Hong Kong to recruit 2 civil service directors with ‘political acumen’

Hong Kong authorities have launched an unprecedented open recruitment exercise for director positions overseeing information services and environmental hygiene, with “strong political acumen” listed as a common requirement.The government posted the two job s on its website on Wednesday, seeking directors for the Information Services Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.The posts will report to the permanent secretaries for home and youth affairs, and environment and ecology (food) respectively.Common requirements for both positions include “strong political acumen” and the ability to lead change, while the information services role also calls for “strong intellectual ability”.The director of information services will be tasked with “projecting an accurate image of the city within and outside Hong Kong”, providing strategic public relations advice and support to the city’s leader and senior officials on policy addresses and budget matters, and actively engaging the media to enhance understanding of the government’s policy direction.The director of food and environmental hygiene will be responsible for providing services “in tandem with the changing needs and expectations of the community”, as well as providing input to the bureau on the formulation of policies including food safety, public hygiene and licensing of food premises.