About the job

Job summary

As DG Indo-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, you will be responsible for the UK’s Middle East and Indo-Pacific strategies (including relationships with China, India and Japan). You will be responsible for setting and delivering the FCDO’s diplomatic and development objectives for the regions, as well as leading the Middle East, North Africa and Indo-Pacific network (70+ posts overseas) and the FCDO’s work on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This role ensures effective cross Government strategies are in place to deliver the Government’s objectives in these geographies. You will embed a culture that values inclusive collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, transparency, development of expertise and a drive to deliver the impact desired.

The Indo-Pacific region includes two of the world’s most increasingly influential geopolitical players: China and India. You will lead across His Majesty’s Government (HMG) on the Indo-Pacific strategy and play a leading role delivering the UK’s approach to China. The vision for the Middle East and North Africa, is guided by a strategic cross HMG approach that provides a framework for coherent, aligned delivery of HMG’s long-term interests in the region, through economic opportunity, shared security and defence and regional resilience. You will also have oversight of the UK’s complex and sensitive work on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Job description

Please refer to the Candidate Pack.

Person specification

Please refer to the Candidate Pack.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £127,000, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £34,290 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

For details on how to apply, please see the attached candidate pack.

Civil Service recruitment processes at Director General level are regulated by the Civil Service Commission, and we follow clear guidelines to ensure that our recruitment is fair and open. We also design our recruitment processes to reflect our values-based approach to HR (using staff engagement panels, for example) and to ensure that shortlisted candidates have the opportunity to meet key stakeholders for the role, before they join us.

We expect the process for this role to be as follows:

• The closing date for applications will be 23:55 on Monday 18 March 2024.
• A shortlist of the applications will take place week commencing 25 March.
• Between 1 and 15 April, shortlisted candidates will then:
• Participate in a staff engagement panel with a selection of people from across the FCDO;
• Undergo an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) with our partners at Gatenby Sanderson; and
• Meet with key stakeholders, potentially including a senior Minister or leader from the FCDO.
• Inputs from all those steps will then form the basis of a panel interview, chaired by Lea Paterson from the Civil Service Commission in w/c 19 April.
• At the start of the panel interview candidates will be required to present for five minutes without notes. The topic of this will be confirmed at shortlist.

Other panel members at the interview will include, but may not be limited, to Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO; Beverley Tew, FCDO and one other panel member to be confirmed.

Full details will be provided to shortlisted candidates and recognising that there are a number of steps in the process, we will do our best to arrange the sessions in a way that works for you. We hope that this process will be conducted in face-to-face sessions, but if you need any adjustments do let us know.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.