Role Purpose

Contributes to strategy, planning, and delivery of the Wales 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.

Support business development and income generation, contributing to successful delivery of country and global income targets, with support from Country Director and the global team.

Manage 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.

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.

Main Accountabilities

Strategy and Planning

• Contributes to the development of the Wales Education/Tertiary Education strategy and annual plan, aligned with the global Education/Tertiary Education strategy and with the Cultural Engagement plan for Wales.
• Ensure that the Wales Education/Higher Education strategy meets the needs of local stakeholders and partners and aligns with the HMG and Welsh Government priorities.
• 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 Wales 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 the analysis of the 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 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

• Contribute to 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.
• Manage the development of commercial proposals and support the technical writing for evidence-based bids/proposals which are appropriate to the context, ensuring the 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 Wales 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 the 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.

Requirements of the role

Minimum/Essential

• Degree and/or equivalent experience
• Project management or equivalent qualification
• In-depth understanding