AUH – Accommodation & Transport Officer A2(L)

The British Embassy Abu Dhabi has a vacancy for an Accommodation and Transport Officer on a fixed term contract of three (3) years.

Reporting to the Estates Manage, the jobholder will be responsible for maintaining the embassy property portfolio to include forecasting of rents and maintain a property data report analysis. They will source/ recommend all accommodation provisions (temporary and permanent) suitable for UK-based staff in line with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Health and Safety (H&S) and Security policy provisions, whilst managing the on-boarding/ landing of new arrivals and successfully overseeing the departure of UK-based staff and their families. They will negotiate new leases and future tenancy renewals to deliver value for money. They will also effectively manage and maintain all tenancy provisions, including all on- and off-site property and furniture stock. They will also be required to maintain a range of IT systems and databases.

The jobholder will maintain and monitor residential and commercial (office) furniture inventory databases and up-keep of all Post-wide furniture requirements in line with FCDO Accommodation and Procurement policies. They will also be the point of contact for the offsite contractor who manages the storing and delivering of furniture and furnishings.

Further responsibilities will include efficient arrangement of all ‘move in’ and ‘move out’ inspections; they will be required to communicate at all different levels, effectively and clearly, demonstrating clear thinking and proactive practices, relating to property management.

They will also be responsible for the Abu Dhabi and Dubai centralised transport fleet. This will require day-to-day line management of the drivers in Abu Dhabi, as well as managing a central transport request system and allocation of transport in line with FCDO and Post policy, working closely with their Dubai-based counterpart.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Accommodation services (75%)
• Assisting Estates Manager in: administration of sourcing/ recommending properties for new UK-based positions according to the Post Housing Policy and FCDO guidance;
• Maintaining a rent budget and associated finances;
• Identifying and sourcing residential properties to meet staff needs, in line with policy;
• Managing property portfolio ;
• Supervise and ensure all new-leased properties are furnished (hard & soft furnishings) according to FCDO standards. Co-ordinating with the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) to ensure float items are in a property and ensuring a property is ready for occupation for new arrivals;
• Responsible for the up-keep and maintenance of all furniture provisions (office and residential) and dealing with general, day-to-day furniture enquiries.
• Collaborating and liaising with contractors managing Embassy furniture provisions;
• Liaising with third party suppliers and contractors;
• Supervision and booking of all temporary and transit accommodation for new arrivals, temporary duty staff, and estate visitors;
• Responsible for securing corporate rates with hotels;
• Raising requisitions, receipting goods that comply with FCDO procurement rules and policy;
• Ensure weekly and monthly statistics are compiled accurately for various Management Information (MI), including KPIs, etc.;
• Manage and conduct efficient Move in/Move out process;
• Manage efficient Inventory process;
• Responsible for meeting FCDO H&S procedures;
• Assist in acting as annual leave cover for the Estates Team;
• Participate in the Embassy emergency planning process and assist as required in responding to any crisis.
• Transportation services (25%)
• Manage a centralised transport booking system supporting incoming booking requests from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai customers;
• Oversight and line management of three (3) Drivers in Abu Dhabi and managing the development of the team;
• Maintaining driver rosters and schedules;
• Oversight of management of Abu Dhabi’s fleet of vehicles;
• Collaborating and partnering with Dubai’s transportation team;
• Collaborating with internal stakeholders supporting visit and event planning.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required.

Key Competencies Required

• Managing a Quality Service – Valuing and modelling professional excellence and expertise to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. Effectively planning, organising, and managing time and activities to deliver a high quality, secure, reliable, and efficient service, applying programme and project and risk management approaches to support service delivery.
• Delivering at Pace – Focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. Working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. Keeping a firm focus on priorities and addressing performance issues resolutely, fairly, and promptly.
• Collaborating and Partnering – Being a team player who creates and maintains positive, professional, and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the organisation to help get business done. Working collaboratively, sharing information appropriately, and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions.
• Making Effective Decisions – Being objective; using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. Showing clarity of thought, setting priorities, analysing and using evidence to evaluate options before arriving at well-reasoned justifiable decisions. Being careful and thoughtful about the use and protection of government and public information to ensure it is handled securely and with care.

Essential Qualifications, Skills And Experience

• Knowledge/ Experience of local tenancy/ lease procedures and property management.
• Knowledge/ Experience of Transportation Fleet Management.
• Previous work experience in a customer service role at high pace
• Ability to work quickly and accurately, keeping to tight deadlines
• Good organisational and analytical skills
• Proven skills in dealing with and negotiating with customers and providers/ third-party suppliers. Ability to manage customer expectations and display a flexible approach and resourcefulness in solving problems.
• A team player who is capable of working on their initiative and who is adaptable to changing priorities.
• Excellent communication skills in English. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Strong IT skills and well versed in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams).

Desirable Qualifications, Skills And Experience

• Relevant residential property background
• Arabic language skills (written and spoken) will be an advantage but not essential
• Holds a clean and valid UAE driver’s licence.
• Knowledge of/ experience using Oracle-based finance and procurement systems and databases.

Required competencies

Making Effective Decisions, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace

Application deadline Application deadline – day Application deadline – month Application deadline – year

20 February 2022

Grade

A2 (L)

Type of Position

Fixed Term, Full-time

Working hours per week

38

Duration of Post

36 months

Region

Middle East & North Africa

Country/Territory

United Arab Emirates

Location (City)

Abu Dhabi

Type of Post

British Embassy

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

AED

Salary

11,363

Start Date Start Date – day Start Date – month Start Date – year

17 April 2022

Other Benefits And Conditions Of Employment

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role, including: 25 days of leave per annum; on-site swimming pool, gym, and sports facilities (subject to COVID-19 restrictions).

Salary is at AED 11,363 per month.

There are no other allowances payable as part of this package. No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

Effective 01 January 2022, the Embassy will be open from Monday to Friday, from 07:30 to 18:00. Conditioned working hours are 38 hours per week (including breaks), and specific working hours for this role will be confirmed at a later time.

The jobholder will be required to be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will also be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out of hours (evenings/ weekend). Flexible working arrangements may be considered based on operational requirements and agreement with the line manager.

This role is for a fixed term contract for three (3) years. The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassy’s sponsorship.

Additional information

How To Apply

Interested candidates must attach 1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and 2) a covering letter stating how you meet the requirements of the role.

Your application must also include examples of when you have demonstrated the required competencies in the Competence-Based Questions section of the online application form.

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

Closing date for applications is at 11:55 PM UAE local time on 20 February 2022.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Process

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around two months.

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

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.

The British Embassy Abu Dhabi is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference.

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.

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