A GUIDE TO ON & OFF BASE EMPLOYMENT IN THE UK FOR U.S.

A GUIDE TO ON & OFF BASE EMPLOYMENT IN THE UK

FOR U.S. COMMAND SPONSORED FAMILY MEMBERS

RAF ALCONBURY

AIRMAN AND FAMILY READINESS CENTER (A&FRC)

Location: Bldg. 671, RAF Alconbury

Hours: Monday-Friday 0900-1600, closed 1200-1300

Telephone: 01480843557 (From within the U.K.)

+44-1480843557 (From the U.S.)

DSN 268-3557

Welcome to RAF Alconbury & RAF Molesworth! The Airman and Family Readiness Center is here

to make the search for employment at an overseas base as smooth as possible for you! The

A&FRC assists military spouses, civilian spouses, and family members with obtaining and

maintaining employment. One of our goals is to assist each client with our most current resources

available and to ensure the services offered are professional and informative.

SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH THE A&FRC LOCAL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM INCLUDE:

 Information about employment opportunities and procedures for both on-base and off-base

locations.

 One-on-one career consultations and educational workshops providing information such as

career development and assessment, networking, interviewing skills, resume writing and

federal employment.

 Employment information and resources for transitioning members.

 Resource Center with information on jobs, careers, spouses in the work force, interviewing

skills, resume writing and federal employment.

 Access to computer lab for job searching, resume writing, and career enhancement

resources.

ON BASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

AAFES (BX, Shopette, Subway, Concessions in the Mini-Mall)

http://www.aafes.com/about-exchange/exchange-careers/

Location: Administrative Offices

Bldg. 584, RAF Alconbury (BX)

Telephone: 01480843264 (From the UK)

011441480843264 (From the US)

DSN 268-3264

Eligibility: Anyone 16 years old and up, shoppette requires employees to be 18.

DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY (DeCA)

Appropriated fund jobs such as Sales Store Cashiers, Store Workers, and Support Clerks

(computer room). Some positions for DECA are also listed on www.usajobs.gov

Location: Commissary Bldg. 648, RAF Alconbury

Telephone: 01480843919

DSN 268-3919

Eligibility: Dependents of Command Sponsored Members

Retirees

FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT AND CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS

All Federal positions in the community are listed on USAJobs. For more information, please visit:

www.usajobs.gov

For the RAF Mildenhall (local) civilian personnel office call DSN 238-3540 or 01638-543540.

HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM OFFICE (HRO) – 423d Force Support Squadron

Non-Appropriated Fund jobs in services facilities, e.g., Bowling Center, Lodging, Youth Services,

Child Development Center, NYPD, The Stukeley Inn, Community Center, etc.

Location: Bldg. 671, RAF Alconbury

Telephone: 01480-843065 (Inside the UK)

+441480843065 (From the US)

DSN 268-3065

www.nafjobs.org

To be eligible for US NAF employment with the 423d Force Support Squadron, you must

meet the following criteria:

• Must be:

• A citizen of the US or a citizen of any other NATO* contracting party other than UK **,

connected with US federal government, assigned to the vicinity of RAF Alconbury:

• Active duty military member

• Federal civilian employee

• Dependents of active duty military members or civilian employees

(spouse, unmarried dependent children, including stepchildren, adopted children, and foster

children not more than 23 years of age residing with a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or

a U.S. citizen civilian employee of a U.S. Government Agency, including NAF activities

whose duty station is in a foreign area)

• Must not be “Ordinary Resident”, and possess a US passport

• A person is not considered ordinary resident if they have resided in the UK for 366 days or

less

• Time spent in the UK as a member of the US Visiting Force or as a US Government

employee or as a dependent of either is not counted toward becoming ordinarily resident

• Time spent in the UK as an employee (or dependent of an employee) of a US agency

serving with and supporting the US Visiting Force, i.e. Red Cross, one of the contract

universities, a military banking facility or federal credit union, or by a US Government

contractor as a “technical representative” is not counted toward becoming an ordinary

resident

* NATO Countries:

Albania

Czech Rep

Greece

Lithuania

Portugal

Turkey

Belgium

Denmark

Hungary

Luxembourg

Romania

United Kingdom

Bulgaria

Estonia

Iceland

Netherlands

Slovakia

United States

Canada

France

Italy

Norway

Slovenia

Croatia

Germany

Latvia

Poland

Spain

** United Kingdom –eligible if you are dual US/UK national and traveling on US passport (if

selected for a position, this will affect your UK citizenship and component entitlements).

