Human Resources Administrative Officers

Job summary

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes.

Job description

We are looking to recruit talented and enthusiastic individuals to join the FCDO at Administrative Officer (AO) level. You will have excellent organisation skills, take responsibility for your own work, and be committed to high standards of customer service. The positions are Home Civil Service roles based in King Charles Street (London), Hanslope Park (Milton Keynes) or Abercrombie House (East Kilbride) providing administrative support and corporate services to the rest of the FCDO in the UK and overseas. These tasks are essential for the FCDO to deliver its departmental strategic objectives and to support its global network.

Administrative Officers provide professional office administration and support on transactions processing, projects, budgets, customer services functions, and internal and external communications.

We will configure roles to meet specific business needs, but they will typically include:

• Professional Office Administrative/Support: Creating and maintaining electronic filing systems; databases and distribution lists; dealing with telephone and email enquiries; organising meetings/events and taking notes in meetings; maintaining stationery supplies; a corporate role such as fire warden or first aider, for which training will be provided.

• Project Management Support: Monitoring progress against objectives; ensuring projects remain on schedule; anticipating and managing risks; maintaining accurate records.

• Budget Management: Budget monitoring, requisitioning, and raising purchase orders, and manipulation of data using spreadsheets; assisting with budget forecasting; understanding commercial and procurement policies.

• Customer Services: Providing guidance to customers, dealing with them professionally and resolving queries within agreed timeframes

Person specification

You must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring proof of identity (British Passport/Driving Licence etc.) with you.

This role requires you to attain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.

For more information about this process, click here. Attaining DV will require you to have been resident in the UK for five of the last ten years. At least one year of this must have been a consecutive twelve-month period. Serving overseas with HM Forces, in some other official capacity as a representative of His Majesty’s Government or having lived overseas as a result of your parents’ or partner’s Government employment counts as UK residency for the purposes of security clearances.

Essential Criteria

• Strong literacy, numeracy, and IT skills.

• Competent using IT packages, including Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel, and knowledge of Windows 11.

• Good interpersonal, team-working, and communication skills (both oral and written).

• Good organisational, analytical, and planning skills with the ability to work to tight deadlines.

• Ability to make effective decisions, identify problems, and propose solutions, to maintain a quality service.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,600, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £8,864 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).· A Civil Service Pension.
· 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
· 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
· Learning and Development tailored to your role.

See the attached candidate pack.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Please see the ‘Hints and Tips’ that are provided for your information about how to prepare Behaviour examples at the Application and Interview stage.

Application Stage

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 26/10/2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

If you successfully pass these tests, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application which will comprise of the following:

• A CV detailing your employment history. CVs will be assessed against the Essential Criteria outlined in the Person Specification section above.
• A Personal Statement of 500 words explaining how you consider your skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with specific reference to the Essential Criteria. These responses will be explored further during the interview process for shortlisted candidates.

The Behaviours you will be assessed on at the application stage are as follows:

• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Please ensure that you allow sufficient time to complete the whole application process before the closing deadline.

IMPORTANT: If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and require Reasonable Adjustments in order to complete your application/online tests, please ensure Government Recruitment Service (GRS) are aware of this on the date of application and certainly by the closing date.

In the event of a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift by a lead criterion. For this campaign we will be using your Personal Statement. Only candidates who meet the minimum standard in this will have the rest of their application fully assessed.

Interview Stage

At the start of your interview, you will be asked a non-assessed warm-up question about your motivation for applying for the role.

The Behaviours you will be assessed on during the interview are as follows:

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

After the Interviews, three Merit Lists will be created, one for roles in King Charles Street (London), one for Hanslope Park (Milton Keynes) and one for roles in Abercrombie House (East Kilbride). Successful candidates will be appointed in merit
order to the location that they selected a preference for at application stage.

Please note that the FCDO carries out name-blind (anonymised) recruitment to help build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The personal information on your Application form and/or CV will be concealed during the sifting phase, and only the names of those who are being invited for Interviews will be made known to the Panel.

The FCDO has appointed the Government Recruitment Service to manage the process.

Please see the timetable below for indicative dates:

Closing date: for completed applications 23.55 on Monday 26th October 2026

Online Testing: Between Thursday 24th September and 23:55 on Monday 26th October 2026

Panel interview: Weeks commencing Monday 11th and Monday 18th January 2027

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This will be held remotely on Microsoft Teams and details will be given to candidates who are successful at the sift
stage. There may be other opportunities in the future. Candidates who meet the required level at interview, will be kept on a Reserve List for 12 months. Should this, or another substantially similar role arise within this period, we may fill it with a Reserve candidate
from this campaign. There is no guarantee that Reserves will be offered a role. If you are conditionally offered and accept a role your name will be removed from any other FCDO Reserve Lists. Please note that the FCDO will not reimburse any travel costs or expenses incurred
as part of the selection process.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to FCDO from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems reading the Candidate Pack, such as through screen reader software, please contact our Team via fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk and we will share a Word version of this.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : FCDO recruitment
• Email : fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcdorecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The FCDO’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should, in the first instance, contact External.Recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCDO, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.

Attachments

FINAL Candidate Pack - AO Admin Officers Salary Update (2) (1) Opens in new window (docx, 249kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)Hints and Tips on Behaviour Examples.docx Opens in new window (pdf, 68kB)