JOB DESCRIPTION

View Vacancy – Senior Policy Advisor: Culture, Media, Sports

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 (Operations and Corporate Services)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job:

The British Consulate General (BCG) in Los Angeles is looking for someone to support the coordination of our work building up to the LA 2028 Olympic and Para.

The UK already has a strong track record in these areas, and particularly in this region. We have a significant number of cultural exchanges, from the arts to theatre to education and beyond. In media, the partnerships that exist across film and television are second to none. While in sports, the power of UK exports like the Premier League in soccer are matched only by the breadth of our other offerings – particularly on the eve of the FIFA World Cup and the LA 2028 Games. We are also looking forward to a major ‘GREAT’ Festival in 2026: the UK’s flagship public relations campaign.

The purpose of this new role is to help bring greater coherence to all of this work; explore new opportunities to build upon it; and to help develop the right policy structures with colleagues in the UK Government, plugging into under-represtented areas, to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of engagement. BCG Los Angeles already has dedicated teams representing the British Film Commission (BFC), Visit Britain and our Department of Business and Trade (covering jobs and growth in Creative, Media and Sports), and further Olympic and Paralympic resources will emerge as the Games approach. The UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will be a key customer for this work.

Hence, the right candidate for this role is going to be someone who can demonstrate the ability to work well in a close-knit and dedicated team: working to integrate their activities with those already in place, and finding synergies between the work. They will have the initiative to develop new contact networks and new policy goals beyond those we already service; while also having the breadth of vision to identify shared opportunities and areas for collaboration. They should be able to demonstrate some level of understanding or experience in the relevant sectors, and a willingness to learn the rest. They will also have the interest and agility to engage in activities that may not always fit exactly within the scope of their role: BCG Los Angeles hosts a range of exciting events and activations, VIP visitors, and supports the wider British community, and we encourage staff to get involved.

The FCDO US Network offers a unique career enhancing opportunity and is committed to supporting its staff through a variety of benefits including generous leave, insurance packages and a highly competitive 401k programme. It also promotes a culture of flexibility which enables people to better maintain wellness through an excellent work/life balance approach that encompasses hybrid working, including flexible hours, where possible. In this role you would be working in a diverse international environment to support UK diplomats, and other country-based staff operating in the United States.

Roles and responsibilities

(As a new role, these criteria will flex and change as the job develops)

Policy Support and Engagement 60%

• In collaboration with existing teams, work to identify and develop opportunities to support UK-LA engagement in the Culture, Media and Sport arenas;
• Working with colleagues in the US and UK, identify policy engagement areas that can support UK Government ambitions on its Industrial Strategy and jobs and growth narrative;
• Working in partnership with BFC and DBT colleagues, grow our strategic stakeholder network in the relevant areas to deliver on our wider goals, focusing both on immediate opportunities, as well as longer term vision;
• Increase the opportunities for philanthropic connections and support, particularly in how the UK and LA can create mechanisms for mutual support in priority areas;
• Identify new approaches to support Digital Economy work.

Sport and Soft-Power Diplomacy 30%

• Identify and develop opportunities to use major sporting events (e.g. World Cup, LA 2028 Games) to support the UK’s diplomatic goals in LA and beyond, with a particularly focus on enhancing the UK’s legacy and reputation;
• Working with UK Government partners, support the preparations for Team GB and Para GB in their build up to the LA 2028 Games, including commercial and soft-power partnerships;
• Develop new opportunities to extend the UK’s cultural reach in LA, particularly beyond film and television, with a view to widening access for UK cultural engagement, e.g art, music, publishing, fashinon, etc..

Event and Activation Delivery 10%

• Working with our Events leads, including our ‘GREAT’ team, support the delivery of key activations in the culture, media and sport areas, including identifying new partnership and sponsorship opportunities;
• Lead on developing and supporting relevant senior visitor programmes.

Resources managed

• None at present, though programme funding may emerge as the job develops

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Essential on arrival:

• A minimum of 5 years relevant experience in an organisation or field linked to our key priority areas.
• The successful candidate must be organized, creative, personable, and able to work under their own initiative. Additionally, the successful candidate must be a strong team player with excellent problem solving and judgement.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong user of IT and Microsoft Office suite.

Level of language required: Fluent speaker and clear written English.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the UK, our culture and our priorities;
• Experience of working on major projects, visits or events.

Required behaviours

Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together

Application deadline

1 December 2025

Type of Position

Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal

Working hours per week

40

Region

Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories

Country/Territory

United States

Location (City)

Los Angeles

Type of Post

British Consulate General

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

USD

Salary

$87,920

Type of Salary

yearly

Start Date

12 January 2026

Other benefits and conditions of employment

US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US has restrictions on the type of visas our non-diplomatic staff may hold. If you are not a US Citizen or a US Permanent Resident, or the dependent of a diplomat (with an EAD card), you may not be eligible for employment with the UK government. We cannot accept student Visas (J1, F or M) nor other forms of work Visas (I, H, P). If you hold a work visa it is best to check on your eligibility to work for a foreign government before applying for a position.

You may refer to our website for additional information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-the-usa.

All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work.

The British Embassy and its US Network embraces hybrid working. We are an organization that also recognises the critical value of team work and we embrace and endorse collaboration by ensuring that all staff attend the office flexibly yet regularly.

Please note: The British Embassy and its US Network is committed to all employee’s ongoing learning and development needs. We offer a comprehensive platform for personalised learning for everything from soft skill development (communicating with impact, handling difficult conversations, time management) to more technical or professional skills necessary to complete your job (software training, formal qualifications etc.).

Working patterns:

This role is 40 hours FTE (full time equivalent) a week, with core working hours between 10am and 4pm. For this role, you may be required to be in the office, or visiting other sites – home working is possible for no more than two days per week, and with line manager approval. Vacation and leave must be co-ordinated with others in the section and may not always be possible during busy periods

Unique Tax Rules

Please note that the tax arrangements imposed by the US on staff working for foreign governments, as well as those imposed by the UK Treasury on British and dual nationals working for the UK Government overseas, are atypical. The UK Government cannot withhold taxes (including FICA) on behalf of a US taxpayer. Instead, a US taxpayer is required to file taxes as if they are self-employed, and a FICA allowance is granted for those required to pay the employer contribution. Certain categories of staff (for example dual UK-US nationals and some visa holders) who work at Consulates General are not subject to US taxes. For those not subject to US taxes the UK Government reduces gross pay to a level broadly equivalent to taxed net pay. There are also social security implications for dual UK-US nationals. Please keep all this in mind when looking at the salary and the benefits package. If you are offered a job with the UK’s US Network you will be given further tax and social security information relevant to your personal circumstances and place of work; you are advised to consider this information and its impact on your circumstances carefully – potentially with the advice of a tax professional – before accepting a job.

Additional information

Closing date of receiving applications is before 23:55 (Local Time) on 01 December 2025.

All applicants must fully complete the online application form, including the sections for employment and educational details, experience, and behaviour-based questions. Only those applications that contain all required information will be considered. To ensure the sift process remains anonymous, please do not include any personally identifiable information in your application form.

Only successful candidates will be contacted. Please no phone calls. Due to the high volume of resumes we receive, we cannot guarantee consideration of your application if the submission instructions are not properly followed.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

Internal candidates must inform their supervisor before they apply to a different position.

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