Basic details

Job title         :    Consular Officer
Mission          :    Tbilisi
Job level        :    6
N. of hours   :    37

General job information

The Dutch Embassy in Tbilisi is looking for a consular employee for 5 days a week from May 2025 for a period of 12 months.
The work is carried out within the consular department of the Embassy, under the responsibility of the Operational Manager.
The consular officer understands that consular affairs play a significant role in other countries’ perceptions of the Netherlands, as well as  Dutch people’s perceptions of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A customer-focused approach is therefore essential.

Specific job information

The consular officer is multi-deployable but primarily responsible for all common activities in the field of consular services (Visa, travel documents, civic exams, DNA tests etc.), providing consular assistance and support to Dutch nationals who have found themselves in emergency situations in Georgia.
Consular tasks are performed in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations (e.g. the Visa Code and other legislation, and the Operational Procedures Manual).
He/she is alert to irregularities and/or trends encountered in the course of the tasks and informs their line manager about such issues when necessary. 
The consular officer communicates with applicants from various nationalities and other parties seeking information (in person and via email, telephone). The consular officer checks incoming documentation for accuracy and completeness, and processes it in the various system in accordance with the arrangements set out in the consular Products & Services Catalogue.  As part of this process the consular officer checks documentation in the light of relevant legislation, procedures and agreements, and provides support in the event of evacuations and repatriations. The consular officer works closely with the Consular Service Organisation (CSO) and Netherlands Worldwide (NWW).
The consular officer provides support in social consular situations (e.g. prisoner support and Dutch nationals stranded abroad) in accordance with instructions and regulations.

Consular officer profile

The consular officer is a social, customer-friendly and communicative person, who, due to the direct contact with the customer, together with the rest of the consular team, contributes largely to the ‘face’ of the Embassy. The consular officer is a real team player who is prepared to step in for colleagues and take over work proactively. He/she looks for the solution with a “can do” mentality when issues arise. The consular officer has an eye for individual circumstances and knows that a consular issue is never the same. Customer focus and empathy are competencies that are of great importance for the successful fulfillment of this function. He/she must be interested in all facets of consular work and have a good command of these, including the more sensitive and complex aspects. He/she is characterized by social communication skills and has a pleasant/balanced personality which is focused on cooperation, both within and outside his/her own department. The consular social element in the function requires flexibility with regard to working outside regular hours and the need to make prison visits throughout the country.
To process the large amount of workload it is necessary to be able to prioritise, to work fast and efficiently, and to act independently when possible.
A good understanding of integrity is essential to be able to work with sensitive and confidential information.

Tasks include

Consular services and assistance:

• Processing applications for the issue of travel documents, option statements, naturalization requests, short-stay visa (KVV) and authorizations for temporary stay (MVV), checking the various documents, entering the applications in the various automated systems and issuing the created travel documents and visas;

• Applications for verification, DNA tests, consular certificates and civic integration tests;    

• Providing (background) information, guidelines and advice verbally and in writing;

• Providing, from time to time and upon identification of needs,  consular services for Dutch nationals residing in Azerbaijan and Armenia;

• Providing consular assistance to Dutch nationals in need;

• Providing guidance to Dutch detainees in Georgia.

Logistical and administrative support:

• Assessing the importance and urgency of incoming correspondence, adding information required for processing on your own initiative and at your own discretion;
• Planning, prioritising and organising appointments for consular services;
• Following  consular meetings, records the minutes, identifies problems and contributes to solutions;
• Carrying out simple translation assignments;
• Maintaining contacts with the Central Service Organisation in The Hague;
• Maintaining the (digital) consular archive up to date;
• Administrative actions with regard to the accounting of consular service fees;
• Keeping up to date with new applications and systems for (digital) consular services.

Competencies

The staff member:

• Is customer oriented;
• Has good communication skills;
• Is results driven;
• Is good at planning and organising;
• Is sensitive to the needs of the organisation;
• Can work well with others;
• Is meticulous and displays a high level of integrity;
• Is stress resistant;
• Is flexible.

Knowledge and skills requirements 

Specific:

• Secondary Vocational Education (MBO) or equivalent experience;
• Preferably relevant consular experience;

General:

• Good working knowledge of English and Georgian, knowledge of Dutch and Russian language is a plus;
• Knowledge of the applicable laws and regulations, internal administrative procedures, structure and working methods of the organization;
• Knowledge of standard documentation and archiving techniques;
• Knowledge (in broad outline) of the visa and travel document policy;
• Knowledge of ICT systems relevant to the position;
• Skilled in receiving and dealing with other staff and third parties;
• Skill in creating and maintaining files;
• Skill in providing information about implementation regulations and procedures;

Work environment

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is represented in Georgia through its Embassy in Tbilisi. The Embassy focuses on bilateral cooperation with Georgia, promotion of bilateral trade and investment, promotion of human rights and rule of law, public diplomacy, providing consular services to Dutch citizens and handling visa applications of foreign nationals. 
The Embassy has 5 expat staff members, 10 locally employed staff members and throughout the year Dutch interns. The consular officer works within the consular affairs department of the Embassy and is accountable to the Operational Manager (OM). The management team consists of the Ambassador (Chef de Poste/Head of Mission), Deputy Head of Mission (DHoM) and the OM. The Embassy has an open, inclusive and informal work culture. We apply high integrity and work ethic standards.

Other information

The employee is expected to assist in other activities that concern the entire mission, such as our national King’s Day reception or other cross-cutting events. The consular officer will also be expected to participate in an -out of office hours- duty officer roster (1 week every 3 months) for which the employee will receive an additional allowance. Occasional domestic or international travel for training purposes may also be required.

Contract information

• Duration: one (1) year fixed-term contract with a two (2) months’ probation period;
• 37 hours working week;
• Salary ranges between GEL 3.974 – 5.961 depending on proven experience;
• 13th month and health insurance;
• Starting date: to be discussed

Selection procedure

• A CV and cover letter (max. 1 page) explaining your motivation and why you are a suitable candidate;
• Please submit the CV and cover letter via e-mail.
• Deadline is:  25-03-2025
• Only electronic applications will be accepted.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview within 2 weeks of the vacancy closing date.

Contact

If you would like more information regarding the content of this position please contact Ennio Zarone, Operational Manager via e-mail.

When composing teams and hiring new talent, we strive for diversity in terms of age, gender (identity), culture, religion, background, sexual orientation, disability, knowledge and competencies, among other things.