Job Description

Programme Manager – International Chevening Secretariat. 

Pay band: 8
Salary: £38, 820 per annum.
What we’ll offer you:   In addition to a competitive salary and excellent civil service pension contributions, the British Council offers:
•    32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
•    3 days volunteering leave
•    Opportunities to grow and develop in the role with continuous professional development

British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service.  This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.

Department: Cultural Engagement, Education.
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract until 31st August 2025, Full Time hours – 36 per week.
Closing Date: Monday 4th December 2023 at 23:59 UK Time.

Location:  UK Only –  Cardiff, London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Belfast.

Requirements – Please note:

You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.

We are unable to support with relocation, mobility and sponsorship. 

About The Team

The British Council has a long history of designing and managing a range of scholarship programmes for international students.
We deliver a wide range of programmes in international higher education that promote cultural relations and understanding. These include grant-funded programmes supporting international student recruitment to the UK, trans-national education, and alumni engagement.

Delivery of the Chevening and Marshall programmes will complement these activities and serve to demonstrate the British Council’s value as a partner of UK government and as a partner for the UK’s higher education sector. Facilitating the long-lasting and deep relationships between people across the world and the UK will strengthen individual and subsequent institutional connections as well as ties of friendship.

The services required to be delivered in the contract include: Communications; programme promotion; scholar selection; scholar placing assistance; pre-departure services; support to scholars in the UK; alumni engagement; impact reporting and MEL; financial reporting; partnership development; and ensuring social value.

The Role:

The Programme Manager – International (PMI) is a key member of the Chevening Secretariat management team.   You will line manage two Senior Programme Officers – International (SPOIs) and one Senior Programme Officer – Fellowships (SPOF), who in turn manage a team of Programme Officers.

The PMI and their team support the relevant stages of the Chevening cycle to ensure an excellent standard of service delivery to UK Embassies and High Commissions (‘Posts’) in the recruitment, selection and support of Chevening Scholars and Fellows. Working closely with the Head of Programme Management and the Scholarships Unit at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the PMI has input into Chevening operations overseas and responsibility for ensuring a consistent global approach to delivery by the Secretariat.

The PMI is responsible for the Secretariat’s positive communication and engagement with FCDO posts and other key international stakeholders, in conjunction with other members of the Secretariat’s management team where required.

The PMI contributes to regular and ad hoc reporting to enable to Director of Chevening and Head of Programme Management to ensure compliance with the Secretariat’s contractual obligations and key performance indicators.

Accountabilities /Responsibilities:
•    Working with the Head of Programme Management and Head of Scholarships Finance to produce accurate budgets, with responsibility for the international team’s budget lines. Providing data to inform forecast spend, to reconcile expenditure at the end of each quarter and any other ad hoc financial requests as required.

•    Building and maintaining strong relationships with key FCDO stakeholders based in the UK and overseas in order to support the deliuvery of the Chevening programme.
•    Representing the Chevening programme and the British Council externally, including at a senior level.

•    Contributing to reports as required by the Director of Chevening, Head of Programme Management and FCDO, including reporting against KPIs as part of the quarerly contract review process.
•    Ensuring that the team supports the work of FCDO posts to a high standard throughout all stages of the Chevening cycle, including marketing and recruitment, the application and selection process and during the transition from Scholars/Fellows to alumni.

•    Working with the Head of Programme Management, Senior Data Analyst and third party software suppliers to identify and implement innovative and cost-effective procedures to streamline the application and assessment process, including management of the reading committee process.

•    Overseeing the annual updating of materials for applications and selections including website content, application criteria, interview guidance materials etc.

•    Supporting the delivery of strategies that relate to the international team’s work, including the communications strategy, alumni engagement strategy and partnerships strategy.

•    To actively contribute to an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of your own biases, and taking action to mitigate against these. Ensuring people feel valued and are treated equitably, with support for people’s well-being and mental health.

•    Understand the British Council’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and how it applies to your role, making time for learning and development relating to EDI and anti-racism.

Requirements of the role:

•    The ability to work effectively across teams to deliver results, as well as being able to work independently, show initiative and exercise sound judgement.

•    The ability to balance competing priorities under pressure of deadlines without compromising the quality of service delivery.

•    Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with stakeholders at a senior level.

•    Experience of strategic planning to achieve results and reviewing procedures to lead to an improvement in service delivery.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Temporary. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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