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%)
General Consular Support (25%)
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:
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 opportunity is closed to applications.