Are you looking for a challenge – one that will put your considerable policy skills to the test? Do you have track record of success providing advice on complex issues?
Are you politically astute, with strong research, analytical and communication skills – equally comfortable working in a team or solo setting?
And are you ready for a once in a lifetime experience, living and working within a thriving small community, set in a pristine natural environment?
If so, come and join our professional and friendly Policy team in the beautiful Falkland Islands – where no two days will be the same and your work can make a lasting contribution.
The Role
The Falkland Islands Government is seeking to recruit a Senior Public Policy Advisor to coordinate the work of a small professional team in developing, shaping and advocating domestic policies on a wide range of national issues. This will include providing high quality, responsive services to all areas of government, as well as leading on policy development for cross-cutting initiatives.
Your ‘roll your sleeves up’ approach, political savvy and ability to communicate effectively at all levels within government and the community will help you succeed and thrive in this fast-paced environment.
The Person
You will have a proven track record of delivering solution-oriented policy analysis and development, ideally in a public sector environment. A degree or specialist training in economics, business, public affairs, political or social sciences is a requirement, as is evidence of strong research and analytical skills. The ability to quickly develop a high degree of national and international political awareness concerning the Falkland Islands will be a distinct advantage.
The Package
- Initial 3-4 Years Fixed Term Contract, with potential for extension by mutual agreement;
- Salary Range from £40k - £54k dependent upon qualifications and experience;
- Eligibility for a 25% Gratuity, paid upon successful completion of the contract;
- 30 Days Annual Leave, plus government and public holidays (totalling 41 days leave);
- Relocation Allowance, to help with moving costs;
- Flights Package for you and your dependents, including mid-term return flight home;
- Government Housing for rent at a subsidised rate and a starter pack to help you settle in.
About the Falkland Islands
The employer
The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) is the largest employer in the Falkland Islands and offers a range of unique and fulfilling job opportunities across the full spectrum of public services. Our responsibilities include those typically managed by central (national) government – including taxation, environmental protection, legislation and policy – as well as those usually coordinated on a local level such as town planning, public works, education, health and social services. FIG also provides services specific to the needs of the Falkland Islands, including fisheries research, national utilities and the government air service.
The place
Set in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 400 miles east of South America and 8,000 miles south-west of the UK, the Falkland Islands are a small, thriving community with a British way of life, benefiting from good local services, a close community and opportunities that are hard to find elsewhere in the world. A U.K. Overseas Territory, we enjoy a stunning natural environment with unspoiled landscapes and amazing wildlife to observe and explore, including 5 species of penguins, whales and dolphins, all seen from the shore or up close.
Top Five reasons to work in the Falkland Islands:
1. Quality of life – if you’re fed up of the daily commute, then why not swap the many hours you spend on the train/in the car/on the tube for a journey to work of only five minutes? It’s not only traffic jams that will be a thing of the past, but with a well-functioning healthcare system you won’t have to wait days to see a doctor, and this is true of most public services. Plus what a bonus to leave the office and be at home/on the beach/relaxing in a flash.
2. Society and community – the Falkland Islands is certainly no slouch on the social scene, there is always something going on - from live music to sport, from theatre performances to pub quizzes – you can participate or watch, it’s up to you. And you will build friendships that will last a lifetime in this tight-knit community, where you will come to know everyone as ‘Che’.
3. Professional challenge – in a government serving a country of 3,200 people with full internal self-government, you will have a unique opportunity to contribute to developing policy on a wide range of economic, fiscal, political, environmental and social issues – and to participate from the problem definition to the final implementation.
4. Safety and security – do you yearn for the days when you didn’t have to lock your doors? Welcome to the Falkland Islands – one of the safest places on the planet. Its low crime rate means it is an excellent place not only to walk the streets in safety, but also to raise children.
5. Adventure –from taking a nine-seater plane to one of the outer islands to see albatross, sea lions and seals, to climbing a mountain range or taking a mid-winter dip in the chilly South Atlantic with hundreds of other hearty souls, the Falkland Islands offer an unparalleled environment for adventure.