FCDO – Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Justice & Home Affairs Support Officer (BEL24.288)

FCDO – Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Brussels, Belgium

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: Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)
Job Subcategory: Chancery

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Who are we?

Our daily work relies on the input of dedicated individuals who engage on many different topics and activities. We seek to employ a diverse range of candidates who bring their own talents and perspectives to the role. We have a strong corporate agenda that ensures we create a positive and inclusive working environment where everyone is valued for their contribution.

The British Embassy in Brussels is part of a world-wide network of nearly 270 Diplomatic Posts, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. We are now looking for a Justice & Home Affairs (JHA) Support Officer.

Main purpose of job:

The holder of this position will play a key role in supporting British Embassy Brussels’ work on Justice and Home Affairs (JHA). You will support the Embassy JHA lead, covering a range of areas such as asylum and migration policy, prison reform, criminal justice and human rights. There will also be opportunities to work on other areas as priorities dictate.

You will monitor and analyse developments in Belgian JHA policy, supporting the JHA lead to produce high quality written reporting in English. You will need to quickly build expertise, including by following media reporting, identifying and summarising open source data, and reaching out to external stakeholders where necessary. Your reporting will inform the Embassy’s work on areas such as organised immigration and drugs crime and counter-terrorism. As such, this role provides the opportunity to work high-profile areas of cooperation between the UK and Belgium, and your work will have impact in London and strengthen the UK-Belgium bilateral relationship.

You will play an important role in the delivery of JHA objectives by organising regular coordination meetings, bilateral set-piece events and supporting the organisation of Ministerial visits.

You will demonstrate professional working behaviours and be a role model for other staff, making a positive contribution to the embassy as a whole. You will be comfortable dealing with external stakeholders when necessary.

You will be working in a friendly and supportive team, alongside colleagues with a wide range of experiences. So whilst you will be given plenty of freedom to succeed, you will be working in nurturing environment with plenty of guidance and support.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Monitor, analyse and report Justice and Home Affairs policy developments in Belgium, responding to commissions and proactively identifying areas of interest;
• Draw together various sources of information to produce high quality written reports;
• Support other colleagues in the embassy (taking the record of meetings, conducting research, giving advice on Belgian personalities and institutions, drafting briefing);
• Support planning for visits of UK ministers and officials and set-piece JHA events;
• Organise regular cross-embassy law enforcement coordination meetings;
• Contribute to wider embassy objectives.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Our ideal Candidate shows:

• Full professional proficiency in English, French and/or Dutch (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework*);
• Experience in drafting, reporting, good research and analytical skills;
• Masters Degree in International Relations, Politics, History, Economics, Social Sciences or similar;
• Ability to prioritise, effectively manage and execute multiple and competing tasks within the agreed deadlines;
• A strong team player with good people skills; strong ability to network and interact;
• Strong written and oral communication;
• Full proficiency in MS Office applications.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Nice to have:

• Previous experience working on Justice and Home Affairs issues;
• Previous experience of working in NGO’s, Think-Tanks, governments;
• Previous experience of working with UK Government Departments.

Required behaviours

Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together.

Application deadline: 18 August 2024
Grade: Administrative Officer (AO)
Type of Position: Full-time, Fixed Term
Working hours per week: 36.25
Duration of Post: 6 months
Region: Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Type of Post: British Embassy
Number of vacancies: 1
Salary Currency: EUR
Salary: 4,416.29
Start Date: 14 October 2024

Other benefits and conditions of employment

This is a full-time (5 working days (36.25 hours net) per week), fixed term contract for 6 months. Please note, due to funding being available only until the end of March 2025, depending on the actual start date the contract might be for a shorter duration.

The monthly gross salary for this position is € 4,416.29 (AO) level. In addition, we offer an extensive salary package, which includes a 13^th month, luncheon vouchers, pension scheme, optional hospitalisation insurance (subject to monthly employee contribution), reimbursement of public transport and a lot more. We offer more days of annual leave than the Belgian requirements.

Please note that Belgian nationals will be paid their salary gross and are expected to comply with their tax obligations through completion of a tax return to the Belgian authorities. Non-Belgian nationals will receive their salary net, minus the deduction of an equivalent level of Belgian tax retained at source. Further information on this will be given to candidates during the recruitment process.

Staff recruited locally by the British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Belgian employment law.

The successful candidates will be subject to professional background checks and security clearance.

Passport: officers are expected to be in possession of a passport due to the possibility that they may be asked to undertake business travel.

Visa/work permit requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Belgium and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the legal requirements to live and work in this country.

Additional information

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.

Please be advised that the British Embassy will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor 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.

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