Job Posting – Public Diplomacy Officer & Translator (DEU23.494) – Berlin

The British Embassy in Berlin is a large overseas mission in the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) network. Over 100 colleagues from all walks of life work together to promote the UK and build our connections with Germany.

We are looking for a new Public Diplomacy Officer & Translator whose primary role will be to strengthen ties between the people of the UK and Germany by supporting our bilateral institutions and by designing and implementing public diplomacy events. These events might be film screenings, cultural exchanges, roundtable discussions or anything else – it’ll be up to you to pitch your ideas and see them through.

Alongside your core role, you will work with the other Public Diplomacy Officer & Translator to provide the Germany Network with a high quality translation service, rendering English texts into German. You will also provide support to our incredible Communications Team, helping them to draft social media copy, video scripts and press releases.

Roles and responsibilities:

You’ll be joining the Bilateral & Internal Politics Team, a small and flexible team of seven. You will work closely with, and get plenty of support from, the Deputy Head of the Team (your line manager) and the Head of Team.

Our Team’s main priorities are to:

• Demonstrate British values and share our cultural, sporting and artistic heritage with the people of Germany and decision makers in German government.
• Help bilateral institutions such as UK-German Connection, the British Council, Town-Twinning Arrangements and others to be successful and impactful.
• Celebrate and promote the connections between the UK and Germany by developing initiatives that bring ordinary citizens and our wider societies together.

In this role, you will contribute by taking on the following;

Public Diplomacy

• Take the lead on one of our team’s Public Diplomacy Themes such as Sport, Education, Music, Film, Youth, Commemoration or Diversity & Inclusion. You’ll be the Embassy’s go-to person on one of these core areas, supporting cross-Embassy projects with your expertise and leading on delivering projects in this area.
• Implement public outreach projects and events that promote the UK to our key audiences. You’ll identify target groups and stakeholders, and then design ways for the Embassy to reach them. You’ll need to be creative to cut through the noise but also have a good eye for detail as you bring your idea to life.
• Support our Bilateral Partners. You’ll maintain a relationship with the British Council, UK-German Connection, Deutsche-Britische Gesellschaft and many more of our Bilateral Partners. You’ll help them to deliver their work by providing advice and support, arranging funding or by helping them get access to the Ambassador’s time.
• Bring your special skills. An embassy needs diplomats. It also sometimes needs photographers or videographers. Sometimes it needs musicians, DJs, video gamers, cricket experts, scientists, Game of Thrones fans and people with an excellent eye for interior design. In Bilateral and Internal Politics, we are building a diverse team where each member brings their own unique skills and passion to the role. We would love to hear from candidates who feel that they have a talent or interest that can be put to good use by the British Embassy Berlin.

Translation & Communications Support

• Provide a quick, high quality translation service on a range of technical and non-technical texts. You’ll work with the Embassy’s other Public Diplomacy Officer & Translator to manage incoming requests and share the work between you, which will be limited to translating English texts into German. A translation degree or prior experience is not mandatory, but we will check how quickly and accurately you can translate as part of the interview process.
• Multiply the impact of our work by producing high quality communications content. You’ll support the communications team by drafting ad-hoc welcome addresses, social media copy and press releases related to the UK-German relationship. You’ll also design communications plans for your own events, taking into account your target audience, budget and available channels.

Other opportunities

• Members of our Embassy also train for a crisis role; when major events happen, you might find yourself supporting British Nationals who are in trouble, writing emergency press releases or supporting our coordination with the German Government. You’ll get training on how this system works and be able to elect your preferred area of focus.
• You’ll also be encouraged to take on a role that supports our community within the Embassy. You might join our Diversity network, take on a fire-safety position, or organise social events. You’ll be able to see what is available and volunteer for whatever looks most interesting to you.
• Further opportunities present themselves all the time at the Embassy. If a project looks interesting to you, you can always ask your Line Manager to be a part of it. Similarly, you may find that you are asked to take on work outside your usual area, so long as it is reasonably required and in accordance with the grading and core competencies of your role.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Proficiency in English and German (written and spoken, minimum of C2 level for CEFR framework);
• Previous professional experience in event and/or project management;
  Strong communication and organisational skills;
• Excellent time management and prioritisation skills;
• Strong customer focus and attention to detail;
• Ability to work effectively in a team;
• Ability to respond flexibly to competing demands.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Experience working with UK business, government or institutions;
• Experience working in communications, including producing content for social media;
• An interest in the UK-Germany relationship;
• University qualification as a translator from English into German or professional experience in English to German translation.