SSCDR Senior Project Manager

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.

Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract from 01/09/2026 to 31/08/2030

Pay Grade: 8

Closing date: 19 June 2026 at 21:59 UK Time

Requirements:

• LONG-TERM STRATEGIC INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENT: This role will be offered on long-term strategic international assignment terms which includes visa and transfer support and benefits such as assignment allowances, housing and utilities, and schooling. Please note Visa approvals are beyond the British Council’s control so any job offer will be subject to securing the required right to work.
• LOCALLY ENGAGED: Applications for locally hired candidates are welcome but if successful will not qualify for the international assignment package and will continue on local terms and conditions of service.

A candidate briefing call will be held on Wednesday, 03 June 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM (UK time). The session will provide further details about the role and offer an opportunity to ask questions.

Role Context - About The Team:

Through its 2025 Annual Action Plan, the European Union (the client), proposes to support the Government of Sri Lanka in its efforts to strengthen social cohesion and improve dispute resolution services across the country. Through addressing exclusion, strengthening access to justice and supporting inter-communal economic cooperation, the EU plans to support the Government’s efforts to foster a more tolerant, inclusive, peaceful, and cohesive society in Sri Lanka.

The European Union proposes to engage the British Council to strengthen social cohesion and support an enabling environment for economic growth by building the capacity and resilience of communities, institutions, and businesses. This will be done through building on the earlier successes and lessons of both the EU-funded British Council-delivered Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution (SEDR) and the GIZ-delivered Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace (SCOPE) projects.

This means:

• Working with institutions and communities to address inclusion and strengthen reconciliation to promote inclusive policy formulation driven by evidence;
• Strengthening alternative dispute resolution, with a focus on land and financial disputes;
• Working with national and local governments and non-state actors to enhance economic cooperation and inclusion with a focus on women and youth.

The following SSCDR Objectives and Result Areas are derived from the European Union’s 2025 Action Document for Sri Lanka.

Overall Objective: To foster a more tolerant, inclusive, peaceful and cohesive society in Sri Lanka.

Specific Objectives:

• To address exclusion and intolerance in Sri Lanka, with a specific focus on women and youth.
• To strengthen access to justice, and efficiency of the justice system on land and financial disputes.
• To support intercommunal economic cooperation and economic inclusion with a focus on women and youth.

These Specific Objectives will be achieved by the delivery of four inter-connected Result Areas:

• Result Area 1: Strengthened policy, practices and institutional frameworks that address inclusion and promote reconciliation.
• Result Area 2: Enhanced availability of factual, evidence-based information.
• Result Area 3: Enhanced dispute resolution mechanisms to increase the efficiency of - and accessibility to - the justice system.
• Result Area 4: Increased intercommunal economic cooperation and economic inclusion with a focus on women and youth in the Northern, Eastern and Uva provinces.

Role Purpose - The Job: To lead programme management for the upcoming (to be confirmed) European Union (EU)-funded ‘Strengthening Social Cohesion and Dispute Resolution’ (SSCDR) programme. The Senior Project Manager will work closely with the Team Leader and the Senior Responsible Owner, as well as partners and colleagues, to ensure that financial, contract and project management are of a high standard throughout all stages of the project cycle; and that delivery meets internal and external standards and requirements.

Main Accountabilities:

The Senior Project Manager is accountable for:

• Ensuring the project is implemented according to both British Council and client compliance standards.
• Project office management and ensuring effective and compliant systems are in place, including procurement management, management of services, IT solutions, information management, ensuring overall office functionality and in meeting audit and business quality assurance requirements.
• Effective and responsible financial management of the programme, ensuring compliance with both client and British Council corporate standards, working closely with the Finance Manager and the Team Leader.

