SRR - Culture, Sport, and Tourism Policy Officer (HEO)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Culture, Sport, and Tourism Policy Officer on a fixed-term contract until 31 March 2025. There is a possibility of extension of the contract depending on performance and operational requirements.

The jobholder will lead the further development of the UK-Saudi partnership on culture, sport, and tourism, focusing on the opportunities for the UK sectors as part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 economic reforms. They will identify relevant UK expertise across the UK Government and beyond that aligns with Saudi requirements – matching Saudi need to UK key strengths and areas where the UK has competitive advantage.

The jobholder will understand the aims and policy context in the UK and Saudi Arabia, implement a strategy for cooperation, and facilitate exchange of expertise between the two countries to identify relevant partnership opportunities. The jobholder will need to engage and coordinate with relevant Saudi government agencies as well as UK colleagues.

The jobholder will be comfortable with both policy issues and with project management, as well as able to add value bringing a strategic approach. This is a visible role across the Embassy and with a wide range of UK Government partners, and the jobholder will have the opportunity to gain political analysis and project delivery experience, as well as develop economic and wider prosperity skills, influencing, and public diplomacy capabilities.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Advise and support engagement between the UK and Saudi Governments on culture, sport, and tourism. This is likely to involve leading in shaping and delivering Ministerial visits from the UK to Saudi Arabia and vice versa.
• Advise the British Ambassador and UK Government on culture, sport, and tourism in Saudi Arabia. This will entail preparing oral and written briefings.
• Develop an extensive knowledge of the culture, sport, and tourism sector in UK and Saudi Arabia.
• Establish a strong network of contacts among leading figures in culture, sport, and tourism in government, academia, and business in UK and Saudi Arabia.
• Report to UK Government significant developments on culture, sport, and tourism in Saudi Arabia.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues in UK and Saudi Arabia to spot and create opportunities to support and enable partnerships between UK and Saudi institutions, including museums, universities, and sports federations.
• Develop a strong partnership with colleagues from the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) and support trade missions as needed.
• Coordinate UK Government engagement with Saudi Arabia on culture, sport, and tourism by building and maintaining strong partnerships with colleagues in different UK Government departments and coordinating regular meetings with them.
• Design and secure funding for practical projects to strengthen the UK-Saudi culture, sport, and tourism partnership, and support the continuation of existing projects.
• Raise the profile of the UK-Saudi culture, sport, and tourism partnership by organising events e.g., seminars, signing ceremonies, and generating media coverage.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future, and this would be at the discretion of the line manager and Senior Management. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as and when required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:

• Leadership - Show pride and passion for public service. Create and engage others in delivering a shared vision. Value difference, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring fairness and opportunity for all.
• Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive
• Seeing the Big Picture - Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
• Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses, and opinions of others.

Eligibility:

• The successful candidate must be able to secure a local residence and work permit in Saudi (iqama) OR already have the right to work and reside in Saudi.
• The British Embassy provides visa sponsorship. The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassys sponsorship.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• High standard of project and programme management skills and track record of successful project delivery.
• Excellent relationship development and management skills, capable of operating at all organisational levels. Experience of developing relationships and building influence with multiple stakeholders in public and private sectors. Recognises the importance of developing a strong business network.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Ability to coordinate and contribute to strategy development and business planning.
• Flexible, resilient, decisive, and calm under pressure. With a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines.
• Excellent organisational ability, with proven ability to manage, plan, and prioritise tasks and workload; and a proactive approach to problem solving.
• Team player who is capable of working on their own initiative and manage others.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams).

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Previous experience in the culture, sports, or tourism sectors, ideally in the UK or KSA.
• Cultural awareness and business knowledge of the relevant market. Functional knowledge of local business community and trends.
• Previous experience in Prosperity or economics for foreign policy related work. Understanding of UK government policymaking on prosperity issues.
• Knowledge of KSA’s political and cultural landscape.
• Experience of working in the UK or KSA public sector/ government.
• Arabic language skills, both written and spoken.

Required behaviours Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Seeing the Big Picture Application deadline 18 June 2024 Grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Type of Position Full-time, Fixed Term Working hours per week 35 Duration of Post 7 months Region Middle East & North Africa Country/Territory Saudi Arabia Location (City) Riyadh Type of Post British Embassy Number of vacancies 1 Salary Currency SAR Salary 19,731 Start Date 4 August 2024 End Date 31 March 2025 Other benefits and conditions of employment

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role.

Monthly salary details:

• Base Salary - SAR 15,385
• Housing Allowance - SAR 3,846 (subject to eligibility)*
• Travel Allowance - SAR 500 (subject to eligibility)*
• Total - SAR 19,731

• Allowances are not payable to staff who receive official provision for such expenditure in some other form. Spouses/ Dependents of UKBS officers working at the Embassy are not eligible to Housing or Travel Allowance.

No accommodation nor relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

This position is full-time, based on 35 hours per week. Normal working hours for the Embassy are from 08:00 to 15:00 from Sunday to Thursday, with core working hours from 10:00-15:00. Core working hours is the period of the day that employees are required to be at work. The working day outside of the core hours is a flexible period, which allows employees to choose when they work, subject to operational needs.

The jobholder will be required to be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out of hours (evening and weekend), especially during visits and events. Flexible working arrangements may be considered based on operational requirements and agreement with the line manager, and in line with FCDO and Embassy policies.

The successful candidate will be subject to a 90-day probationary period.

The successful candidate will be required to transfer their iqama under the Embassys sponsorship.

Additional information

How to apply:

Interested candidates must include with their online application form

1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV);

2) a covering letter/ motivation essay stating how you meet the requirements of the role; and

3) specific examples, in the relevant sections of the online application form, of how you meet the key behaviours required.

Applications that do not include these information will not be considered.

The closing date for applications is at 23:55 KSA local time on 18 June 2024.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Internal candidates (i.e., those who are currently employed by the British Embassy Riyadh/ British Consulate General Jeddah) applying for this position should consider informing their current line manager upon submission of their application.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, only those shortlisted for the next step in the recruitment process will be contacted.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful at interview may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of six (6) months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

The start date mentioned in the advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances and reference checks.

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around 2-3 months. The security clearance process includes checks available in country and in the UK, dependant on the security level required for the role and the candidate’s profile and UK footprint. You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption.

The British Embassy Riyadh is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Saudi Arabia employment law.

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.