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SCHOOLS (DODDS) – Alconbury Elementary School (K-5) and

Alconbury Middle High School (6-12).

Open continuous positions are posted on www.usajobs.gov and instructions on how to apply are

located at http://www.dodea.edu/Europe/offices/hr/. Open continuous positions include: substitute

teachers, educational aids, and administrative positions.

Once your application is processed and completed through the USA Jobs, a review of your resume

and supporting documentation will be completed. Your application information will be stored. As

vacancies occur throughout the year for positions that you applied, a referral list will be issued to

the hiring official. If you are selected for an interview, the selecting official or a designee will contact

you. If you are selected for the position, you will be contacted by a Human Resources Specialist to

extend you a “tentative” job offer. If you accept the “tentative” job offer, you will be required to

complete the electronic background investigation; local agency background check, and in-

processing paperwork.

Note: Employment in these positions is subject to successful completion of a background security

investigation and favorable adjudication. If you have any questions or require any assistance,

please contact DoDDS-Europe, Human Resources Office at: 0611-380-7937.

For information on full-time teaching positions, visit:

http://www.dodea.edu/Offices/HR/employment/teacher.cfm

COMMUNITY BANK - http://careers.dodcommunitybank.com/index.php

RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth (apply at Bldg. 582, RAF Alconbury) 01480-843160/3632

KEESLER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION – Bldg. 582, RAF Alconbury– 01480-823861

https://www.kfcu.org/about-us/careers-at-kfcu

BRITISH STAFF OFFICE

Local National Direct Hire Program

Location: Bldg. 516, RAF Alconbury

Telephone: 01480-843658 (From the UK)

01144-1480-843658 (From the US)

DSN 268-3658

Eligibility: Non-British NATO Country spouses with SSN

Non-British NATO Country spouses without SSN

EDUCATION CENTER – employs representatives for University of Maryland, Central Texas

College, etc. Also have opportunities for test proctors.

Location: Bldg. 678, RAF Alconbury

Telephone: 01480-843306

DSN 268-3306

CONTRACT POSITIONS

Contract tasks are identified, validated and submitted to the Contracting Flight by the requiring

activities. When a requirement is validated and funds are made available, a Statement of Work is

created and the position is advertised. Individuals may submit a proposal/bid to the Contracting

Flight for consideration. Special attention must be given to the qualification requirements, required

performance, contract terms and other conditions. Proposals/bids are evaluated in accordance

with the solicitation and the award of the contract is made by the Contracting Officer (considering

best value) to the low, responsive/responsible bidder.

If you would like information on current contracts being advertised please contact the 423d ABG

Contracting Flight at 268-3122 or commercial 01480-843122 or go to www.fbo.gov.

 To view announcements: In the Keyword / Solicitation # box enter “Alconbury”

You can also visit www.fsb.org.uk

Vendors are required to complete a one-time registration to provide basic information relevant to

procurement and financial transactions. Register at www.sam.gov

A DUNS number, provided by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), is required for registration in System for

Award Management (SAM). To obtain a DUNS number, go to: www.dnb.com (US Citizens) or

www.dnb.co.uk (UK Citizens).

CIVILIAN CONTRACTING FIRMS AT RAF MOLESWORTH

L-3 Communications (Titan Group) –http://www.l-3com.com/careers/us-divisions-with-international-

assignments-search (click on Careers>Job Search>US Divisions with International Assignments

Search; look under USAFE A&AS Jobs for UK, GE and Bosnia) Some positions may include:

Intelligence Analyst, Counter Terrorism Intelligence Analysts, Senior Engineers, Senior System

Analysts, Senior Military Analysts, Senior Intel Systems Analysts, Combat Services Support

Analyst, Interoperability Analyst, Training Specialist, System and Database Administrators, plus

many more.

General Dynamics (GDIT) – http://www.gdcareers.com/gdchq_jobs/main.cfm (click on relevant

category on right hand side of screen under General Dynamics Openings). Positions mainly fall

under hardware applications, service and administrative.

Computer Sciences Corporation – http://www.csc.com/careersus/flxwd/16005-careers (global job

postings can be found here). A global leader in providing technology enabled business solutions

and services.

