Education 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.

Role Title: Education Manager, Wales

Contract type : Indefinite Contract

Pay band : 7/F

Location : Cardiff, UK only

Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Salary: £32,381

Closing Date: 18th October 2026

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.

Office Attendance at Cardiff office is required 3 days per week.

Role Context

Over the last 20 years, devolution has taken decision making and accountability closer to the people of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In addition to our strategic alignment with FCDO and HMG priorities, we are committed to supporting the relevant international ambitions of elected Governments in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh. We factor all of this in at the beginning of the choices we make, the value we seek to create and the partnerships we build.

The British Council plays an important a role in showing an imaginative and exciting vision of the United Kingdom and its four nations (and the diversity within them, and commonalities across them) to the world, through our commitment to Working for the Whole of the UK.

This post is located within the Cultural Engagement (CE) team in Wales, one of two global strategic departments within the British Council. It brings together our work in Arts, Education, English \& School Education and research. With a workforce of approximately 1000 globally and an income in 2024/25 of £200 million, CE delivers impact through research and insights, sector engagement, policy dialogue and a mixed portfolio of commercial and Grant and Partnership Funded (GPF) work globally. CE delivers much of its work through a suite of global programmes/ programmatic frameworks aligned to the British Council’s strategic outcomes.

Our work in Education is organised into three strands:

• Student mobility and internationalisation: We support the Higher Education sector to attract international students to the UK and ensure lifelong engagement with UK alumni through development opportunities. We also enrich the school experience with international perspectives facilitating policy dialogue and partnerships and supporting the teaching and learning of modern foreign language partnerships.


• Tertiary education partnerships: We facilitate Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Science Partnerships between the UK and other countries to develop high quality, more inclusive and globally connected education systems and contribute the UK’s knowledge to international education.


• Non\-formal education (NFE): We empower young leaders and marginalised groups through skills development to contribute to trust building, cohesion and stability in their societies and represented these communities on a local and international stage.

We embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into all aspects of this work so that our people and partners experience a culture that promotes respect, inclusion and diversity in support of mutual benefit.

This role contributes to successful delivery of the global Education/Higher Education portfolio and strategy by ensuring strategic alignment and high\-quality delivery of projects and programmes in Wales and by contributing to the success of the global Education income generation plan.

Role Purpose

Contributes to strategy, planning and delivery of the Wales Education/Tertiary Education portfolio including delivery of British Council global programmes \- student mobility and internationalisation, tertiary education and science partnerships, and non\-formal education \- and client\-funded programmes, ensuring they achieve impact targets.

Support business development and income generation, contributing to successful delivery of country and global income targets, with support from Country Director and the global team.

Manage stakeholder relationships and demonstrate expertise on behalf of the British Council and the UK in the sector, positioning the organisation favourably with government representatives, clients, partners, researchers and technical experts.

Build market knowledge and insight about the local education context and share this internally and externally.

Embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into all aspects of this work so that our people and partners experience a culture that promotes respect, inclusion and diversity, and benefits everyone.

Main Accountabilities

Strategy and planning

• Contributes to development of the Wales Education/Tertiary Education strategy and annual plan, aligned with the global Education/Tertiary Education strategy and with the Cultural Engagement plan for Wales.


• Ensure that the Wales Education/Higher Education strategy meets the needs of local stakeholders and partners and aligns with the HMG and Welsh Government priorities.


• Develop and nurture internal relationships across Cultural Engagement in\-country and across the wider organisation to ensure that the Education/Tertiary Education strategy is aligned, understood and achieved.


• Consider the role of digital products, services and channels in optimising the impact and sustainability of the portfolio, working with country marketing and digital colleagues, and the global team.

Leadership and management

• Develop and own the Wales project/programme management plan for Education/Tertiary Education.


• Deliver the Education/Tertiary Education programme, ensuring compliance with British Council programme standards across delivery, planning, reporting, evaluation and EDI.


• Contribute technical expertise to the design of Education/Tertiary Education programmes and contracts, assuring quality and impact and managing issues and risks.


• Use digital platforms and technological advancements to improve the efficiency, impact and quality of project and/or programme design and delivery.


• Incorporate specific actions to address EDI priorities in programme delivery, based on analysis of local EDI context.


• Manage day\-to\-day aspects of the portfolio ensuring global standards of programme and contract management are achieved.


• Provide direct line management where applicable, with matrix management support provided to sector programme teams as required.


• Ensure effective financial management and compliance \- manage and deliver to target, budgets, profitability, timelines, and to corporate quality standards in all areas.


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


• Monitor, review and ensure that the portfolio is achieving agreed impact measures, and that monitoring, evaluation and learning plans (MEL) and reporting is in place.


• Lead by example and model compliance with British Council policies and processes, Code of Conduct, values and behaviours in all day\-to\-day activities, line management, and liaison with colleagues and external stakeholders.

Business development

• Contribute to business development and income generation, with support from Country Director and the global business development team.


• Use networking opportunities to develop contacts with potential funders, clients and partners in the country/multi\-country/regional context.


• Identify specific business development opportunities aligned with the country and global business development plan.


• Apply due diligence requirements to potential partners.


• Manage the development of commercial proposals and support the technical writing for evidence\-based bids/proposals which are appropriate to the context, ensuring mainstreaming of EDI and alignment with the Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion framework.


• Work with global business support teams to ensure proposals are costed and priced appropriately.


• Manage a network of associate advisors, consultants and partners to support business development and delivery of contracts.


• Participate in contract negotiations with partners and clients (in conjunction with the UK Contract Management team) and ensure the mitigation of risks.


• Ensure timely reporting and communication on externally funded contracts/grant funded initiatives, and internal monthly reporting.

Stakeholder management and market positioning

• Manage and build mutually beneficial relationships with a set of key stakeholders agreed with the Country Director, to understand the context better and explore partnerships.


• Demonstrate expertise on behalf of the British Council and the UK in the sector by networking effectively, speaking at events and publishing articles, positioning the organisation favourably with government representatives, clients, partners, researchers and technical experts.


• Ensure that the British Council’s reputation for quality and as a valued partner remains high and contributes to our organisational mission of building trust between people in the UK and other countries.

Market knowledge, research and Insight

• Build market knowledge and insight about the local education context and share this internally and externally, to support the UK sector’s engagement with Wales and with the region, where relevant


• Commission relevant new research to contribute to the British Council’s Tertiary Education research strategy.


• Use sector expertise to provide insight and content for corporate responses to public consultations, representing the British Council’s perspective and demonstrating our thought

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