Head of Strategic Communications, HEO

Working with a wide range of UK government and non-UK government stakeholders, to lead the Vietnam Network’s strategic communications, including traditional media, social media, events/visits, and scholarship programmes, in order to (i) maximise positive public perception of UK government’s policy and programme activity in Vietnam, (ii) to generate positive influence amongst local opinion formers and potential leaders towards the UK (not just UK government), (iii) to build stronger people-to-people ties between the UK and Vietnam, and (iv) to ensure the UK’s diplomatic network in Vietnam makes a significant contribution to UK strategic communications across ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

Strategic Communications approach:  To lead and ensure the Vietnam Network uses a single strategic communications narrative; to oversee the design and delivery of a single communications grid (by week, month and long term over a year); to draw up and maintain a risk register for strategic communications; to ensure strategic communications are informed by Monitoring & Evaluation and by an annual perceptions survey of the UK in Vietnam; 

Stakeholder Engagement: To map and engage systematically primary stakeholders (to include influencers, academic/science institutions; business community; traditional media; UK-based bodies e.g. UK-Vietnam Network); 

Oversee delivery of communications campaigns: To ensure the communications team pro-actively supports policy and programme teams across the Vietnam Network with effective communication plans.  The plans should include social media, mainstream media and events depending on the audiences we need to reach.  

Senior Communicator: To act as senior spokesperson for the Vietnam Network (where the Ambassador, Deputy Ambassador, Consul-General in HCMC, Deputy Consul-General are not engaged); to quality control media products (press statements, press lines, speeches, social media posts/videos) and media events (e.g. press conferences, interviews);  to ensure that the Network’s social media channels remain attractive and relevant.

Chevening scholarships:  To provide strategic oversight of the design and delivery of the Vietnam Network’s plans to identify and recruit high quality Chevening scholars; to ensure effective use of the Chevening alumni to deliver the Vietnam Network’s Country Business Plan.

Member of Policy Board: As a member of the Senior Management Team Policy Board, to ensure that the work of the Board takes into account strategic communications and that the Network’s strategic communications approach is fully aligned with the Country Business Plan;

Senior Communicators’ Regional Network: As the senior communicator for the Vietnam Network, to ensure that the strategic communications of the Network are aligned with and contribute to FCDO and other cross-UK government regional communications initiatives (ASEAN posts)

Internal Communications:  To ensure effective internal communications across the Vietnam Network (including with pro-active support for the Ambassador, Consul-General and Deputy Ambassador).  This should include advocacy for the Network’s Values, People Survey follow up, and new initiatives to encourage engagement by all members of the Network on the full range of corporate, learning and development, and policy issues, as appropriate.

Building communications capability: To coach and mentor the Communications Team to develop their professional skills, as well as support their efforts to engage policy and programme teams to use communications tools to enhance their reach and influence. 

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

05 staff: 2 x EO(L), 1 x AO(L) in Hanoi and 1 x AO (L) in HCMC 
Oversight of 1 x EO(L) in HCMC.

The communications team’s budget:

• Depends on successful bids to UK government funds, but average annual budget can be greater than £100,000
• 20+ Chevening scholarships

Essential qualifications, skills and experience:

• Team leadership
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written)
• Able to work to tight deadlines and multi-task effectively
• Ability to develop productive relationships with other teams around the network
• Proven experience in wide range of strategic communications tools (communications planning, impact evaluation, traditional media, social media, event leadership)

Language requirements: 

Language: English/Vietnamese

Level of language required: Fluent Vietnamese and excellent written and spoken English is essential

Required behaviours: Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together

Application deadline: 15 November 2023

Grade: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Type of Position: Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal

Working hours per week: 39.5

Region: Asia Pacific

Country/Territory: Vietnam

Location (City): Hanoi

Type of Post: British Embassy

Number of vacancies: 1

Salary Currency: VND

Salary: VND 59,138,000

Start Date: 3 January 2024

Other benefits and conditions of employment:

This vacancy is advertised as a full-time, fixed term role of 12 months with possibility of renewal based in Hanoi.

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

We encourage all staff to develop their capabilities, through both formal training courses and informal opportunities such as job-shadowing, coaching and on-the-job training. All staff are encouraged to share their skills and experience with colleagues, through informal training sessions or coaching/mentoring. We have an active L&D committee who organise a varied programme of learning for all staff. 

All staff are eligible for 5 Learning and Development days a year.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to developing its staff. There will be opportunities for formal training alongside collaborating with a wide range of colleagues delivering on-the-job learning.

• Working in a diplomatic mission
• International policy skills course
• UK Diplomatic Academy foundation learning
• Regional and London-based formal learning opportunities

Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff who are locally recruited by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law.

No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. Visa sponsorship may be possible for non-Vietnamese nationals if meet local requirements.  

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.

Disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be invited to interviews if meeting the minimum requirement of the job.

Working patterns:

Full time - 39 hours per week with one hour lunch. Mon-Thursday 08:30–16:45, Friday 08:30–15:00
The Embassy has a smarter working policy and is committed to offering flexible working patterns balanced with the operational requirements of the role. In crisis/emergency situations you may need to work as required to support the Embassy response, sometimes on a shift pattern working which may result in unsociable hours and/or weekend working.

As an inclusive employer we are happy to discuss alternative working patterns at interivew or at the point of any job offer.

Additional information:

Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks. Staff recruited by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law.

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

All applications must be received before 23:55 (Local Vietnam Time) on the day of the deadline indicated above.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen. 

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”.

Please check the application centre regularly for any update on your application.

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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