The Senior Project Manager is responsible for:

• Project Management and Delivery: Supporting the Team Leader in work planning and scheduling programme activities, securing and contracting inputs from partners and short-term experts. Maintaining and implementing annual, quarterly, and monthly workplans. Supervising delivery teams and provincial/district staff to ensure project activities are implemented on time, to standard and to budget. Monitoring the implementation of the British Council’s Project Management Framework and tools, to ensure contract compliance and efficient and successful delivery. Ensuring effective governance arrangements are in place and operating effectively for the project, including providing secretariat services to the 6-monthly Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting, coordinating inputs into the PSC meetings, project board meetings, and client meetings as well as internal planning and reporting, and responding promptly to all internal and external management information requests. Providing a support role to the Team Leader and the wider project team on strategic approach and project planning.
• Compliance & Contract Management: Client Contract Management: ensuring all client contractual and financial requirements are met, co-ordinating/inputting on client reporting, ensuring inputs from the project team are timely, quality assured, and submission deadlines met. Doing so while ensuring compliance with all relevant British Council policies and audit requirements. Partner and Grant Contract Management: leading sub-contracting of service providers and CSO grant partners, ensuring effective and compliant contract management procedure, including advertisement and calls for proposals, supervision and reporting, in close liaison with relevant technical leads and the Team Leader. Doing so while ensuring compliance with all relevant British Council policies (incl. Grant Management toolkit) and audit requirements. Ensuring British Council’s anti–fraud and corruption policy is embedded in project systems. Overseeing risk management, mitigation and reporting (to SRO and programme governance structures), maintaining the risk register and escalating risks as necessary. Overseeing procurement, HR, logistics, office management, and information systems.
• Operational Coordination and Representation: Coordinating British Council delivery teams and partner submissions. Supporting the Team Leader to manage engagement with government counterparts, the client and other external stakeholders. Representing British Council and the project to external stakeholders (government, client, civil society etc) in meetings and events, as agreed with the Team Leader.
• Financial Monitoring: Working with Finance Manager to manage and track forecasts, budgets, burn rates, and procurement, ensure compliance to client compliance requirements. Ensuring partner financial reporting aligns with workplans. Ensuring financial reporting complies with British Council and client standards.
• Information Management, Reporting and MEL: Responsible for drafting and maintaining all relevant project management documentation, ensuring compliance with relevant polices and standards; and recording and updating information on all relevant British Council online systems. Coordinating client reporting inputs from outcome teams, MEL, Finance, and implementing partners. Leading internal planning and reporting including risk and issue management, impact reporting and ensuring regional management information requests are met. Preparing monthly progress updates for PMB and other materials as required for project governance purposes. Supporting the Team Leader and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) colleagues to proactively identify, share and respond to learning points as they emerge – with a specific focus on learning to improve project delivery.
• Office and Team Management: Ensuring that the project office is properly resourced in terms of facilities, equipment, furniture and supplies. Supervising operations team and technical support teams as required, including line-managing key project delivery and management roles (expected – TBC on final team structure). Ensuring high levels of professionalism are demonstrated in the delivery team and embedded into day-to-day practice, maintaining high delivery standards and resolving day-to-day delivery issues quickly and efficiently. Actively supporting equality and diversity, implementing the British Council’s EDI policy. Working with the Team Leader to create an inclusive, dynamic, positive and productive environment for colleagues across the team.
• Business Development and Delivery: Building relationships with strategic clients/partners within the area of influence. Using insights to understand current and prospective business development opportunities for the British Council. Ensuring internal and client compliance, including legal finance, procurement, contract management and reporting. Contributing to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impact and support positioning for new opportunities.

Requirements Of The Role:

Minimum/essential:

• Significant programme / project management experience: >5 years of leading and managing large and/or complex programmes or projects.
• Experience managing donor/client-funded projects.
• Grant and contract management experience – delivering results through downstream partners.
• Minimum bachelor’s degree. Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a subject relevant to development programme management preferred.

Desirable:

• Experience working in South Asia. Sri Lanka experience preferred – with an understanding of the country context, particularly as it affects civil society and stakeholders in the democratic governance and economic development sectors.
• Experience managing projects in complex contexts (multi-ethnic/lingual, reconstruction/post-conflict).
• Experience managing projects with a value >£5m.
• Experience working within the justice, governance and economic development sectors.
• Knowledge of and experience working with the European Union and its delegated agreement contracts (Pillar Assessed Contribution Agreements - PACA).
• Experience working through and supporting the capacity development of civil society actors.
• Experience developing and using MEL frameworks, including understanding data collection mechanisms, assessing data and using results for programme management.
• Experience in strategic communications and advocacy approaches.
• Commercial awareness, with experience in business development with large, multilateral donors/clients.
• Relevant project management qualification.

Please note: This appointment is subject to the final signature of the relevant financing agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the European Union, and subsequently a contract being signed between the British Council and the EU.

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.