Regional Operations Director Cultural Engagement at British Council

Role Purpose

Director Operations will be responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the Cultural Engagement (Education, Arts and English programmes) business operations within the region (i.e. business development, business delivery, assurance and adherence to global standards). They will work closely with SSA Portfolio Leads and report to the Regional CE Business Director. 

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following:

Leadership & Management

• Assure that operations in CE are on track, compliant and effective.
• Deputise for the CE business director. 

Strategy & Planning

• Work with and support the business director of CE on business planning and strategy for the regional business.

Commercial and Financial Management

• Decision making of active contracts and pursuit.

Business Development 

• Lead the rollout of business development systems including pipeline management and resourcing, contract approval process, etc.) and the SBU input to the regional Programme Based Planning process, ensuring fit with client and partner requirements, corporate standards, FP&A frameworks and compliance with commercial and non-commercial policy such as costing and pricing tools, ODA and non-ODA guidance, fair trade and state aid requirements.
• Ensure that systems are in place to support effective decision-making across the regional and SBU leadership team.
• Input into business development decision-making and resourcing as an active member of the Contract Approval Board
• Lead business development exercises as required by portfolio leads, including provision of content to both technical and commercial proposals, ensuring client procurement requirements are fulfilled and strong competitive bids for contracts are submitted 

Operational Delivery

• Ensure corporate and client best practice and adherence to standards in business development and delivery, including ensuring that Centre of Excellence, business and quality assurance approaches and tools, programme based planning etc. are embedded and/or adapted across the business as appropriate for the operating context, in consultation and collaboration with Global Consultancy and Business Services team, regional heads of professional services (HR, finance, procurement, IKM, etc.) and regional SSA management.
• Ensure that issues identified by business assurance systems are resolved.
• Working with Portfolio Leads, ensure that project start-up and inception for all commercial and non-commercial contracts and programmes meet client and corporate standards, ensuring resources are in place and capability is built to manage projects to client and corporate standards.
• Working with Portfolio Leads, ensure positive audit and external reviews
• Support the Senior Evaluation Adviser with the introduction of new systems & processes to improve monitoring and evaluation of impact and operationalisation of the REF, in order to better demonstrate impact in the main result areas for the regional SBU and contribute to an impact- and evidence-led Programme Based Planning system.
• Working with SROs and Portfolio Leads, address specific operational / programmatic challenges which will affect the achievement of agreed targets. This could include undertakings assignments individually, as a leader or member of a team, to fulfil achievement of impact, income and gross profit targets on the business plan.
• May take on an SRO for commercial or non-commercial contracts and/or programmes if required.
• Undertake reviews and lessons learnt of programmes / portfolios which will feed into the capacity development approach.

Risk Management

• Lead on risk management and compliance across the regional CE business, ensuring that all business risks are appropriately controlled and minimised.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

The main essential knowledge and experience points that we are looking for you to evidence are:

• Senior experience in international development programme delivery
• Graduate degree in relevant field or work equivalent experience
• Experience working in fragile states (desirable)

Closing Date – 30 October 2002