Career Opportunities at Her Majesty's Government (HM Government)

Main purpose of job:

• The UK and Ghana are forging a partnership for the future.
• The most valuable parts to this are often our people-to-people links – over 250,000 Brit-Ghanaians in the UK.
• The purpose of this job is to lead all UK communications in Ghana, develop innovative media campaigns, design and implement communication strategies that tie into our business plan for Ghana.
• Works with the senior leadership and teams across the UK government departments within the mission to define the UK in Ghana narrative. 

Roles and responsibilities:

• Help develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy for Ghana on behalf of the mission.
• Provide media advice to the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Team leads, Senior colleagues and our UK department headquarters in London.
• Build a strong network of external media relations and uses theses contacts to promote UK public messages media opportunities.
• Design and implement media campaigns that reflect all aspects of the UK in Ghana.
• Lead on communications work for VIP visits, and liaise with departmental Press Offices.
• Develop a forward looking programme of activities to map out upcoming communications priorities and manage workflow.
• Oversee media handling at British High Commission events and deliver media briefings. Develops core scripts, public lines and digital/media landscape reports for colleagues. 
• Oversee production of daily media monitoring reports in Ghana and further afield.
• Lead responsibility for the BHC website and social media platforms.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Experience of delivering high profile, large scale events within the diplomatic sector.
• Demonstrable social media skills, including implementing media campaigns.
• Strong links in the media, including TV, Radio, Print and social media.
• Experience in producing innovative and creative social media and video content.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• French Language.
• Photo and video content editorial skills.
• Required behaviours  
• Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together

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Main purpose of job:

• BHC Accra is a large post and is charged with delivering high impact and complex policy, programmes and campaigns on the full breadth of the Africa Strategy.  All staff embody the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s approach to cross-departmental ways of working and the High Commission aims to be a highly-inclusive place to work, celebrating a workforce with both diversity of thought and background. 
• The Jobholder is responsible for supporting the Head of Diaspora Relations’ strategic engagement with British Brands and the Ghanaian Diaspora capitalising on partnership opportunities that deepen UK-Ghana interest.
• Lead the end-to-end management of the yearly Chevening Scholarship scheme for Ghana, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso, and the International Leaders Programme.
•  Deliver BHC Accra’s bilateral and regional political objectives through the effective administration of programme funds allocated to the High Commission through various funding mechanisms. Providing budget and procurement support to the Team.

Roles and responsibilities :

• Assist with researching and initiating potential partnership opportunities and maintaining relationships with current partners
• Assist with managing events of varying sizes, including the administration, planning and execution stages
• Maintain oversight of BHC contact list, working with across the mission to ensure this is kept up-to-date
• Manage and develop the Chevening Scholarships brand, and boost its impact in Ghana, including through mobilising the Chevening Alumni Network
• Manage accurate records of the Chevening alumni database and ensuring alumni are well engaged with the High Commission
• Increase the number of Chevening scholarship applications through diverse mediums and activities to create nationwide awareness, constant engagement and activities commercial sponsorship
• Maintain oversight of the Political and Communications Team Budget by providing monthly forecast and tracking activity expenditure
• Day-to-day administrative oversight of programme budgets (working closely with Finance Teams), ensuring spending remains on track, achieves maximum impact and value for money
• Manage the nomination and selection of candidates from Ghana for the International Leaders Programme
• Maintain files to ensure good information management in line with FCO guidance. Encouraging good use of information tools

Resources managed :

• Provide guidance to National Service Personnel working under your supervision to enable you to deliver your objectives.
• Essential qualifications, skills and experience  
• Minimum of 1 years’ experience working in a Diplomatic Mission or media organisation
• Event management experience
• Demonstrable social media skills, including implementing media campaigns
• Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  
• French Language
• Budget management experience

Required behaviours  

• Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together

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Main Purpose of the Role:

