After graduating, Chappell joined the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In 2003 she was posted to
Baghdad, Iraq, as a member of the
Coalition's governance team after the fall of
Saddam Hussein's regime. She was appointed OBE in 2004 "in recognition of services to the reconstruction of Iraq and towards its transition to democracy." In 2008, Chappell was appointed to be British ambassador to
Guatemala, and also
non-resident ambassador to
El Salvador and
Honduras. She took up her post in Guatemala on 28 May 2009 becoming, at the time, the United Kingdom's youngest ever ambassador at the age of 31. During her time in Guatemala, Chappell made issues surrounding domestic violence in the country a key part of her mission. In 2012, Chappell led the GREAT Britain campaign and Emerging Powers department at the FCO, promoting the United Kingdom as a destination for international trade and tourism, subsequently being awarded a Civil Service Award for her work. in 2014, Chappell left the FCO and joined Hawthorn Advisors, a London-based communications firm specialising in finance and corporate strategy, as head of international relations. She later became a partner. She is now managing director, business, at
London and Partners. Since leaving the FCO she has styled herself "Jules Chappell". Since July 2017, Chappell has been an Advisory Board Member of the St James's Roundtable at
Chatham House. She continues her promotion of women in the business and financial world; in 2016, she was named a World Economic Forum
Young Global Leader. She is currently managing director, business, at
London and Partners. == Personal life ==