Visa Officer (A)

VACANCY: VISA OFFICER A

The Immigration and Border Protection Section of the Australian High Commission, New Delhi is seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates for expected vacancies at the LE4 level arising in the next 12 months.

Potential vacancies would be filled on either a contract basis of an initial term of up to 2 years, with the possibility of a contract extension or on a permanent, on-going basis. Any offer of employment for a term of 1 year and above is subject to the successful completion of a six month probationary period.

Applicants are advised to read the attached job description, duty statement and expected work level standards of the LE4 position prior to addressing the attached selection criteria.

NOTE FOR ALL APPLICANTS

Selection will be made strictly on the merit principle.
Conform to word limits where specified.
Provide examples of relevant work experience where specified.
The application process involves questions about your current and past personal and family relationships and living circumstances. It is in your own interest to be honest and accurate in disclosing details about yourself. If you feel uncomfortable about disclosing this information, you should reconsider your application.
Applications must be typed. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
Late applications will not be considered.
Only short listed applicants will be contacted.
The commencing salary for LE4 is INR 61, 963 per month.
Employment benefits are dependent on the contract term offered, and may include leave entitlements, salary bonuses, provident fund and medical insurance.
All prospective applicants should familiarise themselves with the Australian High Commission’s Code of Conduct.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must submit the following documents in Microsoft Word format with subject header ‘Application for DIBP LE4 Position – <insert applicant’s name>’ to: [email protected] before Midnight 10 May 2017:

(1) A curriculum vitae detailing your contact details, work experience, academic qualifications and the names and contact details of two professional referees; and

(2) A font size 12 typed statement conforming to word limits addressing each of the four selection criteria (attached).

Applications not meeting these criteria and the specified word limits will not be considered.

For more information on applying for this position, and on the selection and recruitment process, click here.

POSITION DESCRIPTION – LE4 – Visa Officer A

Agency	DIBP
Position number	Various
Title	Visa Officer (A)
Classification	LE4
Section	Immigration
Reports to (title)	Visa Officer A

About the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP)

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) Section of the Australian High Commission, New Delhi is Australia’s largest overseas visa processing office, responsible for delivering a wide range of temporary and permanent visas, in addition to limited types of citizenship services, across India, Nepal and Bhutan. The DIBP New Delhi Office is divided into seven operational teams: Visitors, Business and Client Services, Students, Family and Humanitarian Migration, Referrals, Compliance and the Risk Assessment and Support Unit

About the Position

Visa Officer As are senior locally engaged staff that assess and decide visa applications. They may be placed in a visa or citizenship processing team or within the New Delhi Integrity Section (NDIS), undertaking verification checks or assisting with investigations. Visa Officer As work under the direct supervision of a Team Leader and may be expected to provide some leadership, to assist the Team Leader in the operational management of their team.

The key responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

Apply a good understanding of relevant legislation, policies and guidelines to assess and make fair, reasonable and lawful decisions on visa applications of various levels of complexity using sound judgement and reasoning.
Undertake thorough investigations and integrity checks, including conducting client interviews and site visits as necessary.
Respond to inquiries of greater complexity from clients.
Manage an operational or administrative workload and/or work of a specialist or technical nature.
Liaise effectively with clients and other stakeholders to achieve work area and departmental business objectives.
Contribute to continuous improvement and the implementation of change in the workplace.
Demonstrate a general understanding of the department’s priorities and business directions across the organisation.
May undertake limited supervision (with support from the Team Leader) of a small number of staff.
Take responsibility for ongoing personal and professional development and seeks opportunities to extend skills and knowledge.
Opportunity to apply to work in position of Executive Officer to the Regional Director (on rotation) with responsibility for co-ordinating the workflow of the Regional Director, undertaking more complex administration tasks and liaising with external and external stakeholders on moderately complex regional operational and administrative matters.
Know and uphold What We Value, the APS Values, the APS Code of Conduct and other relevant professional codes of ethics and practice and WHS requirements.

Qualifications/Experience

Education: Completion of a graduate level is desired.
Language: Strong written and spoken English and skills in a regional language (e.g. Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati) is desired.
Knowledge: Must have sound Information Technology skills and the capacity to quickly become proficient in High Commission and DIBP systems, programs and policies.
Skills & Abilities: Have proven organisational abilities and successful workload management practices in order to deliver in a high-pressured environment of tight deadlines and competing priorities, while also maintaining high levels of client service and professional integrity.
Expected to:
- have the ability to work with limited supervision, and have high levels of judgement and initiative, in addition to an ability to provide quality advice to senior managers;
- demonstrate a very high level of flexibility and knowledge of various areas of visa processing and be willing to assist in other teams, often with little notice, for short to medium periods of time;
- have sound research and analytical skills and the ability to apply them to routine and more complex policy, projects and issues in the workplace;
- have leadership and management skills;
- have good interpersonal skills and a strong commitment to DIBP’s client service principles and standards in order to support the day-to-day operations of the DIBP.

SELECTION CRITERIA – LE4 Visa Officer A

Contributes to Strategic Thinking

Provide an example of a time when you have identified an opportunity for business improvement and have acted on this opportunity.

In your answer, please ensure you address the following:

􀂃 What was the situation and what was your role?

􀂃 What improvement opportunity did you identify and how?

􀂃 What action did you take in regard to this opportunity?

􀂃 What was the outcome – were you successful in initiating a change for the better?

(300 Words Maximum)

Achieves Results

Describe a situation in which you have helped others to respond and influence effectively to a change in work practices, work demands or the work environment.

