E+ Senior Marketing, Communications and Events Manager in Edinburgh

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.

The Department for Education has announced that the British Council is set to take on the role of National Agency for Erasmus+. In December the UK and EU arrived at a political agreement that the UK would rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027. That agreement has now been legally formalised under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The British Council has a longstanding commitment to supporting international exchange.

Role Purpose:

The Senior Manager Marketing, Comms and Events will lead the development and delivery of the British Council’s Erasmus+ marketing strategy, driving awareness, engagement, and applications from UK organisations through audience-led communications and strong brand positioning. You will be responsible for ensuring effective marketing across the full grant lifecycle, using audience insight, stakeholder collaboration, and integrated campaigns to support programme objectives, improve performance, and build long-term advocacy for Erasmus+.

Main Responsibilities:

• Leading the development and delivery of the Erasmus+ marketing and communications strategy, ensuring alignment with programme priorities and organisational objectives.
• Translating programme goals into clear, audience-led marketing plans, including campaign frameworks, audience segmentation, channel strategy, and messaging.
• Owning audience insight, personas, and customer lifecycle planning to support engagement from awareness through to application and advocacy.
• Developing integrated communications, PR, and events strategies across digital, in-person, and media channels to increase awareness, engagement, reputation, and advocacy.
• Overseeing brand, messaging, and content strategy to ensure all marketing activity is consistent, accessible, audience-focused, and aligned with brand standards.
• Applying advanced marketing expertise to solve complex challenges, provide strategic consultancy, and improve campaign effectiveness and impact.
• Providing expert marketing and brand advice to stakeholders, embedding marketing into programme design and ensuring effective campaign delivery from briefing to execution.
• Building and influencing strong relationships with internal teams, senior stakeholders, and external partners to enable joined-up marketing and communications delivery.
• Defining, monitoring, and evaluating marketing performance indicators, using insights to drive continuous improvement, efficiency, and scalable best practice.
• Promoting inclusive and accessible marketing approaches while managing priorities across multiple stakeholders and supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion objectives.

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience:

Essential:

• Managing complex marketing programmes and campaigns across multiple channels.
• Designing and delivering marketing and communications strategies to support programmes and products.
• Negotiating budgets and resources effectively with senior stakeholders.
• Developing content marketing strategies and evaluating campaign performance and impact.
• Leading and managing teams to deliver high-quality marketing outcomes.
• Planning and delivering online and in-person events, including using event platforms such as Cvent.
• Using advanced marketing technologies, including CMS, martech tools (e.g HubSpot, Hootsuite), design and asset management tools (Canva, Creatopy, Bynder), and project management tools (Monday.com).

Desirable:

• Embedding a marketing and audience-led culture within organisations.
• Delivering marketing and communications within the cultural engagement or education sector.
• Working effectively within complex global organisations.

Specific Requirements:

Degree or professional qualification in marketing, communications or business or demonstrable level of equivalent experience. 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.

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.