Senior Consultant (Gender) at British Council

Role Purpose

To support the implementation of the Cultural Relations gender equality strategy and EDI action plan; provide expert advice and support our global programmes and contracts to deliver gender equality outcomes; and contribute to and manage research, thought leadership and advocacy for gender equality themes across our cultural engagement work. The role will build the skills and capacities of colleagues to integrate gender equality and inclusion into projects and programmes and support the development and implementation of Cultural Engagement systems and processes to ensure gender equality is addressed. 

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following:

Strategy & Planning

• Provides high quality analysis of global, regional and UK trends and evidence on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls to contribute to the development of the British Council’s strategies and plans.
• Contributes to the development and delivery of the Cultural Engagement Gender Strategy and the Cultural Engagement EDI Plan.

Sector/subject expertise

• Contributes to understanding of the British Council’s programmes that contribute to gender equality/empowerment of women and girls and lead the sharing of good practice.
• Contributes to the development of research and thought leadership materials and represent the British Council externally, to enhance its reputation as a credible authority in gender equality and to promote intercultural understanding/new collaborative opportunities.
• Contributes to the development and delivery of training, support and knowledge-sharing activities to build skills and capability in gender mainstreaming and the empowerment of women and girls across Cultural Engagement globally.
• Manages the identification, development and quality assurance of networks of associates, consultants and relevant partners to support the British Council’s work in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• To actively contribute to an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of your own biases, and taking action to mitigate against these. Ensuring people feel valued and are treated equitably, with support for people’s well-being and mental health.
• Understand the British Council’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and how it applies to your role, making time for learning and development relating to EDI and anti-racism.

Relationship and Stakeholder Management

• Develops and maintains excellent relationships and communication with internal stakeholders including programme leads, sector leads, business development leads, Regional EDI leads and the Diversity Unit to build a clear understanding of their needs and experiences, to enable effective advice and tailored support to meet gender equality commitments.
• Builds and manage reputation, relationships and partnerships with key gender equality stakeholders relevant to our programmes

Business Development

• Supports positioning and scoping activities to identify business opportunities including analysis of donor and funder policies and practice on gender equality
• Leads and/or contributes to concepts and technical proposals for new business opportunities that focus on or make a significant contribution to gender equality.
• Contributes to the Global Contract and Programme Approval processes to ensure that commitments to gender equality are being met.

Consultancy, Analysis & Problem Solving

• Supports the development and implementation of systems and processes in place across Cultural Engagement to monitor and meet our gender equality commitments. across all funding streams
• Provides professional advice, guidance and opportunity-development support to help the scoping, contextual analysis (including gender analysis) design and delivery of gender transformative programmes that focus on gender equality.
• Provides professional advice, guidance and consultancy input to integrate gender perspectives and outcomes for women and girls/gender transformative approaches in the delivery and monitoring and evaluation of programmes.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

The successful candidate will need to possess the following requirements:

• Relevant degree in international development, gender studies, public policy, or a related discipline
• Experience of leading and/or contributing to technical proposals from a gender perspective
• Consultancy, capacity building and training skills, particularly in gender equality
• Ability to carry our gender analysis and advise on gender sensitive and/or transformative programme design and delivery.
• Knowledge of gender equality issues globally and in SSA and at least one of the British Council areas of work (Arts, Education and English) relevant policies and the intersection between gender and other inequalities
• Experience of applying knowledge of gender issues to research and programme design and delivery in an SSA context.
• Experience of delivering capacity building and training activities – specifically on gender equality
• Experience of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within project planning and delivery including use of appropriate tools
• Understands and promotes ethical conduct, and able to ensure that own behaviour and the behaviour of others is consistent with these standards and values of the British Council including those set out in our EDI priorities.
• Experience and understanding of working across SSA region.

Desirable

Masters degree in relevant field