Consular Officer, Consular Team

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

As part of the Americas Consular Network, the Consular team at the British Embassy in Colombia, provides support to British nationals, and other entitled nationals, who travel to, or reside in, Colombia.

The Consular Officer will be expected to deliver a high quality consular service to British nationals in Colombia and to provide effective support to ensure the smooth running of the Consular Section according to best practice and internal guidelines.

The Consular Officer is the first point of contact for consular customers, and will be expected to deliver professional and efficient consular services to all customers. This includes issuing Emergency Travel Documents and some notary services required by the Colombian authorities (namely affirmations for marriage), as well as working on assistance cases. These include, but are not limited to, supporting the most vulnerable British nationals who may have been the victim of crime (including those who may have been raped or sexually assaulted); hospitalized; have been arrested or detained in Colombia; or require additional support due to mental health needs. The main purpose of the role is to ensure delivery of professional and high quality services in line with FCO guidance.

The Consular Officer will work very closely with the Vice Consul & Head of Consular Section, with the Consular Regional Operations Manager and with senior management staff. The role involves extensive interaction with the public, with local, regional and UK authorities, with colleagues across the consular network in Colombia, the Americas and London, and with external stakeholders such as Fiscalía General de la Nación, Migración Colombia, INPEC, ICBF, among others. The Consular Officer will also provide support and guidance to a number of voluntary Honorary Consuls and Consular Agents across Colombia.

**Roles and Responsibilities**:
**Consular Assistance**:

- Providing consular assistance to British & other entitled nationals within current guidelines this could include:

- Visiting British nationals in hospital or in jail.
- Providing support to family members following bereavement, dealing with funeral directors and Legal Medical Service.
- Providing advice and assistance following a rape or sexual assault or any victims of crime.
- Providing support to families on child abduction cases or custody matters.
- Supporting customers with mental health needs.

**Professional Services**:

- Maintain up-to-date and detailed case notes on the case management system. Ensure that Consular Business Targets (CBT’s) for all cases are met.
- Maintain close links with local authorities including, but not limited to, law enforcement, correctional facilities, hospitals, morgues and mental health facilities. In consultation with the Vice Consul, undertake outreach visits to different areas of Colombia to build and maintain contact network.
- Keep the Vice Consul informed of developments in cases. Informing the CROM/CRD of high profile/complex cases.
- Exceptionally, participate in call out arrangements for emergency cases out of hours when our Global Response Centre in London requests local support.
- Take ownership of the public counter, arranging and confirming appointments, answering enquiries, and act as the initial point of contact with Consular Contact Centres in Ottawa and Malaga.
- Respond to customers written and face-to-face enquiries. Arranging appointments and managing the electronic appointments calendar.
- Arrange notarial/documentary service sessions and British Citizenship ceremonies
- Ensure the public facing areas are maintained and updated in line with consular guidance.
- Issue/Print Emergency Travel Documents (ETD) according to the internal guidance and support the ETD remote interview processes.
- Undertake the reconciliation of fees in line with Embassy and Consular guidance.
- Perform other duties as assigned.

**Consular Prevention**:

- Assist the Vice Consul & Head of Consular Section in the delivery of the prevention programme in Colombia.
- Advise and inform internal and external stakeholders on our wider consular priorities.
- Manage and keep up-to-date the consular database of contacts in Colombia, as well as identifying new contacts and stakeholders.
- Contribute to the team’s prevention objectives to ensure we are providing targeted and accurate information to British nationals to prevent them for getting into difficulties, where this is possible.

**Consular Crisis**:

- Work with the Head of Section on the consular elements of Post’s Consular Management Plan, to ensure effective preparation, response and recovery in the event of a crisis.
- Assist Vice Consul in up-dating Crisis Management Plan (CMP) with accurate staff details, up-to-date service providers.

**Regional Responsibilities**:

- The Consular team in Colombia is part of the Americas Consular Network; as such there is the opportunity to provide region