British Embassy
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Residence and Support Staff)
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Private Office
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Main Purpose of Job:
The Head of the Ambassador’s Office will provide and oversee all aspects of the Ambassador and the Deputy Head of Mission’s professional support. They will lead the Ambassador’s Office team of four (including the jobholder), ensuring that appointments, events, briefings and administration are in place to enable the Ambassador and Deputy to perform effectively in their roles. To enable this to happen, the jobholder will engage across mission and work with a wide range of people, building relationships and motivating busy teams to collaborate on producing superb programmes and briefings. The jobholder will also engage in logistics and administrative planning with Indonesian ministries, agencies, politicians, businesses, embassies and well as UK government departments and regional hubs.
This is a “front-of-house” role for the Ambassador with his Embassy team, representing the Ambassador’s views with internal stakeholders and listening to feedback to support the Ambassador and Deputy leading the Embassy team, including attending internal meetings on the Ambassadors’ behalf. The jobholder will sit at the very heart of the Embassy operation and play a central coordinating role, serving as the hub through which all parts of His Majesty’s Government in Indonesia connect, acting as the key communication channel for the Ambassador and Deputy. Working closely with senior leadership, the jobholder will coordinate planning and delivery of the Ambassador and Deputy’s programme across teams, track priorities to ensure decisions are implemented and instructions are followed and manage internal systems and workflows within the Ambassador’s Office.
This is a dynamic and influential position that requires strong judgment, attention to detail and confidence to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. The jobholder needs to be the visible leader of the Ambassador’s Office team, balancing delivery of excellent support with the well-being of team members, including when under pressure. In return, they will have a unique insight into how an Embassy functions at a strategic level with direct access to senior leadership. The role is a critical internal function, suitable for those who want to shape the work of a busy mission by delivering results through others.
What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:
Strategic internal coordination and delivery (40%)
- Lead on internal coordination for the Ambassador and Deputy, tracking priorities across teams, managing workstreams, and ensuring that actions are followed up. Conduct due diligence and quality control to make sure all briefings for the Ambassador and Deputy are clear, accurate, and fit for purpose. Involved in providing more complex information, negotiating changes, securing agreement to proposed actions and providing advice to senior leadership on the effects of policy and operational changes.
Team leadership and resource management (25%)
- Lead the Ambassador’s Office team including line management of the Executive Assistant to the Ambassador (AO), Executive Assistant to the Deputy Head of Mission (AO), and the Residence Manager (EO, who in turn supervises the Residence staff). Oversee key budgets and ensure effective support for the Ambassador and Deputy’s official activities. Lead the team as a fully integrated unit, proving cover for each other during absences and supporting each other during periods of particular pressure, ensuring the Ambassador’s Office runs to a high professional standard.
Planning and programme management (15%)
- Oversee the Ambassador and Deputy’s calendars and planning cycles, helping to ensure that meetings, briefings, and events are well prepared and effectively delivered. Coordinate visit programmes (domestic and international) with an emphasis on internal readiness and execution.
Advisory support and political insight (10%)
- Use knowledge of the Indonesian government and key players to provide the Ambassador with timely, strategic advice on how best to navigate local systems. Help shape internal engagement plans and maintain a strong overview of the political and bureaucratic landscape. Maintain a network of key contacts in private/executive offices and ministries through whom to access senior Indonesian politicians and business people.
Project support and crisis response (10%)
- Manage ad hoc projects in support of the senior leadership’s priorities, such as a large Christmas Carols event, a Halal Bihalal and help organise the annual King’s Birthday Party and other events as needed. Lead the Ambassador’s office in participating in the Embassy’s response to any crisis situations that may arise.
Resources Managed (staff and expenditure): 2 AOs and 1 EO
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- An advanced degree from a recognised university. Experience in a similar coordination role would be an advantage
- Exceptional organisational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritise, meet tight deadlines, remain calm under pressure and mitigate challenges before they arise
- Resilience to work productively and independently on varied assignments, while adapting to shifting priorities and delivering results within agreed timelines
- Strong research and communication skills in both English and Bahasa Indonesia, with the ability to draft, edit, and ensure the quality of documents requiring approval or signature
- Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills, demonstrating tact, professionalism and discretion when engaging with our diverse workforce and stakeholders at all levels
- Proven initiative, creative problem-solving abilities and a can-do attitude, with the flexibility to adapt to evolving responsibilities and changing priorities
- A meticulous approach to tasks, ensuring accuracy and adherence to protocols in all work outputs
- Willingness to work flexible hours, including occasional overtime, with a responsive and dependable approach to meeting executive and organisational needs
Language Requirements:
- Fluent Indonesia Bahasa
- Fluent in spoken and a good level of written English
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- A strong academic record with a GPA above 3.3/4.0 and IELTS above 7
- Previous experience working with executive-level or senior management in a foreign mission, international organisation, multinational company, or government institution
- Experience working with or strong understanding of Indonesian government system and politics
- Experience in budgeting, expense tracking, and financial reporting to support senior management in managing resources efficiently
- Experience planning and coordinating events with numerous participants, including scheduling, logistics, budgeting, and managing diverse stakeholder needs, would be an advantage
- Knowledge of graphic design software (e.g. Canva, Adobe Suite) and familiarity with tools for creating visually engaging materials would be an asset
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Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
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18 May 2025
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Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
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Full-time, Permanent
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39.5
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Asia Pacific
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Indonesia
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Jakarta
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British Embassy
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1
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IDR
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IDR 26,111,899 per month
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monthly
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28 July 2025
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The British Embassy Jakarta offers a competitive remuneration package including:
- Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year
- Medical benefit (medical insurance)
- Access to extensive learning and development opportunities
Working Patterns:
Normal working hours are 39.5 (gross) per week: 07:30hrs to 16:00hrs from Monday to Thursday and 07:30hrs to 13:00hrs. The team operates a ‘core hours’ policy of 09:00hrs to 15:00hrs with individual flexibility around that.
The Embassy is committed to ensuring employees enjoy a good work-life balance. It is a stimulating place to work where we value diversity and inclusion and care about the development of our people.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.
Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment checks. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy Jakarta is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law. In relation to this, the successful candidate will need to arrange for his/her own Police Certificate.
Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.
The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.
Hiring managers should be available to discuss proposed working patterns with potential candidates, and respond positively where possible, in line with the flexible working policy.
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Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
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.
Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.
Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.
To ensure a successful application it is important that you explain how you demonstrate these behaviours, including through your experience. You are strongly advised to read the Success Profiles Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which provides detailed guidance on how the behaviours are defined.
Applicants are encouraged to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format to prepare specific examples of when they have demonstrated these behaviours in their application. Using the STAR format to provide evidence of your skills and experience in your application and at interview helps to give a structure. You briefly describe the situation in which you showed the behaviour, and then explain your task in addressing the situation, what action you took and the result of this.
For inclusivity and diversity, please remove the following personal information when uploading your CV: name, address, email address, age, date of birth, gender and nationality.
The start date mentioned in the job 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.
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To apply please copy and paste this link: https://fco.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/1/adv/
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