JOB DESCRIPTION

View Vacancy – Political Officer, Political Team, (Paternity leave cover)| FIN25.374

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Category

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)

Job Subcategory

Political

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job:

The British Embassy in Helsinki is part of a worldwide network representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. We are looking for a Political Officer to join us for a fixed-term period to support the Embassy’s work. This role is part of the Embassy’s busy Political Team, which leads on foreign and domestic policy, economic affairs, and the EU. The successful candidate will work closely with the rest of the political team and the UK Government’s Nordic Baltic Network (NBN) and cooperate with other UK government departments.

The role will focus on Finnish domestic politics and justice and home affairs. The right candidate will have a proven understanding of Finnish domestic and international affairs, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and have a track record of delivering timely reporting and analysis. They will be able to work independently with a high degree of autonomy over their policy area, producing high quality reporting and analysis on areas in their portfolio. The successful applicant will be flexible and able to work under pressure, including on new and unfamiliar issues that may arise at short notice and against tight deadlines.

What will you be expected to achieve:

• Domestic Politics (30%) Follow key developments in domestic politics and parliament, providing regular written reports and advice to Embassy team and HQ. Manage the Embassy’s relationships with key contacts, particularly Parliament, and coordinate engagement across the Embassy, providing briefing and support to the Ambassador and Head of Political.
• Justice and Home Affairs (30%) Act as the point of contact for coordinating commissions on migration and borders, energy security, and counter terrorism. Develop strong links with the relevant policy leads in London and the Finnish system, as well as researchers and academics on relevant topics.
• Visits and High-Level Meetings (20%) Play a key role in supporting upcoming high-level ministerial visits from the UK, delivering programmes, coordinating logistics, and drafting briefings.
• Engagement and lobbying (20%) Lead on embassy’s engagement with parliament, think tanks and academia. Build links with key researchers and ensure that Embassy and HQ are updated on latest reporting. Lobby on UK Government priorities.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Essential on arrival:

• Strong communication skills, both written and oral, in Finnish (C1) and English (C1);
• Ability to build and influence a network of stakeholders, building productive relationship with partners who can help deliver our objectives;
• Ability to work independently and with a high degree of autonomy over the portfolio;
• Understanding of Finnish current affairs/political environment/foreign policy and confidence to build and engage an effective network of contacts;
• Flexible, resilient under pressure, and decisive, with the ability to deliver quickly and to a high standard;
• Enthusiastic, creative, and able to spot opportunities to engage with impact.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Nice to have:

• Previous experience of working in an international setting or similar role;
• Knowledge and understanding of UK political landscape.

Required behaviours

Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together

Application deadline

23 November 2025

Grade

Administrative Officer (AO)

Type of Position

Full-time, Fixed Term

Working hours per week

36.25 hours/week

Duration of Post

6 months

Region

Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia

Country/Territory

Finland

Location (City)

Helsinki

Type of Post

British Embassy

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

EUR

Salary

3972€ (gross)

Type of Salary

monthly

Start Date

5 January 2026

Other benefits and conditions of employment

This is a full time, 36.25h/ week, 6-month, fixed term contract, on a paternity leave cover position.

Staff may be required to work beyond conditioned hours during the week, or at weekends, in such case they are entitled to take time off in lieu. TOIL hours must have prior approval.

The appointment is subject to professional background check, security clearance and the successful completion of a probationary period.

Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Finland are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Finnish employment law and FCDO guidance for Country Based Staff.

Staff at the British Embassy Helsinki who are not subject to Finnish income tax—i.e. non-Finnish nationals—have a reference amount deducted from their gross salary. This abatement reflects the local tax that would otherwise apply, ensuring consistent net pay across roles.

Pension and unemployment contributions are deducted for all staff. Salary payments are reported to the Finnish Income Register in line with legal requirements.

Learning and development opportunities:

The British Embassy in Helsinki has a strong ethos of Learning and Development, including our L&D Week. In addition, there will be many opportunities to attend external seminars and events on relevant issues. This is in addition to induction programmes offered to all Embassy and S&I Network staff.

Visa/work permit requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Finland and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the legal requirements to live and work in this country.

The start date mentioned in the advert is just an expected start date. The appointment can start earlier or later depending on several factors.

Additional information

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

The British Embassy will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a position.

*Please refer to the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”. We are looking for a C1 level or equivalent. For more information, please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your languages skills are going to be assessed.

Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

 

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements