Cluster Academic Manager 2

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.

We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 202122 we reached 650 million people.

Location: Tokyo

Pay Band: Middle Manager

Contract Type: Fixed Term-2 years (renewable)

Benefits:

• 35 days of annual leave per annum
• Mobility Package provided for those recruited outside of Japan

Role Purpose:

To drive the continuous improvement of products and services for the cluster, and innovation in meeting customer needs. To ensure consistency of standards in the delivery of new/existing products and services. To support centres to achieve product performance targets.

To play an important role contributing to and delivering elements of the Teaching Excellence project to help meet its aims, with particular focus on the delivery of adult and young learner courses, which will lead to enhanced teaching performance and the highest standards of teaching and or learning.

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following:

Product Management

• Oversees and, as necessary, advises on the implementation of approved products to ensure these are efficiently and effectively delivered to all centres in the cluster.
• Ensures standardization of approach across the cluster in product delivery for new/existing products and services as well as enhancements, through project management methodology and tools.
• Manages the testing and roll out of new products/pilots for the cluster and develops a feedback cycle to ensure a continuous improvement process for all products and services.
• Provides input to product proposals into the Product Development Stage Gate process, and manages projects through that process if necessary.
• Ensures agreed KPIs are embedded in the continuous improvement and country reporting processes.
• Supports the development and presentation of specific product, project or programme proposals, including the subject or sector specialism-related component of wider programmes, to ensure these are soundly based and gain approval.

Sector/subject expertise

Working with colleagues across the Academic strand; both Product and Teaching Excellence:

• Guides and oversee teaching staff to ensure that latest thinking, innovation and best practices in pedagogy and assessment are incorporated in products and enhancements.
• Ensures consistency, quality and integrity of services across markets.
• Works with academic staff to ensure effective roll out of Teaching Excellence initiatives including:

• The new teaching standards and observation systems
• the roll out and utilisation of Teaching Excellence (Academic) Quality Plans (TEAP) for teaching operations
• The utilisation of the new Teaching Performance Review Project system (TCPR) and the utilisation of feedback and data gathering systems to understand teaching performance
• the organisation and delivery of specific training and Learning & Development initiatives (L&D) for teachers and other academic staff
• helps identify academic/teaching talent, and work with teams to develop this talent and to share best practice.
• supports EDI and SEND initiatives relevant to teaching
• supports relevant Thought leadership activity which may promote our teaching activity

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Proactively identifies and cultivates potential/actual partners for product or programme development and delivery, and secures the successful achievement of BC income and impact objectives.
• Develops strong working relationship with other Country and Cluster leads in the region, marketing and customer service and Regional Product teams to enable effective product/service development.

Commercial and financial management

• Using agreed corporate systems and processes, plans and manages the budget for a range of small/medium-sized projects and programmes, and conducts monthly and year-end reporting on income and expenditure, profitability and risk and other product KPIs.

Leadership & management

• Plans and prioritises own work activities, and those of a wider project team/teams (many of which exist outside the direct management line), to ensure effective delivery of diverse responsibilities and programme deliverables over a monthly to quarterly time horizon.
• Shares intelligence and ideas to support senior managers in identifying/developing ways in which the subject/sector specialism could make the most effective impact on the British Councils cultural relations and commercial strategies.

Requirements:

Minimum/essential

• English at C2 level
• TEFL-Q or British Council recognized equivalent

Desirable

• Project Management qualification

Role specific knowledge and experience:

Essential

• Experience of successful product management.
• Demonstrated experience working in an English Language learning management or assessment development role.
• Experience of working collaboratively with stakeholders across multiple sites / countries to achieve objectives.
• Proven experience and demonstrable success in coordinating/supervising/influencing others in an educational context.

Desirable

• Experience of product development for use across multiple sites.
• End-to-end product management experience.

Role specific skills:

• Communication and Influencing
• Subject Matter Expert
• Product Delivery and Management

Closing Date: 31st December 2023 – 23:59 Singapore Time (GMT +8)

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

Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion(EDI) Statement

The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

The British Council iscommitted 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; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Councils Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org

Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ASK HR email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.