Senior Relationship Manager Shared Futures

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.

Senior Relationship Manager, Culture Responds, Global Programme

Pay band:8

Salary: 50% of 38,820

Working hours: Part-time (This is a shared role)

Location:UK only
Contract type:Indefinite contract
Closing Date:13th November 2023, 11:59pm UK time.

Candidates must have the pre-existingright to work in location.

Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided.

Benefits 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 building trust across the world!

Context

This role sits within the Cultural Engagement (CE) Strategic Business Unit (SBU). CE brings together our portfolio of work in arts, education, English, and research. Our portfolio is delivered through a set of globally led programmes that locates our work and impact within our strategic framework. These programmes deliver our key performance indicators and impact ambitions.

Our UK arts team works with the arts and culture sector in the UK, and the British Councils global network of offices, to achieve significant impact and change by finding new ways of connecting and seeing each other through the arts.Our aim is to see stronger creative sectors across the world that are better connected with the UK. We believe arts and culture are vital to prosperous, secure societies, and that offering international cultural connections and experiences strengthens their resilience. We are uniquely able to make a difference thanks to our extensive and diverse networks in the UK and internationally, enabling us to respond to the individual context of each place where we work.

Role Purpose

The aim is to build and deliver strong coherent and impactful cultural relations programmes that contribute to the Offer Area. The programmes and projects will reflect the ambition to promote sustainable and inclusive responses and to demonstrate the role culture and the arts play in addressing challenges.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring a coherence to the programmes and projects providing quality control and aggregate the impact of the programmes across the different geographies. They will work across the whole of the British Council andwith UKpartnersto help developexciting and innovative programmes which will deliver greater impact and cost-effectiveness.Theywill ensure that core values are showcased, for example throughrepresentation ofdiversity,inclusion of women, disabled people, and marginalised groups.

Main Accountabilities

Strategy and planning

• Contributes to the strategy for the development of programmes and projects responding to the business case for the Offer Area helping to establish medium and long-term development plans.
• Connects with teams in countries across the global network to ensure the developing programme aligns to strategic aims and objectives of the Core Programme

Programme Development

• Contributes to the on-going planning and design of the programmes and Projects across the Offer Area, ensuring all the elements are specified and designed to high professional and technical standards, and contributes optimally to achieving the objectives of the programme.
• Provides design support and quality assurance advice to the programmes and projects ensuring that the programmes are pursuing identified objectives whilst reflecting the needs of UK stakeholders and demonstrating cultural sensitivity.
• Supports the effective and consistent monitoring of programmes and projects across the global network including through regular management checks ensuring that programmes are effectively responding to KPIs and other targets.
• Develops a full understanding of the Core Offer area to identify and communicate the work and to contribute to commercial performance and/or cultural relations impact.
• Advises and support to colleagues on connections and the development of long-term, co-designed sustainable programmes.

Sector/subject expertise

• Maintains an authoritative knowledge of the UKs strengths, reputation, and capacity within the areas of the Offer Area developing long-term partnerships at the highest level in relevant major organisations to ensure programmes and projects will deliver according to the objectives identified in the business case and responding to British Councils cultural relations mission.

• Represents the programmes and projects in the Offer Area to enhance its reputation and to promote collaborative opportunities.
• Build and maintains external networks in order to access, absorb and apply professional best practice to the programme and the Arts and Society programme.

Customer/market focus

• Contributes to the development and delivery of the thought leadership strategy for the Offer Area, so that the British Council is recognised by external stakeholders and audiences as a respected, credible authority in culture responding to Global Challenges.

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Develops trust-based relationships with key partners, network-organisations, opinion formers and stakeholders to promote the pilot programme as one that supports the partnership work in the UK and that will offer opportunities for UK organisations.
• Liaises with partners and stakeholders to maintain external involvement in the planning and delivery of the programmes and projects.

Commercial, financial & resource management

• Uses agreed British Council systems and processes to support the planning and management of budgets.
• Conducts monthly and year-end reporting on income and expenditure, adhering and contributing to risk management and operational processes, and actively applying learning from this to improve financial planning, management, and performance.
• Negotiates and procures and authorise contracts, within agreed authority levels, across the programme.

Leadership & management

• Sets and oversees comprehensive work plans to support the delivery of programmes and projects and liaising with internal and external staff across the globe to ensure high quality, timely delivery.
• Contributes to the strategic development of the Core Offer area.
• Contributes to the effective decision-making and planning for the programme and projects in the Offer Area.
• Works on multiple programmes at one time within different cultural and operational contexts and in complex matrix environment balancing multiple projects with different cultural and operational contexts.
• Ensures EDI (Equality Diversity and Inclusion) targets are included in projects.

Risk & compliance

• Uses standard corporate protocols, combined with previous experience, to assess a range of risks in programme delivery. Ensures appropriate contingency plans are in place and implemented promptly to manage delivery safely and effectively in challenging or high-risk circumstances.
• Investigates any reported instances of non-compliance with agreed corporate risk management policies (e.g. child protection, security policies, financial protocols, anti-fraud measures), and take appropriate remedial action, including escalation to more senior colleagues as required.

Role Specific Knowledge and Experience

Knowledge of the Arts / Cultural practice

• Strong understanding of the UKs Cultural and Creative sectors and the ability to make critical judgements across different genres.
• A god network of contacts from the Cultural and Creative sectors in the UK including community social action.

Programme Management

• Experience of successful development and delivery of large-scale programmes to agreed targets in an arts or creative industries context.
• Significant international experience of building cultural connections and networks in different contexts with partners in an arts or creative economy context.
• The ability to write effectively for a variety of different audiences.

Closing Date: Applications will close on Monday 13th November at 11:59pm UK time

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 [email protected]

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.