission in the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) network. Over 100 colleagues from all walks of life work together to promote the UK and build our connections with Germany.

We are recruiting for a Personal Assistant to work with the Deputy Head of Mission (DHM). The successful candidate will be part of the Private Office team, working closely with the Ambassador’s Private Secretary and Diary Secretary. This is a fast-paced role at the heart of the Germany Network.

Why you should apply?

You will work as part of a small supportive team to deliver on Network priorities, working with colleagues across teams in the Embassy in Berlin and in our Munich and Dusseldorf Consulates-General. The successful candidate will be required to undertake a wide range of diary, administrative and organisational tasks, and to liaise with multiple internal and external stakeholders, in both English and German.

The wide-ranging nature of Private Office responsibilities will allow you to build expertise in different areas of Embassy work, from climate and energy and foreign policy to event management and stakeholder engagement.

Roles and responsibilities:

Manage the DHM’s busy diary, balancing his internal management responsibilities, external stakeholder engagement, representational requirements, and travel within Germany.
Liaise with colleagues in Germany Network to schedule internal meetings and ensure the DHM has the necessary information ahead of them.
Approach external stakeholders to seek meetings for the DHM and respond to external requests for meetings with the DHM, in consultation with the DHM and Germany Network colleagues.
Plan ahead to anticipate activity and engagement, proactively initiating meetings where required, as well as responding to short notice requests.
Receive senior visitors to the Embassy.
Organise logistics, arrange transport to and from meetings, and book flights and trains and accommodation for longer trips.
Process expense claims and manage the DHM’s budget of c.8k euros.
Provide flexible support to the Private Office team, e.g. by helping to prepare internal comms, monitoring the team inbox, maintaining the contacts database, and providing cover during team absences.
Manage a forward look of key upcoming events to enable planning across the Embassy and wider Germany Network.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience 1

Proficiency in English and German (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework)
Strong administration skills
Proficiency in Microsoft products (especially Outlook and Microsoft Teams)
Experience of working in an office environment, preferably in a Personal Assistant and/or Administrative Officer role
Knowledge of UK and German institutions
The ability to adapt to changing priorities and work at pace
Good judgement and problem-solving skills
Strong interpersonal and communication skills