Regional Education Director

Job Title: Director Education East Asia

Pay band: 9

Location this role could be based: Singapore

Department: Education

Contract type: 3 years (or +2 if a reappointment)

Role Purpose

• To lead the Education Strategy for East Asia to deliver benefit for both the UK and the countries we work in.

• To bring Education expertise to the development and delivery of a portfolio of Education partnerships, programmes and contracts across mixed funding streams and business models

• To ensure both the impact and financial sustainability of our work.

• To lead large, dispersed teams and manage senior partner and stakeholder relationships

Main accountabilities

Leadership & management

• Provides technical direction and design to Education contracts, programmes and projects, assuring quality and impact and managing issues and risks.

• Uses digital platforms and technological advancements to improve efficiency, impact and quality of portfolio design and delivery

• Incorporates specific actions to address equality, diversity and inclusion priorities in programme delivery

• End-to-end business management responsibility for route to market

• Manages portfolio day-to-day (including overview and advice) ensuring global standards on programme and contract management are achieved

• Direct line management and matrix management support provided to sector programme teams in country/across the region as required.

• Ensures effective financial management and compliance - manages and delivers to target, budgets, profitability, timelines, and to corporate quality standards in all areas

• Senior Responsible Officer for large projects/programmes, relating to the sector specialism, as required

• Monitors, reviews and ensures that the portfolio is achieving agreed impact measures, and monitoring, evaluation and learning and reporting is in place against Cultural Engagement’s key performance indicators.

• Leads an inclusive organisational culture where staff have opportunities for continuous professional development and are actively contributing to the British Council’s anti-racism action plan and wider strategy to mainstream equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and become anti-racist in our cultures and practices within our organisation and in our programmes, particularly through a time of change.

Strategy and/or planning

• Leads on planning process for designated portfolio/region

• Contributes to pillar/region or global business strategy

• Strategic leadership of design, development, delivery and closure of projects and or programmes as needed

• Develop and nurtures internal relationships across Cultural Engagement and in the wider organisation to ensure strategic objectives are aligned, understood and achieved, and opportunities to influence and contribute to corporate strategies are maximised

• Considers the role of digital products, services and channels in optimising the impact and sustainability of the portfolio, working with regional marketing and digital colleagues.

Relationship & Stakeholder management

• Builds and maintains business critical relationships with key clients and partners and with leading partners in the education sector with a view to identifying new business opportunities and partnerships for the British Council

• Builds and maintains the government and institutional relationships that the UK needs to succeed in region/country

• Could own a client or partner relationship within the sector on behalf of the organisation

• Leads on relationships with a range of senior stakeholders and partners at a sector level, including representing and communicating about the UK sector, significant programmes in this field and the British Council at senior external level

• Co-ordinates across key stakeholders to drive strategy and ambition in bilateral relationships for the sector

• Represents the British Council externally and internally, including in x-Whitehall and x-Embassy coordinating bodies as required

Sector/subject expertise

• Uses sector expertise to provide insight and content for corporate responses to public consultations, representing British Council’s perspective and demonstrating our thought-leadership in relevant external fora

• Provides up-to-date and well-informed senior-level briefings on current and emerging matters in area of expertise, conducting detailed analysis and research, contributing cutting-edge sector knowledge and content to proposals, potentially contributing to the body of literature in their area of expertise

• Is able to communicate on a wide range of internal and external fora within the sector and is recognised as having sector expertise

• Identifies and develops opportunities for the sector to build their work in country/region

• Promotes mobility of individuals and knowledge exchange

• Supports internal capacity building, ensuring that teams can access appropriate and cost-effective learning and development opportunities and grow their sector knowledge and skills

Brand and market positioning

• Promotes and positions the UK education sector in country/region

• Ensures British Council’s value proposition and support to the UK sector is clear, agreed and communicated.

• Ensures that British Council’s reputation for quality and as a valued not-for-profit partner remains high and contributes to our organisational mission of building trust between the UK and other countries.

• Ensure an appropriate level of market analysis, thought leadership / research is generated and commissioned and meets strategic objectives to underpin the UK’s education engagement with country/region, working with the Research and Insights Unit

Business development

• Lead on business and partnership development strategy for the portfolio, aligning with regional and corporate priorities, systems and processes

• Contribute to the development of strategic responses to partner/ client needs as efficiently and effectively as possible, including developing and promoting new ideas for services

• Scope, develop, agree, and qualify education opportunities for the UK Education sectors and/or individual or groups of institutions

• Contribute to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impact and learning, as well as effectively positioning for new opportunities.

Role specific knowledge and experience

• In depth understanding of international education market gained through working in international education sector

• Extensive knowledge of UK and international Education policy and of approaches to internationalisation.

• Active and up-to-date network of senior level sector contacts in the Education sector

• Experience of the Education sector in East Asia (Desirable)

Requirements

• The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required. (CEFR Level C1 - Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
• Post graduate degree in Education (Desirable)
• Project Management qualification (Desirable)
• The role may include occasional travel within the territory, region or internationally.
• Some working time outside of core local office hours to accommodate UK time zones

Additional Information

Conditions of Employment: UKA/International Assignment

• This role will be offered on 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.
• The full International Assignment package is offered at the discretion of the British Council and may not be available to candidates who are currently already based in another location but have significant connections to the host location. Applications from local candidates are welcome but if successful will not qualify for the international assignment package and will continue on local terms and conditions of service.
• Other locations in East Asia region may be considered, please check with the hiring manager before submitting an application.

Closing Date: Thursday, 16 May 2024 at 23:59 Singapore Time (GMT+8)