Consultant, Schools Connect UK

Contract type

1 Year Fixed Term Contract, with possibility of extension

Hours

Full-time or part-time at 0.6 FTE

Pay band

7

Salary

£30,839 plus £3,300 London Market Allowance for those in the London area only.

Location

London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast.

Closing Date

8th July 2026

Benefits Include, but are not limited to

• 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
• Career average defined benefit pension scheme

Requirements

Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Visa Sponsorship and relocation assistance is not provided.

Role Context

This role sits in the Schools Connect team, within Education, Cultural Engagement. The main objective of Schools Connect is to enhance the quality of primary and secondary education through international connections, partnerships and learning. We do this across the UK Schools portfolio through international partnerships and exchange and insight with policy makers and teachers to help make our young people globally competitive and globally aware.

Role Purpose

A Consultant in the Schools team oversees one or a number of small size projects and will be a member of a project team. They will work closely with Senior Consultants to support several areas of work. This includes:

• Leading on digital and face-to-face meetings and events with internal team members and with external customers and participants for example teachers, head teachers
• Leading on the annual celebration event in Parliament, involving teachers, headteachers, MPs
• Managing the day to day running of the International School Award programme
• Managing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data collection

Main Accountabilities

Operational Delivery

• Supervises and controls team activities to meet (daily/weekly/monthly) agreed service/programme/product delivery performance targets, schedules and deadlines
• Manages resources within own nominated team to ensure that work is carried out efficiently and effectively, such as agreeing on priorities and resolving day-to-day operating resource issues, to ensure high quality, consistent and efficient services are delivered
• Uses digital platforms and technological advancements to improve efficiency, impact and quality of project delivery
• Incorporates specific actions to address equality, diversity and inclusion priorities in programme design and delivery
• Makes recommendations to senior managers on procedural improvements, resource requirements and other operational initiatives to drive and/or enhance team performance, cost effectiveness, service quality and efficiency
• Undertakes regular quality checks and reviews, following agreed corporate or relevant external protocols, to monitor the quality, consistency and effectiveness of service/product/programme delivery. Reports on findings and recommends appropriate remedial actions as required.
• Identifies and shares examples of process/procedural best practice with appropriate colleagues in the country/region/SBU to drive continuous improvement in the British Council’s operational capability, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Market positioning

• Build own knowledge of the organisation’s portfolio within schools education including geographically, technically and by client supporting quality analysis of current business needs, trends and/or opportunities
• Contribute to internal and external communications about BC Schools work and its priority themes e.g. inclusion, core skills.

Business Development

• Supports the development and management of relationships with strategic clients and partners.
• Applies due diligence requirements to potential partners.
• Manages network of associate advisors, consultants and partners.
• Embeds effective processes, standards and tools to support pipeline and consultant/partner relationship management.
• Manages or supports the development of high-quality bids/proposals.
• Participates in contract negotiations with partners and clients, and prepares agreements such as non- disclosure, pre-bid, contract and partner and consultant agreements.
• Ensures timely reporting and communication on externally funded contracts/grant funded initiatives.
• Participates in programme and project reviews and closure activities, helping to ensure learning is embedded in the development of new business.

Relationship & Stakeholder Management

• Translates agreed corporate/regional customer service and client management strategies into appropriate local operational policies and procedures.
• Monitors and reports on the team/unit’s achievement of agreed customer satisfaction performance targets.
• Ensures that customer/partner feedback is regularly gathered, analysed and acted upon to drive continuous improvements in customer experience.
• Reports on potential business development or extension opportunities to regional and SBU colleagues to enable ongoing commercial success for the British Council
• Uses standardised processes to monitor team/unit compliance with agreed corporate risk management procedures relevant to service delivery (e.g. EDI, safeguarding, anti-racism, security policies, financial protocols, anti-fraud measures, cyber security) to protect the interests of the British Council and its customers at all times. Highlights to senior managers any instances of non-compliance.
• Ensures team/unit members receive and maintain appropriate induction/training in all relevant risk management procedures.
• Uses standard corporate protocols to assess a range of risks in to service/product/programme delivery. Makes appropriate contingency plans to manage delivery safely and effectively in challenging or high-risk circumstances.
• Manages the monthly Control checks (MCC) and annual compliance check (ACC) process for nominated team to ensure risks & issues are captured across the entirety of the project/programme in a consistent and compliant manner

Analysis & reporting

• Ensures data collection on project/programme delivery that supports accountability, decision-making and learning including on EDI issues
• Conducts analysis using a range of standard methodologies and across multiple datasets to provide high quality and evidence-based recommendations on procedural improvements and/or highlight resource requirements needed to enhance operational performance
• Presents complex information clearly, using an appropriate combination of written, graphical and financial data/analysis, to enable evidence-based operational decision-making and planning.
• Able to analyse project context and evidence of impact through a diversity lens and incorporate recommendations for increasing equality in reporting.

Commercial and/or financial management

• Directly plans and controls specific cost variables (rather than the total budget) to meet established targets, ensuring compliance with all relevant corporate financial systems and processes
• Using agreed financial procedures/templates, conducts monthly and year-end analysis and reporting on income and expenditure/profitability and risk/pipeline/actual performance versus plan targets.

Leadership & management

• Sets and oversees delivery of tasks to more junior staff (all working in a related area), holding them to account for achieving agreed performance targets that are aligned to wider regional/SBU priorities and goals. Time horizons are likely to be monthly – quarterly
• Actively applies coaching, performance feedback and sickness/absence management techniques to maximise staff productivity and motivation in a high volume/pressurised delivery environment.
• May contribute to the development, delivery or commissioning of externally supplied training support to maintain and improve operational effectiveness of colleagues on a range of service/product/programme delivery-related topics
• Shares intelligence and ideas to support senior managers in identifying/ developing /implementing new or improved operational plans.
• Drives integration of measures to support equality issues within teams and programmes
• Inclusive Leadership and Management: Volunteers and contributes to EDI related initiatives, tasks, events, research and publications. Celebrates cultural diversity. Avoids prejudgment in assessing performance and capability of others. Recognises incidents of inappropriate or non-inclusive behaviour. Seeks to involve others in decision making.

Requirements of the role

• Knowledge and interest for the education sector
• Experience in using technology effectively in the workplace
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of project management,
• Experience of line management or task management
• Confident user of information technology (Word; Excel; PowerPoint), Microsoft 365 functionality and working knowledge of British Council SAP system (aptitude if recruiting externally)
• Able to manage delivery of digital events on basic platforms (Microsoft Teams) ensuring all project standards are met, including those for accessibility and safeguarding
• Well-organised, able to determine project priorities at all stages, to develop and communicate work plans, to track progress towards goals and use data and evidence to assess achievement.
• Association of Project Management (or equivalent) certification
• Knowledge of the UK schools education systems and/or of international schools systems
• Experience of delivering to, communicating and working with schools customers/audiences

Additional Information

The role may include occasional travel within the UK and abroad.

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