Position: Official Driver
Salary: Around £33,000 per annum + Paid Overtime / Other Benefits
Schedule: Full Time (35 Hours per week)
9:30am - 5:30pm, Monday to Friday (Lunch: 1:00-2:00pm)
Work during evenings, weekends and holidays may be required
Contract Type: Fixed term contract
Contract length: 18 months, with a possibility of extension
Probation period: 3-months, with a possibility of extension
Location: Edinburgh, UK
Requirements: Legal right to work in the UK; Criminal record check; Driving licence
The Opportunity
The Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh is seeking to recruit a reliable and skilled local employee to join our team to work as an Official Driver. This is an exciting job for someone interested in Japanese culture to gain new experience while supporting the diplomatic activities at the Consulate. The candidate will be required to manage two types of duties. As an Official Driver, the person will be responsible for providing official transport to Consulate staff, VIPs and other guests. When you are not required to drive official vehicle or conduct other vehicle related duties, the person will support the Administration Manager with various office-based tasks. We are seeking to recruit an individual who is hardworking, discreet and who is also a team-player that takes pride in their work. This is a full-time fixed-term position for 18 months, with the possibility of extension, subject to a probationary period and will start as soon as possible.
Main duties and responsibilities
Official Driver – Duties and Responsibilities
You will drive an official vehicle safely and efficiently for official passengers, in line with UK laws and regulations. The following list is not exhaustive but your main duties as an Official Driver will include:
- Transport Consulate staff and visitors in a safe, courteous and timely manner
- Conduct pre-trip inspections to ensure the vehicle is in good working condition
- Undertake prior checks of destinations and ensure routes to and from the locations are safe and accessible
- Ensure that passengers are properly seated, seatbelts worn and luggage properly secured before departure
- Keep vehicle clean, safe, and serviceable in your care
- Maintain daily driver journey logs accurately and in a timely manner, including records of mileage and refuelling
- Report any defects or issues of the vehicle immediately to line management and if required, suggest possible solutions and arrange repair following correct procedures
- Assist with loading and unloading of luggage where required
- Adhere to all health and safety regulations while on the road while maintaining defensive driving in all circumstances
- Communicate effectively with colleagues and guests, ensuring the confidentiality of passengers’ information (e.g. conversation in the vehicle)
- Assist with work relating to MOT, DVLA registrations and vehicle insurance
- Any other vehicle-related duties as instructed by line management
Assistant to Administration Section – Duties and Responsibilities
You will support the work of the Administration Manager when you are not required to drive official vehicle or conduct other vehicle-related duties. The following list is not exhaustive but your main duties as an Assistant to Administration Section will include:
- Act as a Messenger and collect, post and deliver official mail (letters and parcels) in a careful manner
- Depending on your qualification and experience, any other duties to assist the work of the Administration Officer
We wish to work together to determine the scope of work which suits your abilities. Your ability to undertake further responsibilities will be a determinative factor in additional benefits you may receive.
Other duties
You will be asked to do ad-hoc tasks for the Consulate, such as preparation for a crisis and supporting official events
Requirements
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate the following key skills or experience:
- Clean UK driving licence and clean criminal record
- Fluency in English
- Good knowledge of UK traffic regulations
- A strong commitment to safety and adherence to traffic laws
- No vehicle-related accident in the past 5 years
- Knowledge to perform basic vehicle maintenance and troubleshooting
- Basic IT skills, including ability to type efficiently using PC keyboard
- Familiarity with MS Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook
- Strong interpersonal and oral communication skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Good customer service skills
- Ability to work within a team and independently
- Willing to take on new responsibilities as necessary
- Ability to work under pressure and to operate flexibly in respect of working hours or duties. Position will require out of hours work in evenings, at weekends and during holidays (overtime pay will be offered).
The following experience or skills are desirable, but not essential:
- At least three years’ experience of working as a professional driver
- Able to conduct high quality Chauffeur service
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural team environment
- Good knowledge of airports and parking in Scotland and North of England
- Understanding written and spoken simple Japanese is an advantage
Competences and Aptitude
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate that they meet the following competences at interview.
Competence 1: Providing High Quality Service
- Strive to provide high quality service to customers while keeping efficiency and time management in mind
- Act in a manner that prevents problems and report any issues in a timely manner
- Take initiative in learning new information related to the job
Competence 2: Collaborating with Others
- As well as carrying out routine tasks, actively collaborate and contribute to work carried out by other people to improve the quality of work as a whole
- Respect other people’s viewpoints, opinions and ways of thinking and do not impose your own ideas on others
Competence 3: Developing Capability
- Value “learning” and seek ways to improve your own abilities, while seeking input from colleagues and supervisors
- When making mistakes or other people point out areas for improvement, view them constructively and use it as opportunity for further growth
Competence 4: Changes & Improvement
- In emergency situations where daily work priorities need to be adjusted, adopt a positive “can-do” attitude and strive to achieve effective results
- Take the initiative to consult with colleagues on areas for improvement and respond and adapt positively to changes in the work environment, so as to grow as a team and as an individual
Competence 5: Communication
- Participate in team meetings and respond to emails and phone calls in a respectful manner, using appropriate language and treating everyone fairly
- Take the initiative to share useful information with other colleagues and ask open-ended questions to gain others' perspectives
Competence 6: Delivering Work
- Using own expertise, experience and knowledge, perform your work to the high standard by set deadlines
- Take initiative and encourage problem solving while working in step with other colleagues. Avoid waiting for instructions from colleagues or supervisors, or delegating tasks to colleagues.
- Take responsibility for your own work and report progress to your peers and supervisor.
To Apply
Interested candidates should submit their CV (as detailed as possible) with a covering letter to explain how they are able to meet the requirements for this position, along with their current salary. A daytime telephone number and email address is also required.
CV and covering letter should be emailed to [email protected]
Closing Date: once the position has been fulfilled
NOTES
All applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK in accordance with Immigration Act. All applicants must state that this right is obtained through citizenship, permanent residency or work permit in their application. Applicants who do not provide this information in their application will not be considered for employment. Short-listed applicants will be asked to provide, prior to interview, documentation to certify their legal right to work in the UK.
- If succeed at the interview, you will be required to submit Disclosure Scotland.
- The local employee shall serve a probation period of three months immediately after the start date of employment.
- It is the Consulate’s policy not to give any kind of interview feedback.
Job Type: Full-time
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
- Overtime
Work Location: In person
