UNCLASSIFIED
JOB SPECIFICATION
Job Title (and Post/Dept):
HMA Abu DHabi
Position Code:
FCO_MENA.AbuDhabi.General.SMS2.1.0
Directorate:
Middle East and North Africa Directorate
Grade:
SMS2
Start Date:
Location:
July 2018
Security clearance
level required:
Tour Length:
DV & STRAP
Contact for further info:
Overseas
Neil Crompton
Hardship Post?:
4 (S+1)
Present incumbent:
No
See: Overseas tour lengths
Philip Parham
Phone/Email address:
[email protected]
Main purpose of job:
Leadership of a 380-strong HMG team in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, drawn from 20 HMG departments/agencies, to
promote the UK’s security, prosperity and consular interests across the seven emirates of the UAE, which is: (a) a key
regional actor (and the only one with a proven expeditionary capability), accorded increasingly strategic status by the
US, Russia, China, India and our European competitors; (b) the UK’s fourth biggest export market outside Europe,
and a major source of FDI; and (c) home to over 100,000 Brits, and destination for over 1m British visitors p.a..
Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:
An effective, efficient, integrated and strongly led One HMG platform for the core FCO functions, FCO hubs
(MENA Human Resources, Regional Learning & Development Team, Arabic media, FCO Services), and 20
HMG departments/agencies.
Alignment of UAE regional policies and activity with UK interests, and closest possible UK-UAE partnership,
particularly on Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
A step change in UK-UAE law enforcement collaboration, particularly on extradition and tackling criminal and
terrorist finances.
Extraction of maximum value from the mil-mil relationship.
Improved consular collaboration.
Containment (at least) of perceived differences over Political Islam and extremism, which tend to infect and
hinder the wider relationship; and renewed collaboration in areas which have been directly affected.
Attainment of ambitious trade & investment targets (both volume and value), particularly in our High Value
Campaigns; maintenance of our lead over France and Italy in export market share, and reduction of
Germany’s lead over the UK.
UAE support in the development of new UK-GCC trade and investment arrangements post-Brexit.
Highest possible impact (regional as well as bilateral) from UK participation in Dubai Expo 2020.
Maximum continuing value from the legacy of the UK-UAE 2017 Year of Creative Collaboration.
Strong support for the Devolved Administrations.
There is a lot of Ministerial interest: e.g. 10 visits in Q1 2017.
All of this requires both strategic leadership and a significant degree of direct personal involvement by HMA – with a
strong grip on the many areas of UK interest, oversight of the teams on the ground, and impactful high level
reperesentation to the Emiratis and to London. The complexity and difficulty of UK-UAE relations also require
sensitivity, subtlety, firmness and resilience. We are the demandeurs across almost every aspect of the relationship.
Both for that reason, and because Emirati bandwidth is tightly stretched, access is often more difficult than one might
expect. All of which makes for a fascinating and very worthwhile diplomatic challenge.
The corporate challenges – with two large posts, one of the FCO’s largest country networks, an aging and increasingly
loaded estate, diverse interests of the many HMG departments/agencies, and huge LE pay pressure – also require
sensitive leadership and resilience.
HMA Abu Dhabi can exercise leadership among fellow Gulf HMAs to shape HMG engagement with the Gulf.
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
Around 380 staff (250 Abu Dhabi, 130 Dubai), of whom around 90 are UK-based (50 Abu Dhabi, 40 Dubai). Local
budget £7.3m. Various projects funded by the Gulf Strategy Integrated Activity Fund.
Key competences required for the job: (see the Civil Service Competency Framework and International
Competences)
Competence 1:
Leading and Communicating
Competence 3:
Delivering at Pace
Competence 2:
Demonstrating Resilience
Engaging Internationally
Competence 4:
Language requirements: 2. Not required – see FCONet for optional and developmental language training
Language(s): Arabic
Language level overall target for Speaker Slots (Essential):
select:
For Operational/Extensive levels, which language skills are essential?
Diplomatic Core Language Skills (Oral, Reading, Listening) select:
Writing select:
Translation select:
See the training times for language training. Speaker positions should be advertised with sufficient lead-in time - the
number of months of language training necessary to reach the standard (from beginner level) PLUS at least 9 months
(don’t forget staff often need other types of training in addition to languages).
Other skills / experience / qualifications:
Essential on arrival: Resource/Finance Management for HOMs; Crisis Leadership; knowledge/experience of trade &
investment.
Desirable: knowledge/experience of Gulf/MENA, and law enforcement.
For SMS/D7 positions, if you will be assessing a specific skill/expertise, in lieu of one of the key competences, please
state which skill/expertise:
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
The breadth of the job offers opportunities to learn about a wide range of UK interests and HMG activity. Its challenges
help the incumbent develop, in particular, Leading & Communicating, Demonstrating Resilience, Delivering at Pace
and Engaging Internationally. Specific training courses pre-posting: the standard HOM package.
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Working patterns which can be considered – for home jobs: (see the Flexible Working Toolkit)

Job share:

Divided into 2 part-time roles: Select

Working from home (1 day a week):

Working from home (2, 3 or 4 days a week):

Fully remote working (with jobholder based in the UK):
Select

Fully remote working (with jobholder based overseas):
Select

Compressed hours (5 days in 4/10 days in 9):

Flexi-time: Select

Part-time (specify minimum days per week):

Term time only:
Select
Select (A Flexible Working Application is not required for this pattern)
Select
Select
Select
Select
Hiring managers are free to accept applications from candidates with other proposals.
If the job is not suitable for flexible working patterns, please explain why:
Any further information on flexible working and/or hours of work:
Any other information:
Although Arabic is not required, it would be an advantage.
For most FCO roles, foreign policy experience, including overseas, will also be an important consideration. The FCO
Board has agreed a skills statement which sets out what skills are expected for people doing SMS jobs. This is not a
requirement or an eligibility criteria, but it is a useful reference point in understanding the level of foreign policy
capability which is expected.
Job Description approved by: Karen Pierce
Grade: SMS3
Line manager of position (if different from above):
Grade: SMS1
Neil Bush
Updated December 2016
UNCLASSIFIED
Date: 19 May 2017