The European Union Delegation to Thailand is looking for: Secretary in the Political, Press and Information Section

We are

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organisations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy.

The EU Delegation to Thailand works in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the Thai government in areas that are part of the EU’s remit.

We offer

The post of Secretary (Local Agent Group 3) in the Delegation’s Political, Press and Information Section. The team consists of 5 people and there are occasional atypical working hours.

Under this post, the recruited person will be attributed functions depending on the needs of the Delegation, and on the changes of these needs. The successful candidate will serve under the supervision and responsibility of the Head of Political, Press and Information Section, providing support, expertise and assistance to the Section.

Functions and duties:

• To be a resource and support person for the Political, Press and Information Section at the Delegation;
• Overall organisational and administrative assistance in the Section;
• Draft letters, Notes Verbales, and other official correspondence;
• Provide effective clerical support to the Section, including working with the various computerized data processing and management tools;
• Handle the correspondence of the Head of Section and of the Section, notably through the relevant IT application (ARES);
• Arrange and coordinate appointments and the diary of the Head of Section, liaising with colleagues and contacts, including logistics;
• Facilitate contacts with Thai ministries; international organisations, EU Member States Embassies and other diplomatic missions, including maintaining contacts database;
• Organise incoming visits to Thailand from the European Institutions (including programme, protocol and logistics);
• Arrange missions for the Section’s members (including mission programmes and encoding in MIPS IT tools);
• Handle the logistical support to the organization of meetings/events/missions under the Section’s responsibility;
• Act as the primary point of contact for guests, responding to inquiries and ensuring that guests have all the necessary details for Section’s events;
• Coordinate the RSVP process for Sections’ events, meetings and seminars, including sending invitations and tracking responses;
• Assist in seating arrangements and other logistics to accommodate diplomatic protocol and event objectives;
• Assist with public outreach activity’s guest registration and logistics coordination with internal and external stakeholders;
• Perform other ad-hoc tasks as and when required;
• Flexibility in the working hours is expected.

The base salary will depend on relevant and verified employment experience, typically starting from a minimum of 66,903 Baht per month. There is a competitive benefits package, subject to certain conditions, including a 13^th month salary, provident fund, transportation allowance, child allowance, 20 days of annual leave, and public holidays, as well as health insurance (The salary is subject to local taxes).

Minimum requirements / eligibility criteria (necessary for the application to be considered)

• Must hold a higher education degree and/or secretarial qualifications;
• Minimum of three (3) years of secretarial/office experience in an international organisation or in another relevant position;
• Fluency in written and spoken Thai;
• Very good command of English (written and spoken);
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (ability to work both independently and as a team member in a multicultural environment and communicate well both internally and externally);
• Sound political judgement, quick grasp of delicate and complex matters, and understanding of protocol and tone needed in a diplomatic working environment;
• Capability of handling politically sensitive issues in a responsible and discrete manner, ensuring confidentiality as appropriate; uncontested personal integrity and reliability is required;
• Ability to understand the workflow of the Section, focus on priorities, have a sense of initiative and responsibility; and organise work to deliver high-quality products on time/under tight deadlines with attention to details/accuracy and minimum supervision.
• Computer literacy (commonly used programs such as Microsoft Office and web browsers).

Assets / selection criteria (basis for awarding points to select the best applicant)  

• Work history (or network of connections or similar) with external stakeholders, relevant to the Section;
• Experience in translating from Thai-English and vice-versa;
• Knowledge of the workings of European institutions and/or working in an diplomatic mission/international organization;
• Social media skills.