Head of Education

Role purpose --- Lead on strategy, planning and delivery of the country Education/Tertiary Education portfolio including delivery of British Council global programmes - student mobility and internationalisation, tertiary education and science partnerships, and non-formal education - and client-funded programmes, ensuring they achieve impact targets. Lead business development and income generation in Education/Tertiary Education, contributing to successful delivery of country and global income targets, with support from Country Director and the global team. Manage senior stakeholder relationships and demonstrate expertise on behalf of the British Council and the UK in the sector, positioning the organisation favourably with government representatives, clients, partners, researchers and technical experts. Build market knowledge and insight about the local education context and share this internally and externally with partners and stakeholders. Embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into all aspects of this work so that our people and partners experience a culture that promotes respect, inclusion and diversity, and benefits everyone. Role context Cultural Engagement (CE) is one of two global strategic departments within the British Council. It brings together our work in Arts, Education, English & School Education and research. With a workforce of approximately 1000 globally and an income in 2024/25 of £200 million, CE delivers impact through research and insights, sector engagement, policy dialogue and a mixed portfolio of commercial and Grant and Partnership Funded (GPF) work globally. CE delivers much of its work through a suite of global programmes/ programmatic frameworks aligned to the British Council’s strategic outcomes. Our work in Education is organised into three strands: * Student mobility and internationalisation: We support the Higher Education sector to attract international students to the UK and ensure lifelong engagement with UK alumni through development opportunities. We also enrich the school experience with international perspectives facilitating policy dialogue and partnerships and supporting the teaching and learning of modern foreign language partnerships. * Tertiary education partnerships: We facilitate Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Science Partnerships between the UK and other countries to develop high quality, more inclusive and globally connected education systems and contribute the UK’s knowledge to international education. * Non-formal education (NFE): We empower young leaders and marginalised groups through skills development to contribute to trust building, cohesion and stability in their societies and represented these communities on a local and international stage. We embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into all aspects of this work so that our people and partners experience a culture that promotes respect, inclusion and diversity in support of mutual benefit. This role contributes to successful delivery of the global Education/Higher Education portfolio and strategy by ensuring strategic alignment and high-quality delivery of projects and programmes and by contributing to the success of the global Education income generation plan. Main accountabilities Strategy and planning · Lead on development of the country Education/Tertiary Education strategy and annual plan, aligned with the global Education/Tertiary Education strategy and with the Cultural Engagement plan for the country. · Ensure that country Education/Higher Education strategy meets the needs of local stakeholders and partners and aligns with the HMG country plan working with the Country Director and the local British Embassy/High Commission. · Develop and nurture internal relationships across Cultural Engagement in-country and across the wider organisation to ensure that the Education/Tertiary Education strategy is aligned, understood and achieved. · Consider the role of digital products, services and channels in optimising the impact and sustainability of the portfolio, working with country marketing and digital colleagues, and the global team. Leadership and management · Develop and own the country project/programme management plan for Education/Tertiary Education. · Deliver the Education/Tertiary Education programme, ensuring compliance with British Council programme standards across delivery, planning, reporting, evaluation and EDI. · Contribute technical expertise to the design of Education/Tertiary Education programmes and contracts, assuring quality and impact and managing issues and risks. · Use digital platforms and technological advancements to improve the efficiency, impact and quality of project and/or programme design and delivery. · Incorporate specific actions to address EDI priorities in programme delivery, based on analysis of local EDI context. · Manage day-to-day aspects of the portfolio ensuring global standards of programme and contract management are achieved. · Provide direct line management where applicable, with matrix management support provided to sector programme teams in country as required. · Ensure effective financial management and compliance - manage and deliver to target, budgets, profitability, timelines, and to corporate quality standards in all areas. · Act as the Senior Responsible Officer for smaller projects/programmes, relating to the sector specialism, as required. · Monitor, review and ensure that the portfolio is achieving agreed impact measures, and that monitoring, evaluation and learning plans (MEL) and reporting is in place. · Lead by example and model compliance with British Council policies and processes, Code of Conduct, values and behaviours in all day-to-day activities, line management, and liaison with colleagues and external stakeholders. Business development · Lead on business development and income generation, with support from Country Director and the global business development team. · Use networking opportunities to develop contacts with potential funders, clients and partners in the country/multi-country/regional context. · Identify specific business development opportunities aligned with the country and global business development plan. · Apply due diligence requirements to potential partners. · Lead the development of commercial proposals and support the technical writing for evidence-based bids/proposals which are appropriate to the context, ensuring mainstreaming of EDI and alignment with the Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion framework. · Work with global business support teams to ensure proposals are costed and priced appropriately. · Manage a network of associate advisors, consultants and partners to support business development and delivery of contracts. · Participate in contract negotiations with partners and clients (in conjunction with the UK Contract Management team) and ensure the mitigation of risks. · Ensure timely reporting and communication on externally funded contracts/grant funded initiatives, and internal monthly reporting. Stakeholder management and market positioning · Manage and build mutually beneficial relationships with a set of key stakeholders agreed with the Country Director, to understand the context better and explore partnerships. · Demonstrate expertise on behalf of the British Council and