View Vacancy – Senior Political Adviser, Grade- HEO, Lahore

Note : All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment, educational details, behavioural and technical/ professional skills questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only with all the required details and the shortlisting is not basis CV/ cover letter. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.’’

Main purpose of job:
You will work in the British High Commission’s Office in Lahore to provide top-notch political analysis and build relationships with Punjab political networks, helping to facilitate UK influence with key decision-makers.
You will monitor the complex and constantly evolving political situation in Punjab and how it relates to the UK’s diverse strategic objectives by feeding in analysis, advice, and reporting to a wide range of stakeholders especially the Head of Office in Lahore, the High Commissioner in Islamabad, the Political Counsellor and a range of other senior colleagues in Pakistan and in our UK HQ.  
You will support the whole range of UK interests in Pakistan.  While focussing primarily on Punjab politics, you will also support the High Commission’s Strategic Engagement and Understanding (SEU) section (to whom you will report alongside the Head of Lahore Office) in reporting on wider issues of UK interest, such as human rights and in helping our programmatic teams (e.g. on education, health and climate) to achieve their goals by providing political advice, and ensuring that activity aligns with policy.
Alongside two UK diplomats posted in Lahore, you will develop and maintain a network of political, government, civil society, academic, and media contacts to inform reporting and analysis and assist and advise others on their own engagement and networks.  You will play a leading role in organising the visits of senior political team members to Lahore and wider Punjab, including frequently leading on programmes for the High Commissioner and Political Counsellor, as well as proactively undertaking visits to understand the political landscape in other parts of Punjab. Together with our UK counterpart in the SEU/Lahore team, you will lead on engagement planning for the Office. You will also help deliver events and communications, working with our Islamabad-based Communications Team to spot opportunities for the Lahore Office, and help tailor Network-wide Communications to a Punjab audience. 

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:
Political Reporting and Network (60%):

• Increasing the Pakistan Network and HQ’s depth and breadth of understanding of Punjab’s constantly evolving political landscape through effective reporting of political developments.
• Support the Pakistan Network’s understanding of wider political developments at the federal level and other key issues such as human rights, particularly where they link back to Punjab.
• Strengthening the BHC’s existing network of contacts across the political spectrum, using them to inform reporting on and monitoring of Pakistan’s political issues, particularly in Punjab.
• Managing and maintaining a diverse group of contacts in government, political parties, civil society, academia, and the media to inform understanding, identify opportunities, influence progress so to work towards delivering UK objectives.
• Undertaking proactive and reactive open source research on diverse issues of interest related to the UK’s objectives in Pakistan, particularly Punjab, verifying this research with expert contacts, and using this information to inform Network-wide activity.
• Producing bespoke ‘deep-dive’ reports on issues of particular importance, light touch reactive reports on emerging events, and contributing to the SEU ‘Domestic Weekly’ report which is issued to a wide range of senior readers including Ministers in HQ.

Visit, Events and Engagement (30%):

• Building an engagement strategy for the Head of Lahore Office, High Commissioner, Political Counsellor, and other senior visitors from Islamabad to Punjab and accompanying as necessary, including event planning.
• Accompanying and supporting senior staff on visits and meetings in Punjab, this includes providing political and policy advice to seniors, arranging and ‘unlocking’ meetings with influential figures, and producing records and reports as required.
• Leading on political and other events in the Pakistan Network, particularly in Lahore but also including contributing to events in Islamabad, including proposing events, helping shape invitation lists for key political receptions, and briefing seniors.
• Supporting the Communications Team to engage with Lahore-based media and developing communications opportunities, including facilitating briefings and interviews for senior staff
• Leading on internal Communications for the Lahore Office
  

Cross-Mission Engagement and Programming (10%):

• Playing a key role in ensuring that work across the different campaign goals includes where relevant components of and is sensitive to politics of Punjab.
• Working with programme colleagues to ensure programme outcomes are fed back in to policy decisions.
• Administer and ensure best practice is achieved in the management and implementation of a diverse range of projects funded by the British High Commission in priority areas including the promotion of human rights, good governance and enhancing the effectiveness of the security sector.
• Support the mission’s response to any crises through delivery of authoritative political advice, and contributions to wider team-working.
• Contribute to the smooth running of a small Post, including leaning in as a collaborative team member on cross-Office issues.
  

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
•    Formal in-house and external training.
•    Coaching, mentoring and job shadowing.
•    Structured learning on the job, including stretching objectives and work.

Working patterns:

Some working from home may be possible pending agreement with Line Manager. Applicants should expect to work from the office a minimum of three days a week, and more during busy periods. Some variation in hours, time off in lieu, etc can be agreed subject to Line Manager approval.  

Any other information (or specific local Post requirements):

The Lahore Office is comprised of 12 members of staff including colleagues working on politics, development, trade, Chevening, security and transport. As a small team, a collegiate and collaborative approach to working is essential, with colleagues frequently leaning in and supporting one another on their priorities. We pride ourselves on a friendly working culture. 

The jobholder will also work on a daily basis with multiple sections of Islamabad office. Occasional travel to Islamabad will be required (at least quarterly).

•    A strong understanding of Pakistan’s politics, particularly in Punjab.
•    Ability to see how the Lahore Office can contribute effectively to Network-wide objectives.
•    Ability to work autonomously on sensitive and challenging policy issues.
•    Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including superb written English and a track record of collaboration across teams.
•    Strong ability to build networks with stakeholders from across the political spectrum.
•    Ability to think creatively to solve problems.
•    Willingness to work to frequent and tight deadlines while maintaining high standard of work.
•    Confident in common IT skills such as Microsoft Office suite.  
•    Have a track record in managing and prioritising your workload.
•    Confidence and commitment to deliver with minimal supervision.
•    Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field (e.g. politics, history, economics, international relations, etc)
•    Three years’ relevant work experience.

Language requirements: 

Language: English & Urdu

Level of language required: Excellent written and spoken English and Urdu