Customer Service Officer vacancy, Embassy of Ireland Berlin

* This position has now been filled *

Customer Service Officer (m/f) at the Embassy of Ireland in Berlin

1 year temporary contract, with the possibility of an extension

Deadline for receipt of applications: 4 August 2017

Position

The Irish Embassy in Berlin is recruiting a full time customer services officer to manage its front of house operations. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated, enthusiastic individual who enjoys interacting with people, problem solving and a great deal of variety in their work. The position is the first point of contact for all in person, phone and email queries to the Embassy and a friendly, open and constructive attitude is essential. The Embassy is committed to providing high quality, responsive and efficient service to all its customers. The new officer will work as part of a busy consular team and will be required to greet visitors; provide accurate and helpful information by telephone and email; direct callers to the relevant Embassy section; and conduct initial passport application screening. He or she will also provide support to the wider consular team and other sections of the Embassy.

The position will involve on-the-job learning and the successful candidate will have:

• Significant previous experience in a busy customer service role, experience of managing multiple incoming phone calls in a busy reception environment would be ideal;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in German and English. The candidate should be a native speaker of German or English, have a minimum C1-C2 level in the other language, and have some experience of written translation;
• Strong knowledge of, and interest in, Ireland and Irish-German relations;
• A high level of administrative skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel;
• Exceptional interpersonal, customer service and problem-solving skills;
• A flexible attitude, good judgement and the ability to make a positive contribution to the overall team spirit, as well as to identify, and make, improvements to service delivery;
• The ability to work well under pressure while ensuring accuracy and attention to detail;
• A high level of discretion, commitment and reliability.

Interviews

Candidates will be short-listed for interview. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted prior to interview. Shortlisted candidates should be available for interview at the embassy in mid to late August. Interviewed candidates will be asked about their professional experience and educational background, suitability for the position, knowledge of Ireland and interest in working at embassy. The selection process will include job simulation questions and an oral and written language assessment. The Embassy does not refund travel expenses.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted in English by email to the following email address: ambofficeberlin[at]dfa[dot]ie or by post to: Botschaft von Irland, Büro des Botschafters, Jägerstr. 51, 10117 Berlin. The email should contain the subject line Customer Service Officer and must be no larger than 15MB. Certificates, degrees and references in German or English do not need to be translated. The application must contain:

• Letter of motivation (1 page max) addressing your suitability for the position and interest in working with the Embassy of Ireland;
• CV/résumé (2 pages max);
• Two nominated referees with contact details;
• Copies of professional references and relevant academic, professional and language qualifications (scanned into one PDF attachment if applying by email).

Contract details

Starting date: September 2017 (date t.b.c.)
Contract duration: 1 year temporary fixed term contract
Working hours: Full-time (37.5 hours) with occasional additional attendance outside of hours
Salary: €2108 per month (gross) plus 13th month
Annual Leave: 24 days annual leave in a calendar year
Probationary period: 6 months