LE3 Research Assistant & Engagement Officer

AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY CHINA

 

Agency	Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Location	Australian Embassy, Beijing
Position Number	BJ1-022
Position Title	Research Assistant and Engagement Officer
Classification	LE3
Section	Research and Visits Unit
Reports to (title)	Research and Visits Unit Supervisor
Status	Ongoing, Full-time
Gross Annual Salary	RMB 132,615 (plus loading if applicable)

 

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) section of the Australian Embassy China is seeking applications for the locally engaged staff position of Research Assistant and Engagement Officer.

About the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

The role of DFAT is to advance the interests of Australia and Australians internationally.  This involves strengthening Australia’s security, enhancing Australia’s prosperity, delivering an effective and high quality overseas aid program and helping Australian travellers and Australians overseas.

DFAT provides foreign, trade and development policy advice to the Australian Government.  DFAT also works with other Australian Government agencies to drive coordination of Australia’s pursuit of global, regional and bilateral interests.

The Australian Government is also represented by Consulates-General in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang and Hong Kong, and has Austrade offices in Wuhan and Shenzhen.  Please visit DFAT’s official website https://www.dfat.gov.au/ for further information

About the position

The Research Assistant and Engagement Officer contributes to policy-making and reporting at the Australian Embassy in Beijing by providing research support related to Chinese Government political and economic policies and priorities, and Australia’s interests in China. The position requires liaison with key embassy stakeholders, including other foreign missions, non-governmental organisations, and research bodies. The position provides logistical support for visiting ministerial and official delegations from Australia. Occasional interpreting and translation is required.

The key responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Work closely and cooperatively with team members to provide targeted research and analysis support on political and economic topics of interest to the Australian Government.
• Develop and maintain a broad understanding of key Chinese government political, economic and foreign policy priorities, and Australia’s interests in China.
• Develop and maintain meaningful stakeholder relationships to secure calls on key Chinese government and academic interlocutors.
• Provide advice to embassy officials on the best sources of official information and analysis on Chinese Government policies and priorities.
• Provide technical and logistical support for the embassy’s provincial outreach program and visiting Australian delegations to China.
• Provide occasional formal and informal interpretation and translation support to embassy officials and visiting Australian Government officials.
• As required, prepare briefings and assist with visitor programs and other projects.
• Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications/Experience

• Relevant tertiary qualifications and professional experience communicating effectively (orally and written) in English and Mandarin Chinese.
• Experience providing research assistance and producing logical and succinct reports on issues relating to China’s economic, foreign and trade policies.
• Experience working in an international environment and a sound understanding of China’s political, trade and economic environment and Australia’s interests in China.
• Ability to provide effective liaison, visit and event support by demonstrating requisite skills in stakeholder management, time management, prioritisation of tasks, attention to detail and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to translate from Chinese to English and English to Chinese official embassy documents, media reports and diplomatic correspondence. Interpretation support may be required on some occasions.
• High degree of computer literacy in Microsoft software, particularly Word, Excel and Access and experience using these tools to provide written reports, media summaries or correspondence

Additional information

• The successful applicant is required to complete relevant pre-employment procedures before commencement.

  Applications are invited from both Chinese and Australian nationals.  Australian national employees receive a salary loading in lieu of local benefits they are not eligible to receive.

What the Australian Embassy offers:

• A diverse and inclusive workplace and attractive remuneration package
• Exciting and fulfilling work in a diplomatic mission
• The opportunity to work with smart and experienced colleagues and leaders who encourage and support you to develop your skills

 

How to Apply

Submit an application via email to [email protected] by 9:00am, Wednesday 10 November 2021.  Applications received after the closing date and time may not be considered.  The subject line of your email should include the Position Number and Position Title you are applying for.

Your application, written in English, should include:

• Completed ‘Application for Locally Engaged Staff Employment’.  See Attachment A.
• Your application pitch (maximum 500 words).  See Attachment B.
• Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages).

  Applications must be in either Microsoft Word or PDF format, with a maximum email size of 3MB.

  For inquiries regarding this position, please contact the Human Resources section at [email protected].

  Please note that due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to respond to each applicant.  We endeavour to respond to applicants of interest within a period of four weeks from the application closing date.  If you are not requested to attend an interview, please consider your application unsuccessful.

 

Writing an Application Pitch

Your application pitch is a chance to tell us why you are the right person for the job.  We want to know why you are interested in the role, what you can offer us, and how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications are applicable to the role.

Your pitch is a marketing document, promoting how you are a strong candidate for the opportunity on offer.  This means you should:

• Research the opportunity: read the position description, key responsibilities, and required qualifications and experience carefully; and research the department and its role.
• Know what you have to offer that is relevant: identify your relevant skills, knowledge, experience, qualities; map your relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to identify what experience is relevant; select examples that demonstrate relevant experience using your skills and knowledge, ones that are of a level of complexity to match the position you are pitching for.
• Make a persuasive case that what you have to offer will enable you to contribute, add value and deliver results.

You do not need to use a different example to demonstrate each of the skills required in the position overview.  For example, if the position description states we are looking for a confident communicator, the ability to problem solve and work as part of a team, you could use one example that demonstrates all of these skills.  You could then use another example that demonstrates the other skills required.

Try not to duplicate information that can already be found in your curriculum vitae but do highlight any specific examples or achievements that will demonstrate your ability to perform the role.

Try the three-part format as a way to organise your material:

1. General statement about the criterion
2. Specific example/s to support the criterion
3. Link to job on offer

Consider using the STAR method when detailing your examples.  The STAR method enables the selection committee to determine the context of the situation, what the task was and what actions you took to achieve a result.

Situation:  Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to complete.  This should be a description of a specific event or situation, not a generalised description of what you have done in the past and should give enough detail for the panel to understand the context.  This situation can be from a previous job, volunteer experience, university or any relevant event where you can demonstrate your skills against the position overview

Task:            What was your role?  What were you responsible for?

Actions:     Describe the actions you took to address the situation.  Include an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU.  What specific steps did you take and what contribution did you make?  Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project.  For example, the team may have achieved a good result however what part did you play, what specific things did you do to contribute to the end result?

Results:      Describe the outcome of your actions.  What happened?  How was the issue resolved or how did the event end?  What did you accomplish?  What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?  How did the end result impact on the objective of the organisation or team?