Head of Programme Management, Chevening Scholarships - London, United Kingdom - British Council

British Council

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Head of Programme Management, Chevening Scholarships

Date:1 Dec 2023

Location:
London, UKM, GB

Company:
British Council

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 we reached 650 million people.

Purpose of the Role:

The role will line-manage the teams responsible for UK scholar welfare and engagement and international liaison, and will deputise for the Director of Chevening Scholarships when required.

The Head of Programme Management is responsible for regular reporting to the Director and FCDO on the Chevening budget cycle, operational performance and the Secretariat's compliance with contract requirements.

Main Accountabilities:

Lead and manage all the operational functions of the Secretariat with approx. 30 people working across multiple functions, and direct line management of 34 managers.
Coordinate with other members of the Chevening Management team to ensure effective crossfunctional working across the Secretariat.
Develop and implement operational policies and procedures to improve efficiency and effectiveness and monitor resources to ensure high quality service delivery and facilitate continuous improvement.
Work with the Finance Manager and FCDO colleagues to produce Post and Programme budgets; to provide data to enable Finance colleagues to accurately forecast spend for particular groups (based on country, programme, award status etc.); to provide data to reconcile expenditure at the end of each quarter and any other financial requests as required by the Director or Head of Finance at the FCDO.
Manage, in consultation with the Director, the Programme budget ), including international, awards, engagement, and nonawards budgets. Establish and monitor procedures, in the UK and overseas at Post, to ensure accuracy and mitigate financial risk.
Produce regular reports or other information as required for the Director of Chevening and FCDO and the CEO Marshall as part of the contract management process, including internal governance and contract board meetings, as well as responding to ad hoc queries in a timely manner.
Negotiate and manage third party supplier contracts for the Secretariat, working with other members of the Chevening Management team as required.
Deputise for the Director upon request.

Minimum Essential:

Programme management experience: Analyses requirements with the sponsor/stakeholders, defining the specification with awareness of equality and diversity impact, planning, revising, implementing and evaluating on mediumtolarge and/or highrisk projects. Coordinates a diverse team with awareness of equality and diversity impact as part of the project specifications and handles changes in specification or plan to meet unexpected circumstances.
Communicating and influencing: Uses formal and informal negotiating and motivation techniques to influence others' behaviour and persuade them to think and act differently, while respecting difference of view and culture.
Financial management: Monitors and controls an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analyses and contributing to planning.
Managing People: Provides full line management to a team where all members are working in a similar area of expertise or business. Scope includes planning, setting objectives, role modeling an inclusive culture, recruitment, development and performance management.
In depth knowledge of the UK higher education context, including knowledge of issues facing international students.
An understanding and commitment to integrating equality, diversity and inclusion into programme delivery.

Good to Have:

Knowledge of UK immigration rules and legislation affecting international students and fellows.
Previous experience working for the FCDO, UK government, or an international scholarship programme.

Further Information:

Contract Type - 1 year Fixed Term Contract

Location

UK Wide (London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff & Belfast)

Hybrid working pattern

Posting - Internal & External

Pay Band - 9

Salary - From £55,699 to £68,649 plus £3,300 london market allowance if based in London.

Application Closing Date - 17th Dec,2023

Interviews commencing the week of 8 Jan, 2024

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 in