MITRE – www.mitre.org The MITRE Corporation is a not-for-profit company that operates multiple

federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs). We provide innovative, practical

solutions for some of our nation's most critical challenges in defense and intelligence, aviation, civil

systems, homeland security, the judiciary, and healthcare.

Northrop Grumman – http://www.northropgrumman.com/careers/JobSearch/Pages/default.aspx -

Our vision is to be the most trusted provider of systems and technologies that ensure the security

and freedom of our nation and its allies. As the technology leader, we will define the future of

defense—from undersea to outer space, and in cyberspace.

Mission Essential- http://www.missionessential.com/work-for-us.aspx - As a proven partner to the

Intelligence Community, Mission Essential helps customers protect and defend their national

security interests against terrorism, contingencies and crisis, cyber-threats, and other hazards to

global security.

SAIC – (Science Applications International Corporation) - http://www.saic.com/about/careers/ -

dedicated to the delivery of quality scientific and technical products and services contributing to the

security and well-being of our communities throughout the world.

Booz Allen Hamilton - http://careers.boozallen.com/ - Our approach to management and

technology consulting combines deep domain expertise in defense, intelligence, and civilian

government with strong capabilities in strategy, and organization, analytics, technology and

operations.

JOINT ANALYSIS CENTER (JAC) EMPLOYMENT

The JAC employs US civilians mostly in the intelligence and computer fields, occasionally

administrative support positions are also available. Visit www.usajobs.gov to see available

positions.

Eligibility: American Citizens

NAVY CIVIL SERVICE JOBS

There are some local-hire civil service jobs available through the Department of the Navy. Most of

these jobs are in London and its environs. Depending on where you live you may consider them.

The current listings and employment process can be found at the website:

http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Pages/Default.aspx

Eligibility: American Citizens

SERCO – The contracting company has roots that go back to 1929, becoming Serco Limited in

1987 and in 1988 was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Now, Serco is a FTSE top 250

company managing over 500 contracts worldwide. Employing over 50,000 people, they operate

internationally across four geographies: UK & Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle

East and across five sectors: Defence, Justice & Immigration, Transport, Health and Citizen

Services.

https://www.serco.com/careers

VOLUNTEERING- this is an excellent way to gain additional experience and to “get your foot in the

door” for potential job opportunities. See the Volunteer Program Manager in the Airman and

Family Readiness Center for assistance in finding the best match for your skills. In some cases the

costs of child care during volunteer hours may be covered.

OFF-BASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

As part of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) command sponsored family members (military

or civilian) with a visiting forces dependent visa and no employment restrictions on their passport

are able to work on the British Economy without a work permit. You must apply for a National

Insurance Number when hired for work.

If you are not command sponsored, you may receive componency status, which allows you to

purchase gas on base and shop at the BX and Commissary by working a certain number of hours

per week for AAFES, HRO, or DeCA. Contact these agencies to get more information on

componency. If you choose to work off base you will not have entitlement to the base, and you will

have to obtain a work permit and work visa.

There are many options for finding jobs and information about businesses off base. Resources

may include the following:

- Career Centres

- Job Centres

- Online Job Listings

- Yellow Pages and Newspaper Classifieds

- Staffing Agencies

TEACHING PROFESSION

Teaching is a profession that requires advance certification. If you want to teach in a British school,

the procedures are more complicated. In order for US-trained teachers to be able to teach in

maintained British schools (off base) they will need to obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). For

more information regarding teaching in off base schools, contact:

Teacher Training Agency

Tel: 0800 389 2500

http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching

VISION FOR EDUCATION

Vision For Education is one of the fastest growing Teacher Recruitment Agencies in the UK. All of

their branches are staffed by experienced professionals, providing both a local and personal

service to schools and teachers.

Why register with Vision For Education?

 Best rates of pay in your area

 Maximize your opportunities for work

 In addition, we have dedicated teams to specifically help you if you are a Newly Qualified

Teacher (NQT), Final Year Student or an Overseas Teacher seeking work in the UK

For more information, please call 01733 371371 or visit their website at

www.visionforeducation.co.uk

NURSING PROFESSION

Many of our US-earned degrees and qualifications are not automatically recognized in the UK.

