E+ Grant Manager 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.

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. Through arts and culture, education and the English language, we create opportunities and strengthen relationships across borders.

The Department for Education has announced that the British Council has been nominated 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. It was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency, where Erasmus+ made a significant contribution to the UK's cultural relations activities, funding 8,091 projects, engaging 583,757 UK participants, and awarding around €1.1 billion to UK organisations.

Purpose of the Role

We are looking for experienced Grants Managers to join the Erasmus+ National Agency team and support the successful delivery of one of Europe’s most significant education, youth and mobility programmes. Reporting to a Senior Grants Manager, you will be responsible for the operational delivery of grants management activity across a defined sector or portfolio. You will oversee activity across the full grant lifecycle, ensuring that grant-making processes are delivered to the highest standards of quality, compliance, accountability and customer experience.

You will provide day-to-day leadership to a team delivering grant activities, ensuring programme rules, eligibility criteria and contractual requirements are applied consistently and transparently. Working closely with colleagues across Compliance, Customer Experience, Digital, Marketing and Sector teams, you will support effective programme delivery, risk management and continuous improvement.

Main Accountabilities

• Grant Management Delivery
  • Lead the delivery of grants management activity across the full grant lifecycle, from application and assessment through to award, monitoring, change control and closure.
  • Ensure grant-making activity is delivered in line with programme rules, European Commission requirements, British Council standards and agreed KPIs.
  • Allocate and manage workloads across the team to support efficient delivery of the annual work programme.
  • Ensure grant assessments, funding decisions and programme records are accurate, consistent and audit-ready.
  • Monitor performance, management information and assurance activity to identify risks and support operational decision-making.
• Team Leadership and People Management
  • Line manage Grants Officers, providing coaching, guidance and day-to-day operational leadership.
  • Support performance management, development planning and capability building across the team.
  • Foster a high-performing, customer-focused and accountable team culture.
• Quality Assurance, Compliance and Risk
  • Apply quality assurance frameworks and support actions arising from audits, reviews and assurance activity.
  • Identify and manage operational risks, escalating issues appropriately where required.
  • Ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection and information governance requirements.
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Continuous Improvement
  • Work collaboratively with colleagues across Compliance, Customer Experience, Digital, Marketing and Sector teams to resolve delivery issues and improve processes.
  • Support implementation of programme updates, guidance changes and system improvements.
  • Contribute to lessons learned activities and continuous improvement initiatives across the grants function.

Role Specific Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Experience delivering grants or similar regulated funding programmes.
• Experience supervising or leading staff within a customer-facing or operational delivery environment.
• Experience working with compliance, risk, audit or assurance processes.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong operational grants management experience.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex programme guidance, funding rules and eligibility criteria.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to maintaining accurate, auditable records.

Desirable

• Experience working in public sector or government-funded programmes.
• Experience working in international environments or across multiple cultures.
• Experience within education, youth, skills, sport or cultural engagement sectors.
• Programme, project management or grants-related qualification.

Specific Requirements

• Relevant degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Written and verbal proficiency in English.
• Ability to work effectively within a hybrid working environment.
• Successful completion of British Council background screening requirements.

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.