Vacancy: Consular Officer

Consular Officer at the Consulate General of Ireland, Chicago

Consular Officer at the Consulate General of Ireland, Chicago

Deadline: 5pm (CST) on Wednesday, 11^th November 2020

Our mission is to promote and protect abroad the values, interests and economic well-being of Ireland and its people. We do this under the political direction of our Government Ministers, through our staff at home and through our Embassy and Consulate network abroad.

Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago

The Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago is responsible for representing and promoting Ireland in the Midwest region of the USA. Working with the Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC, the Consulate focuses on a wide range of issues including economic, political and cultural work, consular affairs, and engagement with the large Irish and Irish American communities in the Chicago area and the wider Midwest region.

Position Details / Consular Officer Role

The Consular Officer will support the Consulate’s work through the issuance of visas, research on topics of interest to the diplomatic team, event management support, excellent customer service, and administration tasks.

Position Details:

Starting date:             

November 2020 (date tbc- after departure of staff member)

Contract duration:

One year fixed term contract. Contract extension may be possible.

Working hours:

Full time (40 hours per week) with occasional additional attendance outside of hours. Out of hours’ duty service

during the year compensated by additional leave.

Salary:

$40,059.00 gross per year.

Annual Leave:

20 days’ annual leave in a calendar year, plus public holidays, as appropriate.

Probationary period:    

6 months

Eligibility:

Under US State requirements, the Consulate may only employ as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens (a US passport, birth certificate or naturalisation certificate is required), or who are eligible to work in the USA (i.e. Green Card holders). If you are not a US citizen or do not hold a Green Card, you are not eligible to work at the Consulate.

Police security clearance will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for appointment. Enquiries may also be made with the police force of any country in which the applicant under consideration for appointment resided. If unsuccessful this information will be destroyed. If the applicant subsequently comes under consideration for another position they will be required to supply this information again.

While a knowledge and/or experience of Ireland is an advantage, it is not a requirement to be an Irish citizen to apply for this position.

Key Responsibilities

Processing of Visa applications

• Process all visa applications in a timely and efficient manner using the online system of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS).
• Maintain accurate data for incoming and issued visa, noting and recording trends in regularly filed reports.
• Assist applicants with accuracy of submitted documentation via email, phone and at the public counter.
• Maintain highly level of organisation with respect to processing, filing and data storage.

Local Team Support

• Assist with consular goals of local staff in passport processing, front office customer service and email/phone enquiries.
• Support local staff with planning and executing high-level visits and events.

Research assistance

• Assisting Vice Consul with the Emigrant Support Programme, working with local organisations interested in applying for funding.
• Providing analytical support for Consul General and Vice Consul General as needed.
• Providing assistance on research projects as needed.

Consulate Representation

• Visa Officer may be asked to represent the Consulate General of Ireland at local events within the Irish and Irish-American community.
• Other office other duties, as assigned by either the Consul General or Vice Consul.

 Qualifications/Experience

 Essential

• High school graduation diploma as a minimum. A third-level qualification (e.g. Bachelor’s degree) and/or a secretarial qualification is also preferred.
• A high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially MS Outlook, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills.
• A high level of interpersonal and customer service skills, particularly when dealing with members of the public.
• Consistent, professional and personable approach to working in a small office environment, with a focus on reliability, punctuality and attention to detail.
• A high level of discretion with sensitive information and data.
• Flexibility with working hours and an ability to deal with high-pressured situations.

Desirable

• At least three years’ professional experience in an office-based, client or public-facing role is desired.
• Highly organised, self-motivated with initiative and flexibility to develop and refine systems for greatest efficiency.
• Commitment, reliability and attention to detail.
• An ability to work independently, as well as within a close knit team.

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit the following documents to the Consulate before 5pm CST on Wednesday 11^th November 2020:

General Data Protection Regulation:

All personal information received will be kept in line with GDPR guidelines.

Security Clearance for Local Staff

Police security clearance will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for appointment. Enquiries may also be made with the police force of any country in which the applicant under consideration for appointment resided. If unsuccessful this information will be destroyed. If the applicant subsequently comes under consideration for another position they will be required to supply this information again. 

Please note that canvassing will disqualify applicants.

The Consulate General of Ireland, Chicago is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunity.

 

Data Protection
Please read our Privacy Policy