One primary example is nursing. To work in a full nursing capacity in England, you must register

and be accredited by the NMC – United Kingdom Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Our BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) seems to be the only certification being granted

reciprocity. For Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) the accreditation process has proved less than

successful. If you are interested in having your nursing qualifications evaluated, request an

application package for “Foreign Trained Nurses” by contacting:

NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council)

23 Portland Place

London W1B 1PZ

Tel: 02073-339333

http://www.nmc-uk.org

Once you are qualified, you can work for a Nursing Agency, Hospital, or Private Home.

Prestige Nursing

Prestige Nursing will work with US educated and trained nurses provided they are registered with

the NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) and also the RCN (Royal College of Nursing). Candidates

will also need to furnish email addresses to obtain references for previous employment.

Prestige offers a wide choice of both temporary and permanent positions. If you value flexibility and

variety in your work life then consider the wide range of temporary nursing and care jobs that

Prestige Nursing has to offer. After passing rigorous recruitment checks and updating your training

if necessary, you will become a member of Prestige Nursing. They will work with you to find work

when you want it, where you want it. Visit their temporary jobs page to find out more.

If you're looking for a more permanent move as the next step in your career, then consider working

with Prestige Nursing + Care to find your next job? You do not have to be registered with them and

you can choose from a wide variety of jobs from some of the leading employers in the health and

care sector. Visit their permanent jobs page to find out more.

For more information, contact the Peterborough office at 01603 666643 or e-mail

peterborough@prestige-nursing.co.uk or visit https://www.prestige-nursing.co.uk/.

Careers Centres:

National Career Services offers advice, guidance, and information on career issues to people of

all ages and from all backgrounds. Of particular help to Americans is the guidance they offer in

translating work and educational experiences into language that’s most easily understood by

potential British employers. You can visit their website at:

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/

Job Centres

Jobcentres are government run employment offices. Jobs are posted in the center and are

changed frequently. If you find a job that interests you, you can print the receipt of the job on

computer stations located in the Jobcentre. Follow the how to apply instructions. You can also

search jobs on the Jobcentre website by visiting https://www.gov.uk/jobsearch .

You can also find out about self-employment opportunities through the Jobcentre Enterprise Clubs.

Enterprise Clubs are one of the services that Jobcentre Plus’ offer to help you get to work.

Each Enterprise Club will offer different services which may include the opportunity to:

• meet people who are self-employed, who can tell you about their experiences

• meet people that want to become self-employed - to share your ideas and skills and

encourage each other to work through your business ideas

• get information and advice about setting up a business

• get financial, legal and market advice

Enterprise Clubs are run by local organizations, which could include employers, business

organizations, Chambers of Commerce, voluntary organizations and community groups.

If you’re interested in Enterprise Clubs a Jobcentre Plus adviser can explain how an Enterprise

Club could help you if you’re thinking about becoming self-employed, give you more information

about Enterprise Clubs in your area and explain what will happen when you start.

The Job Centres nearest to Alconbury and Molesworth are:

Huntingdon

2 Hartford Road

Huntingdon, CAMBS PE29 3PB

Tel: 0845 6043719

Peterborough

Clifton House

84 Broadway

Peterborough, CAMBS PE1 1QZ

Tel: 0845 6060234

Kettering

Derbyshire House

Lower Street, Kettering

Northamptonshire NN16 8BG

Tel: 0345 6043719

Ely

52 Market Street

Ely, CAMBS CB7 4LS

Tel: 01353 605400

Online Job Listings and Company Information

The following are but a few of the Internet sites that may be helpful for local resources:

1. http://www.fish4.co.uk/jobs/ Listing of thousands of jobs – similar to monster.com.

2. http://www.reed.co.uk Job finder by career field, salary and location. Also offers general

job listings, company profiles, & salary calculators by geographic region.

3. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ Guide to graduate careers & postgraduate study in the UK.

4. https://www.gov.uk/jobsearch Listings of jobs and guide to employment in the UK.

5. http://www.totaljobs.com/ Lots of UK jobs. Submit CV.

6. http://www.mtselect.co.uk/ Recruitment Site for Motor Trade.

7. http://www.btplc.com/Careercentre/ British Telecom (BT) Recruitment.

8. http://careers.microsoft.com/careers/en/gb/home.aspx Microsoft UK

9. http://www.therecruitbusiness.com/ Engineering, Telecom & IT.

10. http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/jobs/ Cambridgeshire jobs.