In your answer please address the following:

􀂃 What was your role? What was the nature of the change in your work area?

􀂃 What was the impact of the changes on the other people in your work area?

􀂃 What did you do to help others to respond to and influence the change?

􀂃 How did the other people respond to what you did? What was the effect of your actions or approach?

(300 Words Maximum)

Supports Productive Working Relationships

Provide an example where you have demonstrated your ability to engage and motivate staff in order to achieve departmental business outcomes

In your answer, please ensure you address the following:

􀂃 What was the situation and what was your role?

􀂃 What strategies did you use to engage and motivate staff?

􀂃 How did you encourage staff to achieve at a high level?

􀂃 How did staff respond and how did your actions affect client service in your area?

(300 Words Maximum)

Demonstrates Professional/Technical Proficiency

Describe a situation in which you have drawn upon your specialised knowledge of workplace policies, procedures or guidelines to make a decision about a program delivery issue

In your answer please address the following:

􀂃 What was the situation? What role you were performing?

􀂃 What were the workplace policies, procedures or guidelines? Why did you have specialised knowledge of these?

􀂃 What was the program delivery issue? How did you use your knowledge of workplace policies, procedures or guidelines to help you make a decision about the issue?

􀂃 What was the outcome of your decision?

(300 Words Maximum)

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF

INTRODUCTION

The key underlying principles of conduct for locally engaged staff employed at the Australian High Commission, New Delhi are:

1. To act in accordance with the local law and applicable Australian law;

2. To deal equitably, honestly and in a professional manner with both the public and colleagues;

3. To ensure there is no real or apparent conflict of interest; and

4. To ensure their professional or personal behaviour does not bring the Australian High Commission or Australia into disrepute.

LES must at all times behave in a way that upholds the integrity and good reputation of the High Commission.

• Personal behaviour should be appropriate

• Dress and appearance should be in accordance with standards appropriate to an employee's duties

• LES should not be under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other prohibited or performance impairing substances in the work place

• The High Commission is a smoke-free work environment

LES must behave honestly and with integrity in the course of his/her employment with the High Commission.

LES should not use their official position to improperly influence or try to influence colleagues or members of the public by giving them gifts or by entering into financial or other arrangements with them.

LES must act with care and diligence in the course of their employment with the High Commission.

In the course of their duties LES are required to:

• be fair and impartial;

• give others likely to be affected by a decision an opportunity to have their case considered promptly;

• explain the reasons for action/decisions;

• at all times act according to local law and applicable Australian law.

LES, when acting in the course of their employment with the High Commission, must treat members of the public and colleagues with respect and courtesy, and without coercion or harassment of any kind.

LES are required to:

• treat members of the public and colleagues equitably, regardless of their sex, marital status, ethnicity, age sexual orientation, disability or religious beliefs or any other similar ground;

• be professional and courteous;

• provide reasonable assistance to the public and to help them understand their entitlements and their obligations;

• deal with the public and colleagues in an equitable and fair manner.

LES must comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by a person in the High Commission who has the authority to give the direction. LES are at all times subject to the authority of the High Commissioner/Consul General and the officer in charge of the section in which they are employed.

The relevant A-based or locally engaged staff supervisor has the primary responsibility for ensuring that the required standards of conduct and work performance are met and maintained by LES.

The LES must maintain appropriate confidentiality about information obtained during the course of their employment at the mission.

Official information must not be disclosed to any person unless an employee is authorised to do so in the course of his/her duties.

LES must not misuse information obtained in the course of his/her duties, including taking advantage of another person on the basis of information held about the person in official records.

LES must disclose, and take reasonable steps to avoid, any conflict of interest (real or apparent) in connection with his/her employment in the High Commission, including in relation to any outside employment and/or business activities.

LES must seek the permission of the High Commissioner or Consul General before engaging in outside employment.

The High Commissioner/Consul General may not grant permission to engage in outside employment that is incompatible with the employee's duties on behalf of the High Commission.

LES who have interests, financial or otherwise, including in respect of family and friends that could conflict with the proper performance of their duties must disclose this interest to their supervisor and take whatever action is necessary to avoid that conflict.

LES must use resources in a proper manner and avoid waste or extravagance. LES must be scrupulous in the use of official money, human and other resources.

LES have a responsibility to care for and maintain High Commission property. The property of the High Commission is to be used for official purposes only and is to be used efficiently and effectively.

LES must not, in the course of their employment in the High Commission, provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes.

An employee is expected to:

• exercise reasonable care in giving written or oral information or advice; and

• take reasonable steps to ensure that the information provided is accurate.

Where there are doubts about the reliability of information this should be checked with a supervisor. Where the information being given is of an interim or conditional nature, this should be made clear.

An employee must not make improper use of inside information or the employee's duties, status, power or authority in order to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the employee, or for any other person, including the acceptance of gifts, sponsored travel, hospitality, accommodation, hire car costs and entertainment.

These restrictions also apply to the families of LES, where the gift or benefit is a direct result of the official duties of the employee.

Gifts or benefits generally should not be accepted. In cases where not accepting would cause offence to an extent that could adversely affect Australia's interests, a gift or benefit can only be accepted with the written approval of the High Commissioner or Consul General.

If in doubt about whether or not to accept a gift the matter should be discussed with the employee's A-based supervisor.

A bribe is a gift given or offers made with the intention of influencing an employee to take or not to take a specific action. The acceptance of a bribe will result in disciplinary action being taken against the employee.

Money must never be accepted as a gift.