the UK in the sector by networking effectively, speaking at events and publishing articles, positioning the organisation favourably with government representatives, clients, partners, researchers and technical experts. · Ensure that the British Council’s reputation for quality and as a valued partner remains high and contributes to our organisational mission of building trust between people in the UK and other countries. Market knowledge, research and Insight · Build market knowledge and insight about the local education context and share this internally and externally, to support the UK sector’s engagement with the country and with the region, where relevant. · Commission relevant new research to contribute to the British Council’s Tertiary Education research strategy. · Use sector expertise to provide insight and content for corporate responses to public consultations, representing the British Council’s perspective and demonstrating our thought leadership in relevant external fora. Commercial and/or financial management · Produce business performance reports, including income, cost management, results and impact of portfolio. · Manage the Income and Expenditure accounts for programmes/individual projects and contribute to business planning exercises. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion · Actively contribute to an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of their own biases, and taking action to mitigate against these. Ensure that people feel valued and are treated equitably, with support for people’s well-being and mental health. · Understand the British Council’s approach to EDI and how it applies to their role, making time for learning and development relating to EDI and anti-racism. · Embed good practice in EDI across all projects and programmes, ensuring design and delivery contribute positively to improved gender equality, disability and social inclusion. Person specification British Council core competencies (sometimes referred to as Core Skills) Planning and organising (level 4) Plans for the longer term Shapes forward plans for 3-5 years ahead for a major unit or multiple units, taking account of British Council strategy and the need to manage contingencies, risks and impact. Managing People (level 4) Leads a large and varied team Manages a substantial group to deliver annual business objectives. The team includes different professions, cultures and/or areas of business, and may cover multiple locations. Managing Projects (level 4) Leads larger projects Analyses requirements with the sponsor/stakeholders, defining the specification with awareness of equality and diversity impact, planning, revising, implementing, monitoring and evaluating. Handles changes in specification or plans to meet unexpected circumstances Communicating and influencing (level 4). Uses influencing techniques Uses formal and informal negotiating and motivation techniques to influence others’ behaviour and persuade them to think and act differently, while respecting difference of view and culture. Account and Partnership Management (level 4). Plans and leads on accounts and partnerships Develops and leads on the delivery of account management and development plans across a range of stakeholders/customers/partners to deliver medium term business and/or reputational gains for both parties. Commercial and business development (level 4) Leads business development Able to plan and deliver business development activities for a major and/or new market category which is significant for the British Council. Managing finance and resources (level 4) Plans and deploys resources Negotiates and agrees the resources for a defined area as part of forward planning, monitoring progress and adjusting resources or priorities to meet goals. Managing risk (level 3) Develops the culture Has track record of analysing potential risks, promoting risk awareness, and holding others to account for their practices. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion · Recognises and acts to reduce bias, including unconscious bias. · Works inter-culturally, includes and values diverse perspectives and experiences. · Takes actions and/or makes decisions based on an evidenced understanding of the experiences and barriers for people from diverse equality backgrounds. · Actively listens and communicates with empathy and openness. Role specific skills · Strong reporting-writing and presentation skills, including at conferences and sector events · Ability to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders and negotiate effectively · Team working and inter-cultural skills, working globally · Ability to lead digital events on basic platforms (Microsoft Teams) ensuring all corporate standards are met, including those for accessibility and safeguarding. Role specific knowledge and experience Minimum/essential · In-depth understanding of Education sectors of xxxxxxx and of the UK, and of bilateral priorities. · Experience of delivering sizeable externally funded projects or programmes. · Direct experience of client-funded contract pursuit and delivery. · Experience of developing and overseeing monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) within projects and incorporating lessons learned from MEL into programmes and strategy. · Experience of building mutually beneficial relationships with diverse stakeholders including multilateral agencies, donors, government officials, Education/Higher Education leaders, academics, researchers, alumni and students. · Knowledge and experience of embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in programmes Desirable. · Knowledge of international mobility trends of xxxxxxx students seeking tertiary educational opportunities. · Knowledge of transnational educational trends in xxxxxx, including academic and research partnerships with local public and private educational institutions. · Ability to analyse relevant equality issues and identify opportunities to address these in the portfolio. Language Requirements The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required. Education Degree and/or equivalent experience Professional Qualification and Certification Project management or equivalent qualification or equivalent work experience Additional job requirements Proof of Identity requirements/right to work in country Candidates are expected to have researched whether they have the right to live and work in the country in which the role is based. Given that our offices have different legal status depending on the work we do in those countries, we recommend that you contact HR in country for additional information on the likelihood of securing a visa. Background Checks Initial and continuing employment with the British Council is subject to an annual background check. The job undertaken defines the nature of check(s) and assessment applied. British Council values and behaviours British council values and behaviours are applicable across our organisation, in all roles and at all levels. They are important because they say what we stand for at the British Council and help us to deliver our strategy. We use them to guide our decision making, as well as guide how we treat one another and the people we work with. These will be assessed in the selection process. Our values are: Open and Committed; Expert and Inclusive; Optimistic and Bold..