Assistant Consultant - UK-German Connection

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity. Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. We connect. We inspire. Contract type: Fixed Term Contract until March 2028, with the possibility of extension. Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Pay band: 6 Salary: £25,520 plus £3,300 London Market Allowance for those in the London area only. Location: London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast. Closing Date: 10th July 2026 Benefits Include, but are not limited to: * 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays * 3 days volunteering leave * Career average defined benefit pension scheme Requirements: Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Visa Sponsorship and relocation assistance is not provided. Role Context UK-German Connection is a bilateral government initiative for school and youth links between the two countries. UK-German Connection is dedicated to supporting partnerships and exchanges, offering intercultural opportunities, and facilitating connections between schools, youth groups and young people in the UK and Germany. UK-German Connection works in collaboration with partner agencies in Germany; the UK office is hosted by the British Council as its accountable organisation. Role Purpose The UK-German Connection Assistant Consultant will be responsible for delivery of various aspects of UK-German Connection’s offer and services, with a focus on the funding offer for school and youth exchanges, and partnership events. The role sits within and works alongside the wider UK-German Connection team, who are responsible for the day-to-day running of UK-German Connection. This includes: * Managing grant/bursary/programme applications from schools, colleges, youth organisations and young people and supporting applicants throughout the life cycle of their exchanges * Supporting the development of school, youth and FE partnerships * Supporting mobility and scholarships, such as summer courses and professional development opportunities * Coordinating networks * Running events and seminars * Producing resources and materials * Providing a platform (first port-of-call) for UK-German opportunities The role involves supporting with a large volume of tasks where we will need candidates to be confident in prioritising and decision-making. They will have strong administrative, customer service, communication and IT skills to ensure UK-German Connection is managed in line with British Council, DfE and FCDO obligations. The successful candidate will be innovative and passionate about intercultural projects, customer service and quality assurance and will look to identify and anticipate customer and stakeholder requirements, expectations and needs. The UK team works in close collaboration with the UK-German Connection school and youth teams based in Germany Main Accountabilities Programme and Project Management: * Support the life cycles of programmes, projects, grants, networks and events to ensure work is delivered on time and to a high standard. This includes assessment and selection, general administration, communication and correspondence with participants, briefings, logistics (where applicable), co-facilitating events and workshops, review of reports, and post-activity follow-up. * Provide operational and logistical support, delivered to time and quality standards, and manage some small-scale projects. * Support and co-facilitate project-related events and workshops. * Manage programme data, records and finances and keep relevant systems up-to-date. * Contribute to the evaluation of the quality, reach and impact of activity for reporting purposes and to inform strategic reviews and development. * Keep up to date with relevant sector developments and policy updates and coordinate team updates and reports. * Support close relationships with internal and external partners. Advisory Service * Provide information, advice and guidance on opportunities, procedures and engagement journeys. * Offer pre-application guidance, including Q&A sessions. * Support the delivery of expert advisory schemes to facilitate and support bilateral partnership activities between schools, colleges and youth groups, including guidance on planning and delivery, quality projects and intercultural communication. * Provide clear, well-informed and comprehensive guidance to potential applicants and to existing customers throughout the life cycle of their engagement. Customer Service: * Consistently provide high-quality service to all customers, minimising mistakes at each stage of the programme/project cycle. * Support customer service activities to customer needs and circumstances and engage in an open and supportive dialogue. * Support the management of relationships with customers, grant beneficiaries and programme participants to ensure fair and equal access to opportunities and maximise impact and outcomes. * Acknowledge and process applications, reports and correspondence and respond to enquiries within agreed timescales. Ensure through cross-functional work that consistent messages are delivered to applicants and participants. * Manage delivery of customer enquiry mailboxes. Communications: * Actively support UK-German Connection communications, including project-related outreach, materials, storytelling and events. * Manage standard emails and enquiries. * Assess project activity and feedback for showcasing purposes. * Contribute to UK-German Connection’s overall web presence and social media accounts, and produce relevant and compelling digital content, including images and video. * Actively support digital engagement by young people. * Support the management of customer, partner and stakeholder contacts. Business Assurance, sustainability and efficiency: * Actively identify and champion areas for change or improvement, including any blockages in service delivery. * Support the embedding of continuous learning and improvement into the team. Team Membership and Contribution: * Actively contribute to own performance planning, management and review processes, and engage in continuous learning and professional development. * Support the delivery of operational plans for own area of work. * Ensure professionalism is demonstrated in your area and client needs and perspectives are reflected in your behaviours and focus. * Seek to understand the interdependence and connections the team has with other functions and teams within Cultural Engagement and the wider organisation. Requirements of the role Minimum/essential * Experience of schools and youth sectors * Experience of Microsoft Office, especially data entry within Excel and SharePoint * Intercultural competence and awareness, particularly of the UK and Germany; intercultural communication skills * Effective interpersonal and communication skills * Strong customer service approach * Aptitude and willingness to learn and acquire new skills and an active interest in development and innovation * Ability to work both independently and cooperatively as a team member * Attention to detail and accuracy; data management skills * Proficient IT skills * Time Management – working to deadlines to meet British Council and stakeholder requirements. * Problem-solving and critical thinking Desirable * Effective analytical skills: able to collate and interpret multiple data sets, validate, analyse and use data to make recommendations and inform decision-making. * Some experience of workshops and events * Awareness of issues affecting mobility and partnerships between the UK and Germany * Awareness of safe-guarding principles and practices * Strong editing and proofing skills Language Requirement Competence at C2 level in English and C1 (min. B2) level in German Additional Information There will be occasional evening and weekend work as well as occasional travel within the UK and to Germany. A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities. Safeguarding Statement The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children. If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org