• We are looking for a self-starting and enthusiastic person, with strong finance, accounting skills and accreditation to fill this position, as well as advanced Excel skills.
• The successful applicant should be a good communicator and able to work alongside colleagues across a range of grades.
• The Finance Analyst will lead on effective financial management across BHC Accra, with a particular focus on Official Development Assistance (ODA), as well as wider Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and other programme funding.
• As such, they will be expected to have a good understanding and experience of international development programming and financial management.  
• They will also act as lead contact within a regional network of Finance Managers.
• Ghana has an ODA/development budget of over £10m per year with 9 major active programmes in the economics, education, infrastructure, agriculture, health and climate sectors.
• Our programmes are delivered through local and international NGOs, multilateral organisations and the private sector.  
• You will be expected to support programme teams, strengthening their skills to ensure that financial management best practice is applied at all stages of the programme cycle.
•  As finance manager, you will also provide regular, robust financial information, detailed analysis and business insight to the Development Director and the Ghana Leadership Group.
• You will work closely with the Regional Africa Finance Business Partner to support effective planning and decision making. The role will be pivotal to ensuring the effective cascading of financial information both up and down the organisation. The postholder will report to the Head of the Cross Cutting Team.
• BHC Accra is a large post and is charged with delivering high impact and complex policy, programmes and campaigns on the full breadth of the Africa Strategy.
•  All staff embody the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s approach to cross-departmental ways of working and the High Commission aims to be a highly-inclusive place to work, celebrating a workforce with both diversity of thought and background.
• To help achieve this the British High Commission takes a values-based approach to leadership and people management, and has a zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.
• Our local values are Respect; Openness; and Honesty & Integrity. An understanding and commitment to inclusion and values-based leadership will be discussed during interview, and tested during a probationary period.
• This post will sit within an ODA Compliance Unit in the BHC Cross-Cutting Team.  You will work closely with the Development Director and staff across the BHC working on ODA and other kinds of programming.
•  BHC Accra has been in a process of transition and the post may evolve over time, including working more broadly on wider BHC financial management issues. 
• You will have experience of managing ODA/international development programming, including programme management, financial and other key skills.
•  Specific duties include:
• Spend management: Prepare and support local scenario-based forecasts, taking into account risk, probability and contingency planning and support management of pipeline and pre-pipeline budgets in-year and across future years.
• Lead and conduct challenge meetings with senior local budget holders. Contribute to the production of better forecasting and variance analysis.
• Lead/ coordinate reporting and returns to HQ: generate quality timely and accurate performance reports, analysis and recommendations, to facilitate effective decision making, particularly around ODA and the financial year end.
• Lead on month-end returns, central commissions, interim and year end accounting packs. Ensure high quality and accurate financial information is entered on Aries. 
• Strengthen control and assurance processes: Support the maintenance and strengthening of the internal control environment to mitigate risks, by ensuring compliance with key finance processes, highlighting control weaknesses identified through annual reviews, due diligence and annual audited statements and making associated recommendations for improvement. Support internal and external audits (i.e. MAP, IAD and NAO) and report on progress made recommendations relating to finance and control.
• Counter aid diversion (CAD): Support the implementation of the embassy’s approach to CAD, ensuring that all staff and partners are aware of their responsibilities. Support tracking and following up on any reports of aid diversion on programmes with the relevant programme teams in the embassy and HQ, to ensure cases are resolved as quickly as possible, and lessons learnt and shared with the embassy.
• Provide on-going support to programme delivery teams: Support Programme Managers and Advisors on financial aspects of programme design (including risk mitigation, particularly around counter fraud, corruption, and leakage), implementation, planning & forecasting, monitoring and reporting.
• Capability building: Improve the standards of financial awareness and financial management locally, for example, by providing support in understanding and interpreting management information and partner evidence to non-finance staff. Deliver training to all staff and actively facilitating the continuing up-skilling of all staff, as part of the embassy’s L&D offer.
• Short term objectives likely to include making effective contributions to the merging of xFCO and xDFID systems, including leading the rollout of new financial systems – HERA and the new finance operating model.   

