View Vacancy - SRR - Corporate Services Project Manager, HR and Recruitment (EO)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Category

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Job Subcategory

Corporate Services Support, HR

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Corporate Services Project Manager, HR and Recruitment, job grade Executive Officer (EO), on a fixed-term contract of one (1) year. There is a possibility of extension of the contract depending on performance and operational requirements.

The jobholder will lead on projects for the KSA Network, manage HR support, finance, policy and compliance and lead on value added tax (VAT) returns and initiatives.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Serve as the main HR point of contact for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional HR Hub based in Abu Dhabi, ensuring that line managers and staff are aware of the process to contact the Regional HR Hub and that Regional HR Hub processes are fit for purpose locally.
• Manage the administration of contracts and personnel files held locally and assist line managers with their responsibilities within the HR processes including, but not limited to, recruitment, performance management, and employee relations issues. Ensure all contracts and HR records are kept up to date and meet legal and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) criteria.
• Issue all probation letters, employment contracts, and retirement letters in a timely manner, ensuring soft and hard copies are filed centrally.
• Lead on the annual staff survey collection, using outcomes to inform training plans.
• Co-ordinate with Accounts Manager/ Regional Pay & Benefits Team to ensure payroll records are accurate and up to date.
• Collate new starters and leaver information. If required present a brief introduction at the monthly Town Hall meeting.
• Maintain list of vacancies in the KSA Network and recommend efficiencies within team structures
• Manage and further develop the KSA Network-wide employee induction process, a monthly programme held for all new employees.
• Review and feed into policy on legal matters, liaise with the MENA Regional HR Hub on KSA labour law, and provide updates to Senior Management Team.
• Manage the annual appraisal cycle, including organising a quality control committee to ensure that the process is consistent across Posts/ Missions.
• Review the KSA Network Ts&Cs and identify any anomalies between current Ts&Cs, FCDO guidance, and local labour law. Work closely with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional HR Hub and local Honorary Legal Advisor (HLA) to ensure all proposals are in line with law. Present the proposed changes to the Senior Leadership Team for approval. Lead on presenting the proposed changes to the Country Based Staff Association (CBSA) for their review and comment. Once approval has been received, re-write the main Ts&Cs handbook along with all corresponding policies. Review and feed into policy on legal matters, liaise with the MENA Regional HR Hub on KSA labour law, and provide updates to Senior Management Team.
• Co-ordinate and manage with Accounts Manager, staff reward and benefit schemes and agree recommendations with the committee.
• Manage the medical and life insurance schemes, including procurement of contract and maintaining a relationship with the provider's account manager.
• Lead on ad-hoc projects for Corporate Services, including Locally Employed Staff Travel Assistance Scheme (LESTAS), Terms and Conditions of Service (Ts&Cs), VAT returns, and any ad-hoc projects.
• Lead on the annual review of flights for eligible Country Based Staff (CBS) under LESTAS, and update policy to reflect any changes required. Lead on the annual LESTAS Committee for agreement on policy changes, flight costs, and raise any queries raised by the committee to the Senior Leadership team for review.
• Lead on the annual VAT returns for the KSA Network (Riyadh & Jeddah), liaising with the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (ZATCA) and the wider Embassy to ensure all relevant claims are submitted within the deadline and respond to any audit queries raised by ZATCA.
• Lead on automating key systems within Corporate Services to reduce man-hours on routine tasks, e.g., monthly payslips, booking systems, and a central corporate services homepage with useful guidance/ links and a service helpdesk
• Support the L&D Committee to manage the training budget of approximately SAR 150,000.00 per annum.
• Cover additional Corporate Services duties as requested by the Head of HR, Finance, Policy and Compliance and the Deputy Director of Corporate Services.
• Line management of two (2) x Corporate Services staff members.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future, and this would be at the discretion of the Line Manager and Senior Management. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy emergency planning and any response to a crisis. The jobholder will also be required to be flexible and support other corporate functions as required.

