View Vacancy - Consular Services Officer AO (30/25 PTA)

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 identity, 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. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Consular Roles)
Consular

Main purpose of job:

As Consular Services Officer, you will be primarily responsible for administering and delivering high-quality services to British nationals across South Africa, with a special focus on coordinating Citizenship Ceremonies – joyful and proud events where applicants swear the oath to the United Kingdom and celebrate becoming British.

This is a unique opportunity to work in a customer-facing, service-driven environment where communication, problem-solving and MS Office skills will be essential for success.

The successful jobholder will form an essential part of the South Africa consular team and will play an active role in wider consular activity, such as processing Emergency Travel Documents, offering notarial services, occasionally providing consular assistance to British nationals, and other tasks and projects as required.

The consular team are a busy, friendly and supportive team who assist UK Nationals in line with our public guide, Support for British Nationals Abroad. This role is a great opportunity for an effective, motivated officer who wants to gain experience working with the UK government and delivering services within a busy office environment.

Roles and responsibilities:

Citizenship Services (75%)

  • Administer, organise and coordinate UK Citizenship Ceremonies taking place in four South African cities, attending monthly Ceremonies in Pretoria.
  • Respond to frequent queries and engage with applicants via email, phone and in person, providing clear guidance and managing expectations.
  • Prepare and manage ceremony documentation, issuing invitations, and tracking RSVPs.
  • Maintain organised, accurate and up-to-date information records using consular systems and Microsoft Excel.
  • Liaise with internal teams, officiants and UK government departments to ensure smooth delivery.
  • Drive continuous improvement by identifying ways to enhance the ceremony experience and streamline processes for managing the service.
  • Overall responsibility for managing and securely storing official documents and coordinating couriers for regional ceremonies. 

General Consular Support (25%)

  • Assist with Emergency Travel Documents and notarial services.
  • Shape the future of consular services by contributing to the improvement of government online products and helping publish clear, accessible information.
  • Provide limited support to British nationals in distressing situations, including hospitalisations, arrests, or bereavement.
  • Contribute to crisis response and maintain essential consular resources.
  • Collaborate with colleagues across Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK to ensure consistent service delivery.

You will be part of a supportive, friendly team that values collaboration, professionalism, and compassion. 

This role offers a chance to make an impact in people’s lives while gaining valuable experience in international public service. If you are a motivated, tech-savvy, and customer service-focused professional to join our dynamic consular team.  

For many British nationals, the only contact they will ever have with a British mission will be through our consular services. As a customer-facing member of staff, the jobholder will need to have excellent communication skills and be able to deal with customer needs in a sensitive manner and with empathy and professionalism. It is critical that the successful candidate can demonstrate the following key skills and attributes:

  • Outstanding IT skills – confident with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and other digital tools.
  • Exceptional customer service – able to handle sensitive situations with care and build positive relationships.
  • Strong communication – clear, calm, and effective in managing expectations and resolving issues.
  • Organisational excellence – skilled in office management, building systems, prioritisation and multitasking.
  • Problem-solving mindset – proactive, resourceful, and ready to find creative solutions using sound judgement.
  • Resilience under pressure – composed and dependable in challenging situations.
  • Process-driven – able to research guidance and follow procedures accurately.
  • A team player, with the ability to support colleagues and collaborate effectively with others.

  • Experience working in a British or international environment.
  • An interest or experience in assisting with crisis preparedness or crisis response.
  • Knowledge of consular services or government processes.
  • Basic data analysis or reporting skills.
  • Project coordination or event planning.
  • Experience with Salesforce or case management systems.

Changing and Improving, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
10 October 2025
Administrative Officer (AO)
Fixed Term, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
36.5 hours
24 months
Africa
South Africa
Pretoria
British High Commission
1
R 323 151,62 (Base salary is subject to tax and other statutory deductions)
yearly
1 November 2025

Learning and development opportunities: 

You’ll be joining a team that takes continuous learning and development seriously. On starting in the role, you’ll be supported to become familiar with consular policies, as well as the structures of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the British High Commission in South Africa. You will also be given the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge through a strong package of continuous professional development.   
 
Mandatory Courses: 

In your first year, you will complete an online “Consular Fundamentals Course”, as well as our “Developing Consular Expertise Course.” This training will give you the right knowlege and skills to be effective in this role.  
 
You will also be required to complete several mandatory training modules, including on safeguarding and data protection, on an annual basis.  
 
Further opportunities:

When you are settled in the role, there will be opportunities to deepen your expertise of consular work, and to develop wider skills tailored to your personal interests and development needs. Mentoring and coaching opportunities are available to all staff at the British High Commission.   

  • This position is initially for a fixed time of 2 years; however, this will be reviewed after 18 months with a view to renewing the contract.
  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Pretoria are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa.
  • It is essential that the applicants already have the right to live and work in South Africa without the need to apply for a work permit.
  • 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.   
  • Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles.
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
  • Please log into your profile on the application system on a regular basis to review the status of your application.
  • 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 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.

This opportunity is closed to applications.