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• The Skills and Experience required in this role are:
• Relevant Accounting qualification (see below)
• A minimum of 3 years’ office experience in a fast-paced working environment in a finance management role.
• Strong people management skills and ability to work collaboratively.
• Experience of working collaboratively with business or programme managers as well as with other finance staff to provide an accurate financial position, along with robust forecasts.
• Proven experience of manging fraud/fiduciary risks. 
• Able to critically review financial management systems and make recommendations that will improve the quality of service received by end users.
• Have the confidence and enthusiasm to present complex financial information to a diverse audience including non-finance colleagues. Ability to understand end users’ needs and provide the information in a way that takes this into account.
• Ability to manage conflicting workloads in order to achieve tight deadlines, adhering to the finance annual timetable and responding to ad-hoc requests as required.
• Can demonstrate strong analytical skills with attention to detail to produce financial analysis. Can draw on advanced excel skills in order to produce this.
• Experience of working on international development programmes is highly desirable, as well as experience of commercial, risk and other aspects of programme management.
• Able to work flexibly, managing competing demands and under minimal supervision.
• Strong organisational skills and good attention to detail.
• Good team player with strong customer service skills who can communicate financial information to all levels, including senior management.
• Ability to plan ahead and anticipate problems, as well as being able to respond to urgent demands.
• Ability to build highly effective relationships with external organisations. 
• Demonstrates discretion and respect for confidentiality.
• It is highly desirable that applicants hold or are studying towards a qualification with one of the five Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies [CCAB] i.e. ACCA, CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAI, ICAS; or CIMA, or AAT; or someone who has undergone a period of equivalent structured training and accreditation in a specialist area of finance. 

Required behaviours  

• Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together 

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Main purpose of job:

• To ensure staff and properties are kept safe.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Paint and redecorate all properties – residences and offices
• Prepare and repair all surfaces, estimating the quantity and quality of the paint, colour mixing and matching and all others required for the paint job. 
• Paint, stain and varnish all furniture of the Estate, other wood works and metal works as well. 
• Responsible for all sign post writings. 
• Provide their expertise assistance to any team that is required to use the scaffold on a particular job. 

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Experience in painting

Required behaviours  

• Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together

go to method of application »

Main purpose of job:

• The UK and Ghana are forging a partnership for the future.
• The most valuable parts to this are often our people-to-people links – over 250,000 Brit-Ghanaians in the UK.
• The purpose of this job is to support investment in the UK-Ghana diaspora to underpin a strong future partnership.
• The successful candidate will ‘own’ the British High Commission’s (BHC’s) relationship with the Ghanaian Diaspora and main Diaspora offices in Ghana.
• Together, the successful candidate will be expected to set a vision for their part of the future relationship, and use the resources of the BHC to deliver on it.

Roles and responsibilities

• Facilitate and manage the BHC’s relationship with the Diaspora, in all its forms: individual links, links with Diaspora organisations, and government to government policy links.
• Curate Diaspora engagement opportunities and seeking partnerships which align with BHC objectives
• Represent the BHC at Diaspora events across Ghana and the UK
• Assume responsibility of the BHC’s forward facing Diaspora office
• Build and deliver a highly visible and effective public communication strategy, which promotes the UK’s soft power with both Ghanaians and the Brit-Ghanaian diaspora. Use existing channels (such as @UKinGhana) and considering new ones.

Resources managed:

• Essential qualifications, skills and experience  
• Bachelor’s in Communications, International Relations or other relevant field of study.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a fast-paced working environment as a manager.
• Experience of working across the UK-Ghana diaspora, there sub-groupings, and their needs.
• An understanding of Ghana Governments Diaspora engagement policies and strategies
• Event Planning experience
• Dealing with logistics, administration and budgets
• Excellent IT skills (including working knowledge of MS office packages (excel; word, PowerPoint etc);
• The ability to respond flexibly to competing demands, often at short notice;
• Discretion and confidentiality;
• Strong organisational skills and good attention to detail (events planning; guest lists).
• Ability to write accurate, professional English at speed, in formats including formal letters and minutes.
• Good team player with strong customer service skills, including with others with competing priorities
• Ability to plan ahead, anticipate problems / clashes and proactively sort them out
• Able to work under minimal supervision and deliver for senior-level individuals
• Ability to build highly-effective relationships with external organisations.

  
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Local knowledge of Accra (to inform logistics) and Twi / Ga for working with local contacts.

Required behaviours  

• Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together