Jobs at British High Commission in Dar es salaam - Sep 2014

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION VACANCY

SENIOR POLITICAL OFFICER

The British High Commission is seeking to appoint a Senior Political Officer in its
Political Section.

This is a great opportunity to work in an exciting and challenging environment on a
high profile agenda within the British High Commission. The Political Officer will be a
proactive and confident self-starter, with a solid understanding of Tanzanian politics,
excellent communication skills- written and oral, and ability to network across a wide
range of contacts.

Potential candidates are advised to acquaint themselves with the work of the British
High Commission and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before applying for the
job on the website: www.UKinTanzania.fco.gov.uk

The successful candidate will need to undergo background checks and security
clearance and must have the right to live and work in Tanzania.

Main Responsibilities:
 Monitor, research, analyze and produce high quality reporting on political
developments in Tanzania.
 Working closely with DFID, support the UK’s governance agenda in Tanzania
through robust analysis of the political, electoral and governance climate and
relevant reform agendas.
 Prepare briefing and policy materials as required, and maintain internal
information on key political actors including biographies, records of meetings,
and political contacts lists.
 Develop and maintain positive working relations with a wide network of
contacts in government, civil society, development partners, parliament, and
the media. Advise the team on contact making and outreach.
 Represent the High Commission as required at meetings and events.
 Provide support on high-level political visits, as needed.
 Interpretation and translation (Kiswahili to English and vice-versa) of key
documents of interest to the BHC

Skills and Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications:
 A degree or post graduate degree in governance, politics, law, international
development, social sciences or other relevant discipline
 A minimum of three years relevant work experience
 A strong understanding of Tanzanian and regional political and governance
issues
 Good analytical and problem solving skills  Influential communication skills, with excellent written and verbal skills in
both English and Kiswahili
 Excellent research and report writing skills
 Strong networking skills, with the ability to develop a wide range of contacts
 Ability to prioritise, effectively manage and execute multiple tasks to a
high standard, both through individual and team delivery
 Attention to detail and good follow-up discipline
 Strength in MS Office, Excel, and Outlook
 Comfortable with working within a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural team
 A willingness to travel and to do some occasional out of (core) hours work
will be necessary.

Competencies:
 Seeing the Big Picture - Seeing the big picture is about having an in-depth
understanding and knowledge of how your role fits with and supports
organisational objectives and the wider public needs. For all staff, it is about
focusing your contribution on the activities which will meet Civil Service goals
and deliver the greatest value. At senior levels, it is about scanning the
political context and taking account of wider impacts to develop long term
implementation strategies that maximise opportunities to add value to the
citizen and support economic, sustainable growth.

 Changing and Improving- People who are effective in this area are
responsive, innovative and seek out opportunities to create effective change.
For all staff, it’s about being open to change, suggesting ideas for
improvements to the way things are done, and working in “smarter‟, more
focused ways. At senior levels, this is about creating and contributing to a
culture of innovation and allowing people to consider and take managed risks.
Doing this well means continuously seeking out ways to improve policy
implementation and build a leaner, more flexible and responsive Civil Service.
It also means making use of alternative delivery models including digital and
shared service approaches wherever possible.

 Making Effective Decisions- Effectiveness in this area is about being
objective; using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide
accurate, expert and professional advice. For all staff, it means showing
clarity of thought, setting priorities, analysing and using evidence to evaluate
options before arriving at well reasoned justifiable decisions. At senior levels,
leaders will be creating evidence based strategies, evaluating options,
impacts, risks and solutions. They will aim to maximise return while
minimising risk and balancing social, political, financial, economic and
environmental considerations to provide sustainable outcomes.

 Delivering at Pace- Effectiveness in this area means focussing on delivering
timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability
for quality outcomes. For all staff, it’s about working to agreed goals and
activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way.

At senior levels it is about building a performance culture to deliver outcomes
with a firm focus on prioritisation and addressing performance issues
resolutely, fairly and promptly. It is about leaders providing the focus and
energy to drive activities forward through others and encourage staff to
perform effectively during challenging times.  Delivering results – Manages own and team’s time effectively, responding flexibly to changing priorities and meeting objectives. Demonstrates the
financial and resource management expertise necessary to achieve results.
Professional, focused on delivering quickly and effectively. Takes well-judged
risks within own delegated authority.

 Problem solving and judgement – Able to tackle difficult problems/tasks:
evidence based approach, gathers information from a wide range of sources
and viewpoints, analyses and evaluates it and reaches sound conclusions.
Proposes constructive solutions.

 Working with others – Self-aware: shows consideration for others' needs
and motivations, values diversity and inclusion; works effectively and
supportively on shared objectives with colleagues and contacts in both the
immediate and wider teams to get things done.

 Communicating and influencing – Presents a professional image of self
and department. Conveys information clearly and concisely, adjusting style
according to purpose and audience. Able to persuade and challenge.

Compensation package:
The gross monthly salary for the position is Tsh 4,078,840 plus pension and
medical insurance. Appointment will be under local terms and conditions, and is
subject to medical and security clearance.

How to apply:
Applicants should submit a CV and a one page statement describing why you would
be a good candidate for the position to Tanzania-Recruitment@dfid.gov.uk entitled
“Senior Political Officer Vacancy.”

The deadline for the submission of applications is 12 noon on 10 October 2014.
Please ensure that any e-mail attachments do not exceed 5MB. Only candidates
shortlisted for interview will be contacted, and will be required to bring original
certificates and diplomas for verification.

Interview and start date
Candidates shortlisted for this post will be required to attend an interview and
complete a series of aptitude tests. Interviews for the position have provisionally
been scheduled to take place on week beginning 02nd November 2014. The planned
start date for this position is December 2014.

Equal Opportunities
The British High Commission is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We welcome all
applicants, irrespective of race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion,
creed, beliefs or age. Selection is on merit.

No payments should be requested or offered at any part of the recruitment process –
any irregularities should be reported by email to fraud@dfid.gov.uk. No travel
expenses will be paid from outside of Tanzania.

Senior Political Officer

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