Common Services Officer (General administration & finance)

Summary of Duties:

Under the supervision of the Counsellor (Management) and Consul, the incumbent of this position should contribute to the management of the budget for their areas of responsibility by forecasting expenditures and other resource requirements, continually monitoring the budget, and assisting in the negotiation of contracts. 

The incumbent will provide procurement, contracting, and material management services, promote information management in the documentation of the services, maintain working relationships with various stakeholders, provide technical guidance and recommendations to management, and supervise the work of the receptionist. 

Additional tasks include the drafting of various documents, correspondence, reports, presentations, and briefing material, maintaining data and statistics related to the areas of responsibility of the position, preparing and submitting documents for approval, and establishing and maintaining a network of contacts with local and foreign governments, service providers, suppliers and local agencies to exchange information on local policies, regulations, administrative procedures, trends and developments that may affect service delivery.

Area of Selection:

This position is open to:

• Local staff: indeterminate, term, temporary(emergency) employees and contractors of the Embassy of Canada in Lisbon who meet all the essential requirements.
• General public meeting all essential requirements and are currently authorized to work in Lisbon, including non-nationals.

The Embassy of Canada in Lisbon does not reimburse travel expenses and/or document submissions to apply for the selection process or to and from interviews/examinations, nor relocation costs.

The Government of Canada is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from diverse segments of the community. Candidates will be considered based on merit. Our organization offers an inclusive workplace where respect, teamwork and collaboration are part of our culture. Canada’s missions abroad are committed to promoting and supporting an environment free from harassment and discrimination, as well as encouraging and supporting employees to learn and develop their skills and competencies. 

Please note that the Embassy of Canada to Portugal does not sponsor work authorizations directly or indirectly.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates will initially be screened against the Essential Qualifications relating to education, language* and experience.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate when applying to the position how they meet each of these essential qualifications.

*Language will be assessed further during the process. 

Education:

Candidates will be required to provide proof of the completion of their education.

A university degree or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution, OR a high school diploma and at least 5 years of experience in one of the categories listed in the experience qualification below. 

Language:

• Fluent* in Portuguese (oral, comprehension, written). 
• Fluent* in English (oral, comprehension, written).

* Fluency will be assessed by a variety of means including written assessment and interview 

Experience:

A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience, within the last five (5) years, in one or more of the following areas:

• Contracting and Procurement
• Accounting and Finance
• Administrative Support
• Information Management/Information Technology

RATED REQUIREMENTS

The Rated Requirements are part of the essential qualifications and are relating to knowledge, abilities and competencies. Methods of assessment for rated requirements may include, but are not limited to, a written examination, an oral interview (online pre-recorded/live or in-person), role-play, practical tests, presentations and/or psychometric assessment.

Knowledge:

Competencies:

• Working with Others
• Client orientation
• Focus on quality and details
• Thinking things through
• Judgment & Discretion
• Effective interactive communication - Oral and written 

Abilities: 

• Ability to accurately prepare charts in Excel
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 

Asset Qualifications:

Preference could be given to candidates who meet the Asset Qualifications. Candidates must clearly describe in their CV how they meet any of the following asset qualifications:

• Knowledge of SAP
• Experience working in an international environment (e.g., Embassy, International Organization or Multinational Company)
• Experience in supervision of at least one full-time employee for at least one (1) year
• Professional Portuguese accounting qualifications such as Ordens fos Contabilistas Certificato (OCC), Certificação de Técnico Oficial de Contas (TOC), or similar certifications.
• Fluent in both official languages (English and French)
• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, administration or any other related field. 

Operational Requirements:

• Normal work week of 37.5 hours per week, worked Monday to Friday
• Ability and willingness to work frequent overtime after office hours (early morning / late at night) and during weekends.

Conditions of Employment:

Conditions of employment must be met or complied with before being appointed to a particular position, and are to be maintained throughout the employment while being the incumbent of this position.

- Valid work authorization: Ability to obtain and hold a valid work authorization covering the entire employment period.

- Security screening: Obtain and maintain a Reliability Status (security level) which includes a criminal and credit background check from the Government of Canada covering the entire employment period. (will be done once the staffing process is completed and may take up to 8 weeks).

How to Apply

• You must submit your application using the "Apply online" function. Only applications submitted via VidCruiter will be considered, unless a valid reason is presented and accepted prior to the closing date.
• Do not include personal data such as; age, date of birth, gender, marital status, family status, religion or a picture in your application form, CV nor cover letter (as required). Please only include information relevant to the vacancy as requested in the job poster.
• You must clearly demonstrate in answering the screening questions how you meet the education and experience factors listed in the essential and asset qualifications. You must provide specific examples to demonstrate clearly how you meet the qualifications. Global Affairs Canada cannot make any assumptions about your studies nor experience. Simply saying you have the required qualifications or listing your current duties will not be sufficient. Instead, you must provide concrete and detailed examples that clearly explain where, when, and how you gained the experience. No additional information will be sought beyond what you submit in your online application.
• Candidates may be required to upload a CV and/or a cover letter in English or French. These documents may be used as a secondary source to validate the answers to the screening questions.
• Applications which do not include all of the requested documents or information and/or which are not received by the closing date will be rejected.
• Candidates who are unable to submit their application due to technical difficulties must report these to LES-E-Recruitment-BRLIN@international.gc.ca prior to the closing date. Failure to do so will result in the application being rejected.

Important Notes

• Only applications submitted in one of the official languages of Canada will be accepted (English or French).
• The language requirement for this position is identified under the essential qualifications (language). In consequence, the assessment process for this vacancy will be conducted in English and Portuguese.
• Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidates to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.
• Candidates must provide an email address that accepts email from unknown users and regularly check their email, including spam folder.
• Reference checks may be sought for candidates who succeeded all of the assessments.
• Please note that the Embassy of Canada to Portugal does not reimburse any travel costs to and from interviews/exams nor does it reimburse any relocation costs.
• Before an offer of employment can be made, successful candidates must provide a local residence address as proof of residence in the specified area of selection. This information is necessary to issue a letter of offer.
• We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact us at LES-E-Recruitment-BRLIN@international.gc.ca to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.
• The results of this selection process may also be used to establish one or more pools of fully or partially qualified candidates for similar term, indeterminate, part-time or full-time openings at the Embassy of Canada to Portugal which might arise following the completion of this selection process.
• For Canadian citizens/residents and Canadian dual nationals, please note that it is your responsibility to enquire with the Canadian Revenue Agency about any possible taxation implications linked to an employment with the Government of Canada.