Main purpose of job:
The Administrative Associate Intern will provide Executive Assistant support to the Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) in the British Embassy Lima and administrative support to the Corporate Services Team (CST) finance objectives.
A core part of the job is coordination and running logistics for the Deputy Head of Mission, from meeting coordination to personal transport. That means there is administrative work – but done well it’s about prioritisation and communication, including with external and internal stakeholders at a high level. This is about understanding our strategy and helping deliver it through organising, prioritising and challenging as an assistant to the DHM. The successful applicant will also provide important support to the finance objectives of the Corporate Services Team, including financial management and accounts administration. This is a fascinating role and provides an excellent opportunity to gain experience working for a major diplomatic mission in Peru.
Roles and responsibilities:
With the support of your line manager, you will be expected to carry out the following tasks:
Executive Assistant:
- Lead the diary and transport management for the Deputy Head of Mission (DHM), from meeting scheduling and daily logistics, to planning longer-term engagement with a range of different stakeholders across the Embassy’s portfolio.
- Provide a secretariat function and communication support for specific cross-embassy committees and initiatives, including the Crisis Committee and corporate messaging.
- Support the Chief of Staff’s office on event management on a wide variety of embassy priorities.
Financial administration (with oversight from Finance Manager):
- Provide administrative support on financial management, including on accounts, payslips, and other pay-related tasks of the Embassy.
- Receive and process invoices and verify financial data for use in maintaining records in a timely manner.
- Monitor and report in support of the HR & Finance Manager.
- Digitalise paper records and file documents, recording in Excel.
As the candidate settles into the job, we also expect to offer opportunities to develop internal communications products for the Embassy, as well as support in critical work such as diversity and inclusion strategies and implementation.
We expect applicants to have a positive attitude and to be eager to learn and share your skills with the team. You will bring a different voice and perspective to our team: that is valuable to us and we expect you to be confident in expressing your ideas. You will have access to the full range of learning and development opportunities available to Embassy staff.
The internship is being offered on a hybrid working basis, combining remote and office work. You will need to have access to a laptop (provided by the Embassy) and an internet connection. We encourage applications from students based outside of Lima who have an interest in entering an embassy working environment.
- Be a current or recently graduated student (within the past two years) studying Executive/Business Administration, Accountancy, and/or similar.
- Excellent organisational and administration skills, with strong attention to detail.
- In-depth knowledge and practical skills in office management software, including MS Office and in particular MS Excel.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience collaborating and partnering with others.
- Fluency in English and Spanish. Excellent writing skills with the ability to communicate with senior stakeholders in English.
- Excellent time management and planning skills.
- Right to live and work in Peru from time of application.
- Experience of delivering in a fast-paced environment and managing competing demands.
- Skills in accountancy and financial management.
Learning and development opportunities:
Interns will receive training according to their role, including online courses and training from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Candidates must be eligible to live and work in Peru in their own right.
The successful candidate will be subject to a security clearance and professional reference checks.
Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, e.g. some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.
If during the reserve period of 6-12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.
Working patterns:
This role is 30 hours per week, Monday – Friday. The Embassy generally has core working hours from 10am to 4pm. You will agree your exact working pattern with your manager if you are successful. Please note that while this is a hybrid position, candidates will be expected to attend the office in-person regularly.
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