UKVI Visa Outreach Officer at British High Commission

Main purpose of job:

UK Visa Outreach Officers’ key responsibilities will be:

• Representation & Outreach:  Promoting awareness and understanding of the UK’s visa offer to HMG and industry stakeholders; targeted distribution of UKVI & HO visa messaging comms, assisting with high profile/value applications, and supporting HMG partners to promote the UK as the first choice destination for visits, study and investment.
• VAC & SELTs auditing and assurance:  Assuring the quality of the customer experience in Visa Application Centres and Secure English Language Testing Centres through visits, information from travel/education and PAG stakeholders, as well as formal audits as directed by the Assurance and Integrity Regional Manager. 
• Customer and Market Insight: Collecting and reporting market insight and customer intelligence to Service Line Leads & Managers, SRS and Customer Insight Teams, driving continuous improvement of the UK visa service and our customer offer, including identifying opportunities for change and innovation.  

Roles and responsibilities:

• To represent UK Visas in your key markets, and act as the first point of contact on visa issues for FCDO/PAG colleagues and key stakeholders; increasing their awareness and understanding of visa processes, including through training and upskilling.
• Manage the Regional Outreach Network inbox (on a rota basis), replying to queries from HMG, businesses & governments within 24 hours. 
• Work with your Head of Region (and JHAs where appropriate) to ensure VSI interests are represented in 1HMG Country Boards and Country Plans; and work with other Home Office teams in relevant countries to ensure effectively joining up on wider HO priorities.
• Be a corporate member of the wider Embassy/Consulate community and leadership team, supporting delivery of Country Plans and 1HMG agenda.
• Provide targeted support to 1HMG colleagues to ensure a smooth visa application process for 1HMG-referred high value individuals/major event in the UK/significant investors in the UK, liaising appropriately with Decision-Making Centres.
• Work closely with the Regional Communications Manager, HMG and stakeholder comms networks to ensure effective and targeted regional distribution of (centrally developed) UKVI & HO visa messaging, comms and campaigns improving reach and engagement (and translation, where required).
• Work with Embassy colleagues to deliver tactical comms in response to specific issues in your region, occurring outside of UK comms working hours. 
• Build and develop a network of key HMG, travel and industry stakeholders in your region, and plan and deliver an annual engagement plan (events, workshops, roadshows etc) to support 1HMG partners’ (VB and BC) efforts to promote the UK for tourism, study, work and investment; identifying key audiences and messages and meeting targets on reach (including in local languages).
• Be expert on the visa customer experience & needs in your market(s). Regularly visit VACs and SELTs in your markets, (in accordance with the plan set by your Regional Assurance and Integrity Manager) and actively seek feedback on the application experience, from customers, stakeholders and through social media monitoring; anticipating and escalating any issues to the Assurance and Integrity Lead and Head of Region, so these can be addressed mitigated and managed quickly.
• Assist in supporting delivery of any commercial partner changes under VCAS.
• Provide quarterly ‘on-the-ground’ market insight data and intelligence to UK visa service line managers, strategy and policy colleague in the UK, identifying trends and proactively suggesting opportunities for process change or innovation to continuously improve our customer offer, and work with UK colleagues to deliver.
• Be available as a source of country and market expertise to Service Line Mangers and HO policy colleagues.  
• Promote schemes to streamline low-risk processing (e.g. Global Partner Programme), working with DIT locally and Visits SLM to identify and invite business to join the scheme. 
• Develop expertise in your designated specialist visa routes (e.g. Business, Visit or Education) and offer upskilling and training to others in the Outreach Network these routes. 
• Regional critical incident or major event support (Afghan Resettlement, CWG) and other ad-hoc tasks as directed to support UKVI regional operations/objectives.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Ability to work independently, including planning and delivering long-term projects, manage workload and deliver results. 
• Experience of representing your organisation, including with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to travel frequently across the region and to the UK.
• Ability to work collaboratively and remotely within a team located in multiple locations across the region, and with colleagues across the globe.
• Well developed communication skills – both written and oral.
• Confidence in speaking in public, engaging with stakeholders and delivering public presentations, including virtually.
• Experience of working collaboratively with other organisations.
• Ability to manage range of different tasks, to prioritise effectively,  meet deadlines and maintain high quality standards. 

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Experience in immigration/visas work 
• Analytical skills
• Project Management experience