Key behaviours required:

• Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
• Working Together - Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
• Changing and Improving - Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.
• Managing a Quality Service - Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer need.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written. Confident and strong communicator with high customer focus and able to tailor approach to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely to different audiences.
• Familiarity with Oracle-based applications for finance/ procurement/ HR.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a strong customer focus. Able to maintain a range of contacts to build effective working relationships and work well with staff and teams within the Network.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams. Accurate typing and proofreading skills.
• Excellent organisational skills. Ability to organise and prioritise workload, organise records, and meet deadlines and changing priorities whilst maintaining close attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
• Excellent problem-solving skills. Ability to anticipate and take initiative to avoid problems or fix them, and to use information and experience to solve problems effectively. Ability to understand competing priorities and make judgement calls on when to use own initiative to deal directly with issues and when to consult before taking decisions.
• Able to work independently and react calmly to situations that may arise.
• Team player, with proven ability in collaborating and supporting others to deliver results.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to develop and maintain a range of contacts to build effective working relationships.
• Demonstrates courtesy and consideration in dealing with all stakeholders. Able to show discretion in handling any sensitive matters, with the trust of all involved.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Familiarity with FCDO or UK government/ public sector processes and policies on financial/ budget management, forecasting, and payments.
• Arabic language skills.

Required behaviours

Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together

Application deadline

21 April 2026

Grade

Executive Officer (EO)

Type of Position

Full-time, Fixed Term

Working hours per week

35

Duration of Post

12 months

Region

Middle East & North Africa

Country/Territory

Saudi Arabia

Location (City)

Riyadh

Type of Post

British Embassy

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

SAR

Salary

12,656.00

Type of Salary

monthly

Start Date

5 July 2026

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Eligibility:

• The British Embassy provides visa sponsorship. The British Embassy will be able to employ you on the condition that we are able to obtain the required residence and work permit in Saudi.
• If you already have the right to work and reside in Saudi (iqama), you will be required to transfer your visa under the Embassy's sponsorship.

Working hours and remuneration:

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role.

Monthly salary details:

• Base Salary - SAR 9,725.00
• Housing Allowance - SAR 2,431.00 (subject to eligibility) *
• Travel Allowance - SAR 500.00 (subject to eligibility) *
• Total - SAR 12,656.00

*Allowances are not payable to staff who receive official provision for such expenditure in some other form. Spouses/ Dependants of UKBS officers working at the Embassy are not eligible to Housing or Travel Allowance.

No accommodation nor relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

This position is for a fixed term contract for one (1) year, with possibility of extension depending on performance and operational requirements. The British Embassy Riyadh employs Country Based Staff in line with Saudi Labour Law.

This position is full-time, based on 35 hours per week. Normal working hours for the Embassy are from 08:00 to 15:00 from Sunday to Thursday, with core working hours from 10:00-15:00. Core working hours is the period of the day that employees are required to be at work. The working day outside of the core hours is a flexible period, which allows employees to choose when they work, subject to operational needs.

The jobholder will be required to be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out of hours (evening/ weekend) during visits and events. Flexible working arrangements may be considered based on operational requirements and agreement with the line manager, and in line with FCDO and Embassy policies.

The successful candidate will be subject to a 90-day probationary period.

The successful candidate will be required to transfer their iqama under the Embassy's sponsorship.

Additional information

How to apply:

Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

Interested candidates must include to their online application form 1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV); 2) motivation essay, in the relevant sections of the online application form, stating how you meet the requirements of the role; and 3) specific examples, in the relevant sections of the online application form, of how you meet the key behaviours and skills required.

Applications that do not include this information will not be considered.

The closing date for applications is at 23:55 KSA local time on 21 April 2026.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Internal candidates (i.e., those who are currently employed by the British Embassy Riyadh/ British Consulate General Jeddah) applying for this position should consider informing their current line manager upon submission of their application.

Process:

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around 2-3 months. The security clearance process includes checks available in country and in the UK, dependant on the security level required for the role and the candidate's profile and UK footprint. You may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign, and we are working hard to minimise any disruption.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful at interview may be placed on a 'reserve list'. If during the reserve period of six (6) months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

The start date mentioned in the advert is tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances and reference checks.

The FCDO operates an agile approach to delivery. To facilitate an agile workforce, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require. The British Embassy is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy is subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Saudi Arabia employment law.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.