Global Change Programme Manager

Overview

We are looking for a Programme Manager to join us on a two year fixed term contract.

As a senior resource, you will provide leadership for a select collection of projects or will take ownership for a major component of the largest global programmes within the organisation.

Overall programme value is likely to vary but total value of tens of millions of pounds is the expected norm, delivering changes that may straddle many or all of a global network of 100 countries or an entire business area.

The Global Change Programme has been established to achieve an improvement in the profit and loss from current losses to sustainable surplus by 2030, through a combination of business growth and cost savings, divestments, operating model and organisational design changes.

Please note this is not a finance role.

Accountabilities

Accountabilities:

• Delivery Lead and direct the design, development, planning and management of programmes across a major operational area (e.g. a major region or major business unit) through a matrix of internal and external resources, to ensure effective achievement of organisational objectives.
• Portfolio Lead and direct the prioritisation and effective allocation of resources across a specific area of change. Managing the project pipeline to ensure optimal delivery of organisational objectives in line with priorities.
• Strategy Lead and direct shape, design and thinking of strategy formulation across specific areas of change. Building the case to secure funding, which will lead to programmes of work to meet organisational objectives.
• Conducts delivery assurance reviews across workstreams to monitor adherence to quality standards and mitigate risks to programme outcomes.
• Ensuring that all programmes are designed, developed and delivered to take equal consideration of both the ‘hard scope’ that delivers tangible outputs (e.g. documents, systems, assets) and the ‘soft scope’ of engaging people and managing effective change (e.g. communications skills, resource change, benefits realisation, etc.). Specifically, this means overseeing activities for major programmes you have been assigned to.
• Works flexibly within the Programme Management Office to ensure consistent reporting, risk oversight, milestone tracking, and compliance with organisational delivery standards, in close collaboration with the SRO.
• Identify and understand the complex stakeholder and internal political landscape within the British Council, build relationships across British Council globally to ensure the early identification of initiatives and issues and act as a trusted advisor to shape and develop responses as needed.
• Proactive identification, management and timely escalation of programme level risks, issues and dependencies.

Qualifications & Experience

• Substantive experience of leading and successfully managing large multi-million pound programmes for a multi-national organisation with considerable global reach.
• This should include procuring and managing third party supplier and partner arrangements (on a case-by-case basis).
• Demonstrates experience of the ability to plan, structure and manage the ‘hard scope’ of a programme that delivers tangible outputs (e.g. documents, systems, assets) AND the ‘soft scope’ of engaging people and managing effective change (e.g. communications, skills, resource change, benefits realisation).
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of Agile ways of working

Department: Business, Partnership and Programme Development

Contract type: Two Year Fixed Term Contract

Contract Hours: Full time – 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Pay band: SMP-S

Salary: £55,699 – £68,649 (Plus an additional £3,300 per annum London Market Allowance if you are based in the London area only).

Benefits for the UK 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

Location of the role: UK – London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast.

Please note, you will be required to work in the office for 3 days per week.

Closing Date: Wednesday 11th February 2026 at 23:59 UK time.

Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.

Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided.

Interviews will be held around the middle of March.