Reputational Risk & BCDR 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. We connect. We inspire.

The Reputational Risk & BCDR Manager identifies and mitigates reputational risks across Customer Sales and Service and leads business continuity and crisis response activity. Working with governance, operations, digital, risk, and external partners, the role monitors emerging threats, coordinates incident response, and ensures regulatory compliance, enabling service continuity, rapid escalation, and resilient crisis management that safeguards customer trust.

Accountabilities:

• Identify, assess, and monitor reputational risks across customer-facing operations.
• Lead or coordinate responses to high-risk incidents, ensuring timely escalation and structured decision-making.
• Maintain, update, and test business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) plans for Customer Sales and Service.
• Coordinate with Digital, Operations, and Vendors to ensure readiness and resilience across systems and processes.
• Provide incident reporting, risk insights, and after-action reviews to senior leaders.
• Ensure compliance with organisational BCDR policies, regulatory requirements, and audit expectations.
• Support scenario planning, risk assessments, and continuity exercises across global teams.
• Embed lessons learned and drive improvements in risk mitigation and continuity processes.
• Maintain documentation, evidence logs, and governance records related to BCDR and incident management.
• Act as a central point of contact during crises, enabling consistent communication and coordinated actions.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

Essential:

• Experience in risk management, BCDR, crisis management, or governance within an operational environment.
• Experience leading or coordinating responses to high-risk incidents or service disruptions.
• Strong understanding of business continuity principles, frameworks, and policy requirements.
• Ability to analyse risk data, identify trends, and recommend mitigation actions.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Ability to produce structured reports, incident logs, and after-action reviews.
• Understanding of regulatory and organisational compliance requirements related to continuity.
• Strong communication skills, including calm decision-making during crises.

Desirable:

• Formal qualifications in risk, BCDR, audit, or crisis management (e.g., ISO22301, IRM, BCMI).
• Experience in global or multi-vendor service environments.
• Knowledge of digital operational resilience, including CRM/telephony dependencies.

Role Specific Skills:

• Strong risk assessment and risk management skills.
• Incident management and crisis response capability.
• Ability to develop, test, and maintain business continuity plans.
• Analytical skills to interpret risk indicators and incident data.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills in high-pressure scenarios.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams during disruptions.

Language Requirements: The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.

Important Information:

• Business unit: English & Exams
• Department: Governance & Compliance
• Pay Band: 7
• Country/Location: London, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh | UK (Hybrid)
• Contract Hours: Full time - 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• Starting salary: £30,839 per annum (Plus an additional £3,300 per annum London Market Allowance if you are based in London area only)
• Contract Type: Indefinite Contract (Permanent)

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
• An unrivalled opportunity for you to get to use all the experience you’ve built up working in and/or leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world.

Requirements: Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in UK. Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided.

The 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.

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

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.