11. http://www.monster.co.uk/

12. http://www.jobsite.co.uk/

13. http://www.topjobs.co.uk/UK/

Yellow Pages and Newspaper Classifieds

The Yellow Pages of telephone books for the various surrounding communities remain as one of

the best and most frequently overlooked resources for finding names and locations of businesses

and organizations as potential employers. The various National and Local newspapers have

regularly scheduled recruitment advertisements. Copies of these may be purchased at any of the

nearby stores or news agents.

Staffing Agencies

There are numerous Employment Agencies listed in the Yellow Pages of the telephone book

offering assistance in finding temporary and permanent employment in areas such as

accountancy, technical and computing, labour and industrial, sales, secretarial and office

administration. A full listing of recruitment agencies can be found at:

http://www.agencycentral.co.uk/ or http://www.reed.co.uk/recruiterdirectory/agencies. Some

agencies which are familiar with the Status of Forces Agreement which allows spouses of

American and DOD civilian employees to work on the economy here are:

Interaction Recruitment

St Johns House

84A High Street

Huntingdon, CAMBS PE29 3DA

Tel: 01480 433474

http://www.interactionrecruitment.co.uk/locati

ons/huntingdon

Point Professional Rec LTD

102 High Street

Huntingdon, CAMBS PE29 3LB

Industrial, secretarial staff & Laboratory staff

Tel: 01480 431888

http://www.pointrecruitment.co.uk

First Choice Recruitment

90 High Street

Huntingdon, CAMBS PE29 3DP

Tel: 01480 459141

hunts@1stchoicerec.com

Recruiting People

89 High Street

Huntingdon, CAMBS PE29 3DP

Tel: 01480 357577

Interaction Recruitment

1 City Road

Cambridge CAMBS CB1 1 DP

Tel: 01223 314988

www.irweb.co.uk

OTHER GOOD-TO-KNOW INFORMATION

ABOUT WORKING ON THE BRITISH ECONOMY

National Insurance Number

Any individual, regardless of nationality, must enroll in the National Insurance Program (the British

equivalent of Social Security) if they (1) are 16 years of age or older; (2) earn at least the lower

earnings limit and (3) work as an “employed earner” in Great Britain, a term embracing most

employees.

The NI number is used as a reference number for your UK tax and national insurance.

There is a misconception that you need a NI number in order to look for work. The opposite is

true. You do not need a NI number unless you’ve found work.

Steps to Getting a National Insurance Number

You will need to telephone the National Insurance Number application Line at Tel 0800 141 2075

to arrange to get one. Lines are open 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday and are normally less

busy before 9.00 am. Visit https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number#4 for more

information.

Tax Information For Those Working On the British Economy

British Taxes: If you work in the UK, you will have to pay income tax. This tax is collected by the

government department known as the Inland Revenue. Tax is paid based on your income during

the tax year, which starts on April 6th and ends on April 5th the following year. Tax Helpline: 0845

3000627.

For more information go to the HM Revenue: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm

Additional and more specific questions concerning British income tax may be directed to the base

legal office (01480-823535) or one of the Inland Revenue Offices.

U.S. Taxes: Your income earned on the British economy is considered “foreign earned income.”

Please visit http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Taxpayers-Living-Abroad for

more information on filing taxes in the U.S.

**When PCSing back to the States, here are some helpful hints concerning previous employment

on the economy:

Obtain a P-45 from your employer. Go to www.hmrc.gov.uk. Go to individual Forms and

under Leaving the UK section, print out P-85. Find out where your employer’s tax office is located

and send the P-85 and the P-45 forms. It takes 6-8 weeks to get a refund. Refunds are either

directly deposited into your sterling account or a sterling check may be mailed to your forwarding

address. For questions: Call HM Revenue and Customs 0845 070 0040. Please note that money

paid into National Insurance remains in the UK. It will not be refunded or transferred to you. For

information, go to www.dwp.gov.uk look up SA33 (Social Security Agreement between the US and

UK) or call 0191 225 4833.

A FINAL NOTE

As you go about your job search on the British economy be aware of some of the possible British

ideas about Americans in their workplace. Remember to stay positive and focus on the strengths

you will bring to your potential new employer!

Pros:

 Americans are natural salespeople.

 They have the reputation for wanting to work and being reliable.

 They are familiar with computers and information technology.

 They will add “International Flavor” to the business.

Challenges:

 Americans may need a work permit (spouses and family members of military and DoD civilians

on orders come under the SOFA agreement and will not need a work permit)

 They may not be staying very long.

 They may not understand differences in education, etc. (but we can learn!)