Consultant - Language Assistant in London

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.

Contract

Payband 7 – Fixed‑term Contract until 31 March 2027, with possibility of extension subject to donor funding.

Location

London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff.

Hours & Salary

Full time – 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Salary: £30,839 plus £3,300 London Market Allowance for those in the London area only.

Benefits

• 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
• 3 days volunteering leave
• Career average defined benefit pension scheme

Role Purpose

The Project Manager provides integral operational support to both business delivery and business development teams, ensuring quality and compliance with published standards by utilising and supporting a single, common approach across all our products and services.

Role Context

This role sits in the schools team of education. The British Council aims to improve the quality of school education systems, benefitting young people and supporting the drive to deliver Sustainable Development Goal 4 while deepening ties to the UK in the process. We apply technical knowledge of education system reform, programme design and implementation to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning, and to create international educational opportunities for young people in the UK and around the world.

Responsibilities

• Operational Delivery
  • Supervises and controls team activities to meet (daily/weekly/monthly) agreed service/programme/product delivery performance targets, schedules and deadlines.
  • Manages resources within own nominated team to ensure that work is carried out efficiently and effectively, such as agreeing on priorities and resolving day‑to‑day operating resource issues, to ensure high quality, consistent and efficient services are delivered.
  • Uses digital platforms and technological advancements to improve efficiency, impact and quality of project delivery.
  • Incorporates specific actions to address equality, diversity and inclusion priorities in programme design and delivery.
  • Makes recommendations to senior managers on procedural improvements, resource requirements and other operational initiatives to drive and/or enhance team performance, cost effectiveness, service quality and efficiency.
  • Undertakes regular quality checks and reviews, following agreed corporate or relevant external protocols, to monitor the quality, consistency and effectiveness of service/product/programme delivery. Reports on findings and recommends appropriate remedial actions as required.
  • Identifies and shares examples of process/procedural best practice with appropriate colleagues in the country/region/SBU to drive continuous improvement in the British Council’s operational capability, efficiency and cost effectiveness.
• Relationship & Stakeholder Management
  • Translates agreed corporate/regional customer service and client management strategies into appropriate local operational policies and procedures.
  • Monitors and reports on the team/unit’s achievement of agreed customer satisfaction performance targets.
  • Ensures that customer/partner feedback is regularly gathered, analysed and acted upon to drive continuous improvements in customer experience.
  • Reports on potential business development or extension opportunities to regional and SBU colleagues to enable ongoing commercial success for the British Council.
• Risk & Compliance
  • Uses standardised processes to monitor team/unit compliance with agreed corporate risk management procedures relevant to service delivery (e.g. EDI, safeguarding, anti‑racism, security policies, financial protocols, anti‑fraud measures, cyber security) to protect the interests of the British Council and its customers at all times. Highlights to senior managers any instances of non‑compliance.
  • Ensures team/unit members receive and maintain appropriate induction/training in all relevant risk management procedures.
  • Uses standard corporate protocols to assess a range of risks in service/product/programme delivery. Makes appropriate contingency plans to manage delivery safely and effectively in challenging or high‑risk circumstances.
  • Manages the monthly Control checks (MCC) and annual compliance check (ACC) process for nominated team to ensure risks & issues are captured across the entirety of the project/programme in a consistent and compliant manner.
• Analysis & Reporting
  • Ensures data collection on project/programme delivery that supports accountability, decision‑making and learning including on EDI issues.
  • Conducts analysis using a range of standard methodologies and across multiple datasets to provide high quality and evidence‑based recommendations on procedural improvements and/or highlight resource requirements needed to enhance operational performance.
  • Provides clear presentations of complex information, using an appropriate combination of written, graphical and financial data/analysis, to enable evidence‑based operational decision‑making and planning.
  • Analyses project context and evidence of impact through a diversity lens and incorporates recommendations for increasing equality in reporting.
• Commercial and/or Financial Management
  • Directly plans and controls specific cost variables (rather than the total budget) to meet established targets, ensuring compliance with all relevant corporate financial systems and processes.
  • Using agreed financial procedures/templates, conducts monthly and year‑end analysis and reporting on income and expenditure/profitability and risk/pipeline/actual performance versus plan targets.
• Leadership & Management
  • Sets and oversees delivery of the workplan for a small‑medium‑sized team of more junior staff (all working in a related area), holding them to account for achieving agreed performance targets that are aligned to wider regional/SBU priorities and goals. Time horizons are likely to be monthly – quarterly.
  • Actively applies coaching, performance feedback and sickness/absence management techniques to maximise staff productivity and motivation in a high volume/pressurised delivery environment.
  • May contribute to the development, delivery or commissioning of externally supplied training support to maintain and improve operational effectiveness of colleagues on a range of service/product/programme delivery‑related topics.
  • Shares intelligence and ideas to support senior managers in identifying, developing, implementing new or improved operational plans.
  • Drives integration of measures to support equality issues within teams and programmes.
• Inclusive Leadership and Management
  • Volunteers and contributes to EDI related initiatives, tasks, events, research and publications. Celebrates cultural diversity. Avoids prejudgment in assessing performance and capability of others. Recognises incidents of inappropriate or non‑inclusive behaviour. Seeks to involve others in decision making.

Minimum / Essential Requirements

• Experience in using technology effectively in the workplace.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of project management, particularly client‑funded and/or partnership projects.
• Experience of managing teams and projects in line with Centre of Excellence Project Management standards.
• Experience of working across different cultures and recognizing any unconscious biases.
• Experience of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within project planning and delivery, including use of appropriate tools.
• Understands and promotes ethical conduct, and can ensure that own behaviour and the behaviour of others is consistent with these standards and values of the British Council including those set out in our EDI priorities.
• Confident user of information technology (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft 365 functionality and working knowledge of British Council SAP system (aptitude if recruiting externally).
• Able to manage delivery of digital events on basic platforms (Microsoft Teams) ensuring all project standards are met, including those for accessibility and safeguarding.
• Well‑organised, able to determine project priorities at all stages, to develop and communicate work plans, to track progress towards goals and use data and evidence to assess achievement.
• Ability to analyse equality issues relevant to projects/programmes and identify opportunities to address these in the delivery.

Desirable Requirements

• Association of Project Management (or equivalent) certification.
• Understanding of strategy for foreign language teaching/learning in schools for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• Understanding of UK Visa and Immigration policy and experience of working with the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
• Knowledge and experience of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL).
• Knowledge of and passion for the Education sector.

Language Requirements

• English at Proficiency Level CEFR C2.
• Minimum of B1 level (CEFR) proficiency in French is mandatory. Spanish or German language skills would be an advantage.

Additional Job Requirements

Occasional domestic and/or international travel.

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.