Global Business Continuity and Crisis 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 Global Business Continuity Manager (GBCM) plays a critical role in ensuring organisational resilience by providing expert guidance and support on Crisis Management and Business Continuity across the British Council's leadership, projects, and operations. This position is responsible for driving the design, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Business Continuity and Crisis Management systems, ensuring they align with organisational policies, international standards, and industry best practices.

The GBCM will lead and deliver awareness training and exercises at all levels of the organisation to strengthen preparedness and response capabilities. Acting as the central point of contact, the role will provide advice and practical support on all aspects of Business Continuity and Crisis Management, including the development of templates, methodologies, procedures, documentation, and communication materials. Additionally, the GBCM will support incident management activities, including live incident response, coordination of incident meetings, and post-incident reviews. The role also involves managing key relationships with government agencies, regional and country-level leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration and alignment in crisis and continuity planning.

Accountabilities

The Global Business Continuity Manager is accountable for leading and managing Business Continuity compliance, culture, and policy to ensure adherence to global standards and best practices. The role oversees the development and maintenance of plans that enable the organisation to respond to and recover from incidents globally, including participation in an on-call team for emergency reporting outside normal hours. It is responsible for planning and executing the full Business Continuity lifecycle—analysis, design, implementation, and validation—while managing workshops, training, and exercises to maintain organisational resilience. The position ensures that Business Impact Analyses are captured, plans are created and maintained, and relevant software is managed in line with best practice. It also involves managing key internal and external stakeholder relationships to embed continuity and crisis considerations into projects and programmes, as well as maintaining British Council policies and systems for crisis management. The role supports live incident response, advises on team structures, and leads post-incident reviews to capture lessons learned. Additionally, it drives service improvement through regular policy and template reviews, ensures compliance with UK and international standards, and commits to ongoing professional development to maintain sector expertise.

Requirements

• Proven experience in Business Continuity, Risk Management or other resilience disciplines.
• Excellent knowledge of ISO 22301 and sister standards.
• Desirable – maintained and valid Business Continuity Institute membership an accreditation.
• Maintained and current subject matter expertise of Business Continuity processes and best practice.
• Understanding of Incident Management practices.
• Ability to identify business interruption threats and propose opportunities or actions for mitigation.
• Strong project management capabilities and ability to multi-task.
• Proven problem‐solving skills and have a proactive approach to work.
• Must be competent in delivering presentations and training to small and medium audiences.
• Strong analytical skills, able to transfer and analyse business and technology requirements.
• Ability to work independently and/or as part of a team, including cross‐functional teams.
• Must show flexibility and a willingness to embrace change.
• Proactive attitude and willingness to develop own skill set and knowledge through coaching, feedback, mentoring and on‐the‐job training.

Closing Date: Applications will close at 23:59 on Tuesday 3rd February 2025 UK Time. You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.

Department: Cultural Engagement

Contract type: Indefinite

Pay band: 8

Salary: £38,820– £46,203 (depending on experience plus London Market Allowance of £3,000 if London based)

Location: UK (London, Cardiff, Edinburgh & Belfast).

Requirements: Please note that candidates must have the pre‐existing, legal right to work in the 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.