Senior Political Adviser, Grade- HEO, Karachi

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, experience-based segment and the behaviours and technical/ professional skills-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.’’

Main purpose of job:

You will work within the Strategic Engagement and Understanding (SEU) section at the heart of the Pakistan Network in support of the campaign goals by conducting political analysis, based in the British Deputy High Commission in Karachi. You will monitor the complex and constantly evolving political situation in Sindh and Balochistan and how it relates to the UK’s diverse strategic objectives by feeding in analysis, advice, and reporting to a wide range of stakeholders especially the Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, the High Commissioner in Islamabad, and a range of other senior colleagues in Pakistan and in HQ. You will support the whole range of UK interests in Pakistan. While you will primarily focus on Sindh politics, you will also support the SEU team in understanding and reporting on wider issues including Balochistan politics, federal politics and issues of particular UK interest such as human rights and climate. You will develop and maintain a network of political, government, civil society, academic, and media contacts to inform reporting and analysis and assist and advise others on their own engagement and networks. You will play a leading role in organising the visits of senior political team members to Karachi, wider Sindh, Balochistan as well as proactively undertaking visits to understand the political landscape in other parts of Sindh. You will work with programme colleagues to ensure that activity aligns with policy.

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

Political Reporting (50%):

• Increasing the Pakistan Network and HQ’s depth and breadth of understanding of Sindh’s constantly evolving political landscape through effective reporting of political developments. Monitoring and reporting on key political developments in Balochistan.


• Support the Pakistan Network’s understanding of wider political developments at the federal level and other key issues such as human rights, particularly where they link back to Sindh.


• Using network of contacts to inform reporting on and monitoring of Pakistan’s political issues, with a particular focus on Sindh.


• Undertaking proactive and reactive open source research on diverse issues of interest related to the UK’s objectives in Pakistan, particularly Sindh, verifying this research with expert contacts, and using this information to inform Network-wide activity.


• Producing bespoke ‘deep-dive’ reports on issues of particular importance, light touch reactive reports on emerging events, and contributing to the SEU ‘Domestic Weekly’ report which is issued to a wide range of senior readers including Ministers in HQ.

Visit and Events (20%):

• Accompanying and supporting senior staff on visits and meetings in Sindh and Balochistan, this includes providing political and policy advice to seniors, arranging and ‘unlocking’ meetings with influential figures, and producing records and reports as required.


• Leading on political and other events in the Pakistan Network, particularly in Karachi but also including contributing to events in Islamabad, including proposing events, helping shape invitation lists for key political receptions, and briefing seniors.

Network of Contacts (20%):

• Strengthening the BDHCs existing network of contacts across the political spectrum, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan.


• Managing and maintaining a diverse group of contacts in government, political parties, civil society, academia, and the media to inform understanding, identify opportunities, influence progress so to work towards delivering UK objectives.


• Building an engagement strategy for the Deputy High Commissioner, Deputy Head of Mission, the Political Counsellor, the Deputy Political Counsellor, and other senior visitors from Islamabad to Karachi and accompanying as necessary.

Cross-Mission Engagement and Programming (10%):

• Playing a key role in ensuring that work across the different campaign goals includes where relevant components of and is sensitive to politics of Sindh.


• Working with programme colleagues to ensure programme outcomes are fed back in to policy decisions.


• Administer and ensure best practice is achieved in the management and implementation of a diverse range of projects funded by the British Deputy High Commission in priority areas including the promotion of human rights, good governance and enhancing the effectiveness of the security sector.


• Support the mission’s response to any crises through delivery of authoritative political advice, and contributions to wider team-working.

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

• Formal in-house and external training.


• Coaching, mentoring and job shadowing.


• Structured learning on the job, including stretching objectives and work.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field (e.g. politics, history, PPE, international relations, etc)


• Three years’ relevant work experience


• A strong understanding of Pakistan’s politics, particularly in Sindh & Balochistan.


• Ability to see how BDHC Karachi can contribute effectively to Network-wide objectives.


• Ability to work autonomously on sensitive and challenging policy issues.


• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of collaboration across teams.


• Ability to think creatively to solve problems


• Willingness to work to frequent and tight deadlines while maintaining high standard of work.


• Confident in common IT skills such as Microsoft Office suite.


• Have a track record in managing and prioritising your workload.


• Confidence and commitment to deliver with minimal supervision.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• At least six years relevant work experience


• Experience working in a diplomatic mission, international organisation, political party, government, or other similar organisation (e.g. civil society, political media, think-tank


• Master’s degree in a relevant field

Required behaviours



Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace, Working Together







Application deadline Application deadline - day Application deadline - month Application deadline - year



3 October 2023




Grade



Higher Executive Officer (HEO)




Type of Position



Full-time, Permanent




Working hours per week



41




Region



South Asia & Afghanistan




Country/Territory



Pakistan




Location (City)



Karachi




Type of Post



British Deputy High Commission




Number of vacancies



1




Salary Currency



PKR




Salary



PKR 272,623 per month




Start Date Start Date - day Start Date - month Start Date - year



15 November 2023




Other benefits and conditions of employment

For BHC candidates, the Country Based Staff BHC Terms & Conditions will apply. For other than BHC candidates the basic salary will be PKR 272,623 per month. This salary is non-negotiable.

'Please note that the current salaries are being dollarized and processed in USD (using a fixed corporate exchange rate from November 2022) to provide cushion against the current external market conditions. This is a temporary measure and is subject to review at regular intervals. The payroll will revert to local currency processing once the external market conditions are normalised.

The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance.

Around half of our work forces are women. We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment.

This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCDO has anywhere across the globe. We are aiming to make it the best.

Additional information

"Note : All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, motivational segment and the behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.’’

To Apply:

Please note applications without (a) and (b) will not be considered.

A. Complete the Online Application Form

B. Complete the Motivation and Competency Segment in the Online Application Form

Internal candidates applying for this position need to inform their current line managers, else the applications will not be considered.

We will accept only online applications by 03rd October 2023 (latest by 23:55 hours PST).

Please note that all the applicants will be required to strictly adhere to the security guidelines for British High Commission

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.

Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and no telephone enquires will be dealt with. 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.

The appointment will be subject to Police Verification and other checks including references, medical, educational and professional.

We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.

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