Career Opportunities at British High Commission

Main purpose of job:

The Deputy Estates Manager will join the BHC Joint Corporate Services Team providing administrative and financial support to the Estates Team. The duties will include processing supplier payments and account reconciliation for a budget worth 30% of the overall post budget allocation covering rent, utilities, furniture and supplies.  They will be the point of contact for suppliers in the preparation of properties for new arrivals ensuring service is rendered to agreed standard. They will support the Estates Manager in procurement of goods and services for the team achieving Value for Money. They will contract manage the stationery and kitchen equipment repairs contracts. They will line manage the Estates Officer ensuring inventory records, and property files are up to date.

Roles and responsibilities:

Finance:

• Work in conjunction with the Estates Managers to forecast and profile spends on budget lines, monitor expenditure and ensure compliance with procurement audit procedures with focus on Utilities and Stationery forecasts.
• Ensure timely reconciliations, receipts and payment for supplier purchases
• Conduct quarterly supplier statement reconciliation addressing any outstanding amounts on supplier statement within the quarter
• Maintain and update all supplier purchase orders, distribution sets and uploaders in compliance with set charging instructions
• Lead the Estates team on Financial Performance and Compliance Indicator (FPCI) score compliance addressing any Invoices on hold, Open Purchase Orders and GRNIs within allowable time frames

Customer Service:

• Respond to general inquiries raised for the Estates Team through the Estates Enquiries Mailbox

 Procurement:

• Conduct receipting of goods and services in PRISM and processing of invoices. 
• Contract Manage the Stationery and Kitchen Equipment Repairs contracts. Hold quarterly KPI meetings, maintain SRO functions with the suppliers for all requests and follow up ensuring the BHC Nairobi gets VFM from their goods and services
• Work with the soft furnishings supplier to coordinate for any repairs required in properties
• Conduct market survey’s identifying new suppliers in the market that the BHC may wish to invite for bidding of good or services supplied to the BHC.

Collaboration with Technical Works Group (TWG)

• They will ensure all works across the Estate are well coordinated with the Deputy Estates Manager – Technical Works.  Ensuring customers are kept informed of works, schedules are set and adhered to and help provide solutions where issues arise.

Member of the Crisis Response Team

• Active member of the Logistics Manager Rota for Crisis Response ensuring all supplies, crisis room set up and field deployment needs are met through the Logistics team. 
• This duty is on an as need basis.

Deputy Secretary to the Post Housing Committee

• In the absence of the Estates Manager the Deputy Estates Manager will act as Secretary to the Post Housing Committee, taking minutes, sharing updates on new arrivals needing housing allocation, updating on housing availability and advising on policies the PHC needs to follow.

Line Management

• The Deputy Estates Manager will line manager 2 x A1L and 1 x A2L members of the Estates Team.  They will ensure the Furnishings team is operating to full capability and delivering against their objectives.
• They will also line mange the Estates Officer (A2) ensuring inventories, purchase orders and deliveries are on time and up to date.
• They will also line manager the A1L Gitanga Transition Support Officer, ensuring officers in the new building are suitably supported in the initial stages of occupancy and also ensure that all pending works are completed in line with post policies.

Resources managed :

1 A2 Estates Officer

1 A1 Gitanga Transition Support Officer

1 A1 Furnishings Supervisor

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Finance Experience
• Customer Service Experience

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Line Management Experience

Required competencies  

Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace

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Main purpose of job:

The UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN) is the British Government’s organisation for international science diplomacy. It is jointly funded by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy  (BEIS). SIN has 80+ staff based in 40 different locations in 28 countries and territories worldwide.

The United Kingdom and Kenya have a strong relationship collaborating on Science, Technology and Innovation. This role is critical for developing and maintaining strong connections with a range of stakeholders in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors across Kenya and the East Africa region. Working as a member of the High Commission’s wider science and technology teams, including the Research and Evidence regional hub, the tech hub and digital access programme team, you will identify how the UK’s capabilities as a world leading science nation can partner Kenya’s vision for developing Science, Technology and Innovation as well as recognising opportunities to strengthen commercial links between the two-countries.

Roles and responsibilities:

Responsible for forging and developing bilateral science and innovation collaboration between the UK and Kenya, with a regional watching brief over East Africa. To promote collaboration, diplomacy, people to people links and inform UK policy development in science and innovation. You will:

•  Develop high quality and sustainable UK/Kenya science and innovation partnerships that focus on UK and Kenyan priorities, including developing and maintaining a network of senior level contacts across the UK and Kenya research landscape;
• Act as country lead on delivering UK Government science and innovation strategy in specific sectors, briefing and reporting for Kenya.
• Develop and expand the UK relationship with Kenyan research, innovation and funding bodies;
• Work closely with the Research and Evidence regional research hub leveraging and amplifying the UK’s research investment and partnership, , promoting evidence based policy making and the development of Kenya’s research landscape and partnerships.
• Encourage join up across all UK Government organisations in Kenya, including on wider tech and cyber priorities, and to deliver wider UK prosperity objectives, including higher education linkages. Spot and work with Department for International Trade to match opportunities to UK firms
• Provide support to senior UK Government officials and the UK research base regarding the Kenya science and innovation environment; supporting VIP visits;
• Identify opportunities, develop and manage bilateral projects (these might be regional in nature) in order to increase collaboration opportunities for the UK science base;
• Support efforts to promote visibility and HMG coherence on science technology and innovation. This includes the UK-Kenya High-Level Oversight Board on Science, Technology and Innovation and other platforms.

Resources managed:

You may be required to manage small projects, these are unlikely to have a budget of more than £50,000.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• MA degree in a scientific/technological discipline or significant (5 years) work experience in a science/innovation role
• Project management experience.
• Be able to work quickly and reliably with attention to detail and with limited supervision;
• Excellent written and spoken English;
• Strong IT computer skills including MS Word and Excel;
• Good presentation, interpersonal and representational skills;
• The ability to initiate and maintain a wide range of working relationships;
• Strong organisational skills and project management experience
• The ability to deliver results under pressure

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Policy development
• Experience of working with Kenyan scientific research organisations and/or an understanding of research funding in Kenya;
• An understanding of the UK science and innovation landscape;
• Experience of working with UK research organisations.