Description

Closing Date: 26-Jun-2024

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.

We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 we reached 650 million people.
Role Purpose
British Council English Language Research (ELR) sits within the wider English and Exams Strategic Business Unit (E&E SBU). ELR works with teams across the British Council, including the E&E SBU and English Programmes, coordinating and overseeing an active thought-leadership agenda, including publishing and presenting as experts in the field, providing editorial direction on specialised publications and research reports, and convening conferences and events that bring together international experts on language assessment, learning and policy.
This position is a key role within the Research Engagement and Dissemination (RED) hub within the ELR. The RED hub contributes to ELR work by informing strategy, supporting engagement and dissemination, and enabling key activities across the five research hubs within the ELR: the Data Science & Insights (DS&I) hub, the Assessment Research (AR) hub, the Future of English hub, the Teaching and Learning hub, and the RED hub itself. Activities carried out in these hubs include innovative language product design and development, Language Assessment Literacy engagement aimed at teachers, policy makers, and other stakeholders, and research and expert advisory work supporting assessment and language education reform projects in education systems.
The RED hub drives the engagement and dissemination strategy for the ELR and supports the operationalisation of this strategy through proactive management and practical support initiatives. The RED hub manages research grant programmes, leads on the British Council New Directions conference series, plans and manages conference participation, engages with professional associations and communities around the world, and manages the ELR publication strategy. Broader ELR works with teams across the British Council, including the E&E SBU and English Programmes.
To support the strengthening of the British Council’s reputation as the leading convener of key global and regional stakeholders in language assessment and wider education systems by coordinating the global management and logistical support of the New Directions in Language Assessment conference series, and other events where necessary.
To provide the project management of New Directions flagship events from a global perspective, collaborating with regional project managers, and implementing robust project management procedures to ensure the successful delivery of multiple large-scale academic events around the world on an annual basis ensuring they are delivered on-time, within budget, and to the expected standards.
To provide support to regional business support and marcomms teams to realize event deliverables and objectives.
To work with global and regional procurement teams to source and maintain a network of vendors to enable the delivery of high-quality New Directions events that achieve both reach and impact, including other events where necessary.
The role is designed for a project manager with experience in running both online and offline events aimed at a diverse range of stakeholders, including high-level influencers, ideally with knowledge and experience of working with the education community in the event delivery field
Main accountabilities
Subject/Sector Expertise [Project and Event Management]
Directly supports the delivery of the New Directions flagship conferences that bring together policy makers, researchers and educators to exchange state-of-the-art information on language assessment, learning and educational reform through effective project management and event delivery, whether virtual, hybrid or face-to-face
Provides project management expertise, particularly in the area of event management, to ensure the delivery of high-quality flagship conferences and to support the delivery of the wider New Directions events portfolio of events
Provides expertise in online/virtual conference delivery to ensure the delivery of highquality conferences and other New Directions events, finding synergies and economies of scale for the British Council
Strategic Planning and Coordination:
Develop and implement comprehensive project plans for international events, ensuring that all logistical, financial, and operational aspects are covered. Coordinate with local project managers to ensure alignment with global standards and organizational objectives, while also considering regional nuances and requirements.
Monitor and manage project timelines, budgets, and resources across multiple events, adjusting plans as needed to accommodate changes and ensure successful outcomes. Utilize project management tools to track progress and report on milestones and deliverables.
Manages finance processes and procedures around the global conference and offers advice where needed to regional finance teams in processing conference activities.
Team Management:
Hire, lead and mentor local project managers based in host countries, providing guidance, training, and support to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to execute events successfully. Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment, encouraging open communication and the sharing of best practices.
Conduct regular check-ins and meetings with local teams to track progress, address challenges, and provide feedback. Implement performance management processes to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of team members.
Stakeholder Communication:
Serve as the primary point of contact between the New Directions Programme Manager and local project managers, ensuring clear and consistent communication. Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal teams, external partners, and vendors to facilitate smooth event execution taking into consideration varying cultural contexts.
Facilitate effective communication and collaboration among all stakeholders, using various communication channels and tools to keep everyone informed and engaged. Provide regular updates to senior management on project status, issues, and outcomes.
Work with procurement teams in establishing a network of event delivery vendors inorder to achieve synergy of services across the New Directions conference regions and series.
Quality Assurance:
Ensure all events meet the organization's quality standards and strategic goals by implementing rigorous quality control processes. Conduct thorough pre-event checks and audits to identify and address potential issues before they arise.
Conduct post-event evaluations and feedback sessions with local project managers and other stakeholders to identify areas for improvement. Use feedback and data to inform future planning and enhance the overall quality of events.
Risk Management:
Identify potential risks associated with event planning and execution, and develop comprehensive mitigation strategies. Monitor risk factors continuously and adjust plans as needed to minimize their impact on event success.
Respond proactively to any issues or crises that arise during the planning and execution phases, ensuring swift and effective resolution. Document lessons learned and incorporate them into future risk management plans.
Reporting and Documentation:
Maintain comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, budgets, timelines, and reports. Ensure all documentation is up-to-date, accurate, and accessible to relevant stakeholders.
Prepare regular reports for programme manager and colleagues withing the hub and English Language Research team, summarizing project status, achievements, challenges, and recommendations. Analyze event data and metrics to generate insights and inform future planning and decision-making.
Ensures all compliance requirements associated with the delivery of a high-level conference series in an online- or offline- environment are adhered to and documented, whether in a virtual, hybrid or face-to-face environment
Product development
Manages the development of a New Directions toolkit, supporting the implementation and use of the toolkit with regional and local teams
In coordination with the Business Manager, coordinates the development of systems,procedures and guidelines that underpin the delivery of main conferences and the wider New Directions series, ensuring high-quality and value for money
Manages resources, including budget planning, monitoring and reporting where applicable
Manages and coordinates, under supervision of the Programme Manager and in collaboration with the Business Manager, the curation of content to ensure event legacy and impact
Team support
It may be necessary for the conference and events project manager to support other colleagues on tasks related to the conference including sponsorship and partnerships, marketing and communication tasks and branding related activities.
Role specific knowledge and experience:
Experience project managing the delivery of both face-to-face and virtual events
Experience working across internal teams and with external stakeholders
Ability to project manage the delivery of both face-to-face and virtual academic conferences.
Ability to manage the procurement of event systems and services.
Ability to work across internal teams and with external stakeholders.
Ability to manage teams and work in varying cultural context
International and domestic travel for projects, conferences, meetings as
required
Participating in meetings across time-zones for projects as required
Working both with dispersed teams or face-to-face as required
What you will receive in return 
32 days annual leave plus statutory public holidays and half day privilege Christmas leave
Non-contractual discretionary annual performance bonus
Extensive and generous family friendly benefits
Extensive range of voluntary benefit options
Outstanding defined benefit career average Civil Service Pension Scheme which includes life cover and pensions for eligible dependants, e.g., Spouse, civil partner, partner, dependent children
Further Information
Pay Band – 7 £30,839-£33,995 plus London Weighting £3,300
Contract Type – Indefinite Contract (IDC unless local law requires differently)
Location –  UK Manchester Cardiff Edinburgh Belfast London
Closing date 26th June at 23.59 UK time
Requirements –Candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) right to work in location.  Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. If you are currently sponsored by the British Council, in a country or regional role, please check with your local/regional HR colleagues if you are able to remain in your current location
A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.
Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement
The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment.  We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability.  All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.
We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.
Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org
Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ‘ASK HR’ email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.