Director Corporate Services Full-time Job

Duties And Responsibilities

Leadership and Management: Oversee the work of a diverse, multi-skilled Corporate Services Team spread across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, comprising Finance, HR, Government Relations, Estates, and IT provision, amongst other roles. Inspire, lead, and develop team members, creating an inclusive environment which values difference, supports staff, challenges poor behaviours, and resolves conflict. Serve as the focal point for senior interaction on platform issues, including through managing the relationship with the many diverse departments on our platform.

Change Management: Prepare the network for the departure (by 2027) of the majority of UK Visas and Immigration staff from post, mitigating the impact on the network and ensuring the Corporate Services Team is best placed to deliver in the face of a tightening financial situation. Actively seek opportunities for efficiencies, innovation, and improvement across the range of Corporate Services activity, and compassionately manage the reduction in support staff necessitated by the departure of UKVI.

Finance and Procurement: Provide oversight of the UK in UAE Network budget (c. £8.5m), ensuring spending delivers value for money and adheres to FCDO policies and procedures. Ensure spending remains targeted at supporting post activity, and that forecasting and budgeting are completed (with the Regional Finance and Procurement Hub in Manila) in a timely and effective manner. Ensure that contracts and procurement are undertaken in compliance with best practice and corporate policies and contribute to our business objectives.

Estate Management: Oversee the Network’s estate portfolio, including the embassy sites themselves, and our range of leased properties across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Ensure our estate meets Health and Safety, financial and security standards. Oversee major work to improve the condition of the estate in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Be visible across the estate and ensuring teams uphold high levels of service delivery.

Human Resources: Oversee network Human Resources activity, including workforce planning, casework for complex cases, and ensure adherence to FCDO policy and local labour practices. Work with the FCDO’s regional HR Hub (co-located in Abu Dhabi), and oversee the work of our Government Relations Team, ensuring we remain compliant with host government requirements.

Crisis and Community: Ensure the Corporate Services Team, and wider members of the network community, are prepared for potential crises, including playing a personal role in any post crisis response. Be a leading voice in the Network community, actively contributing to making the network a better place to work and leading on efforts to respond to our annual People Survey.

Other Tasks. Undertake other tasks as required for the good operation of the network and delivery of our objectives.

We support international investment into the UK and UK businesses to grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.