Current Job Vacancies at British Council, 20th July, 2018

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The British Council is the world's leading cultural relations organization and creates opportunities for people in the UK and worldwide to understand each other, to work together and learn from one another. We see this as crucial to building secure, more prosperous and sustainable futures for us all. We build trust and understanding between different countries and cultures and develop strong international links that are of benefit to people in Britain and the rest of the world. We are recruiting to fill the below position below:     Job Title Exams Change Implementation Manager Locations: Lagos/ Abuja Role Type: Business Delivery Pay Band: PB 7 Duration: Fixed Term (12 months) Reports to: Country Exams Manager Role purpose

• To provide professional leadership and coordination of the implementation of the Exams change programme.

Details In line with British Council Nigeria strategy and corporate requirements within the Exams Transformation Programme, and in agreement with Country Exams Manager:

• To support the business to deliver the people and technology system changes
• To lead on overall planning and reporting, stakeholder management, communication alignment and review and benefits tracking.
• To lead on the detailed planning, process/systems set-up, and implementation of all aspects of the change programme
• To manage the programme timelines and key milestones against the agreed project plan - To liaise with key internal and external stakeholders, ensuring coordination of inputs and outputs, and buy-in where required
• To liaise with internal teams and on the implications of change, to agree aims and coordinate planning to achieve those aims
• To ensure awareness internally of the implications for change programmes on our operations; to coordinate particularly closely with HR, Regional Exams colleagues, Finance and HR teams, and with relevant business teams
• To ensure expected change programme support (from global and regional teams) is provided to standard and on time
• To mitigate risk and to facilitate compliance in all aspects of the change programme
• All to achieve new staff model by March 2019, and completion of transitional arrangements and review by September 2019.

Main Accountabilities The post-holder will (across operations in Nigeria):

• Develop and implement a detailed programme plan to ensure smooth transition for specified businesses to the new operating model
• Identify key stakeholders for each project/strand/work stream of the programme and ensure that detailed plans are developed and implemented; projects/strands will include Project Management (including identifying risks/challenges and developing mitigation plans to ensure a smooth and seamless transition), HR and Finance (in close consultation with HR, Finance colleagues and Regional Colleagues), Premises (in close collaboration with outsourced consultants and relevant business teams), SAP, Tax, Governance and Legal, Branding, Communications
• Collaborate closely with relevant teams to balance the requirements of the various businesses which will operate under the new model
• To ensure that the entity’s operations are supported by robust systems and processes and that relevant, staff are trained as appropriate. This will involve:
  • Enabling processes to ensure compliance with local legal requirements, and internal British Council processes
  • Management of changes to systems (SAP), processes and people
  • Impact analysis on operational processes and revision of those processes as appropriate
  • Ensure development and delivery of communications plan covering the changes with particular focus on HR strand
  • Management of cut-over and go-live stabilisation to the agreed position as per the implementation plan (including relevant knowledge transition)
  • Set up new systems and compliance frameworks as required
  • Review of entity resource requirements for post go-live
• Liaise closely with relevant business to ensure the selection and set up of appropriate premises, resource and facilities requirements for the new model and ensure accurate financial modelling is completed in line with agreed timescales
• Sign-off of stabilisation process (3 months after go-live)
• Hand-over of management of BAU requirements to deputed managers in the entity
• Monitor and complete project closure procedures, including approval of go-live report and due diligence file as agreed with Exams Change stakeholders as appropriate
• Ensure smooth running of the new organisational structure once set up
• Management of project budgets and project related procurement activities in line with corporate standards and policies
• Ensure a “lessons learnt” review is conducted with stakeholders and documented at the end of the process.

Quality Assurance, Operation and Risk Management:

• Ensure full compliance of the new structure with British Council and exam awarding body regulations surrounding security of confidential materials
• Ensure all exam board and British Council Quality Standards are met

Customer Service and Stakeholder Suppor:

• Regularly review customer journeys and implement best practice in:
  • Registration systems
  • Enquiry-handling
  • Information provision and communications to candidates
  • Test day procedures

Other:

• Execute other tasks as assigned by line manager.

Key Relationships Internal:

• Country Exams Manager Nigeria, West Africa HR Manager, Compliance Manager Nigeria, Head of Finance, Country Director Nigeria
• Regional Operations Manager, Regional Exams Director, Regional Compliance Manager
• Country Director Nigeria, Country Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Directors, Nigeria and Regional Procurement colleagues
• Exams team Nigeria, Exams Product and Venues Staff managers
• Global exams transformation change team
• Shared Services Centre India and SAP specialists
• Role equivalents across the British Council network

External:

• Exams Boards

Person Specification Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in any numerate course of study. - Minimum / essential
• APM, PRINCE 2 or equivalent project management qualification - Desirable
• Legal and finance specialism - Desirable
• Shortlisting - Assessment Stage

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience:

• At least 3 years operational experience and/or project management experience - Minimum / essential
• Evidence of managing a project to agreed timescales, budgets and standards - Minimum / essential
• Evidence of strong stakeholder management and communications - Minimum / essential
• Experience a managing people and technology change projects. - Minimum / essential
• Track record in managing projects with multiple stakeholders and drawing onexternal advice. - Minimum / essential
• Education or examinations management - Desirable
• Knowledge of UK qualifications and/or processes involved in administering - Desirable
• Experience working in an international environment - Desirable
• Excellent working knowledge of SAP (highly desirable) - Desirable
• Shortlisting and Interview - Assessment Stage

Language requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English - Minimum / essential
• Shortlisted candidates will need to demonstrate that they meet the required standard through the IELTS test which will be administered as part of the recruitment and selection exercise - Minimum / essential
• Shortlisting and interview - Assessment Stage.

Starting Salary NGN 9,178,045.00 Interested and qualified candidates should:Click here to apply     Job Title: Business Improvement Manager Locations: Lagos/Abuja Role Type: Business Delivery Pay Band: PB7 Duration: 12 Months (fixed term) Reports to: Country Exams Manager Role Purpose

• To ensure increasing effectiveness and efficiency of operational delivery of all exam products in Nigeria through identification, implementation, maintenance from business improvement approaches as part of the Global Business improvement strategy and exams change programmes.
• Ensure minimal operational disruption during transition period.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function Overview   Current:

• Nigeria is now officially the largest economy in Africa. It is also the most populous country with over 180 million citizens. The UK is its largest trading partner. Nigeria holds significant political power in the region and internationally and its society retains a positive attitude to the UK. Therefore, there continue to be major opportunities for the UK and British Council to build on our strong existing relationships with the Nigerian government, institutions and customers/audiences. However, there are complex and substantial risks to this work i.e. security and compliance.
• Nigeria is the British Council’s largest operation in sub-Saharan Africa with offices in 4 cities – Port Harcourt in the south, Kano in the north, Abuja the Federal capital and Lagos the commercial centre. We also have a number of project offices across the country. Our 200 staff work across a range of states delivering large scale contracts, partnership programmes, examinations, projects as well as services in Arts, Education & Society and English & Exams. We are already achieving substantial impact and income (current annual income is £27.2 million) and have plans to grow and develop our impact further. Partners and clients include government, public and private institutions, foundations, private sector organisations and civil society. We work closely with the wider UK mission including DFID and UKTI.

Main Opportunities/Challenges

• The postholder will operate across Nigeria. The role will be accountable to provide people, process and change leadership through a transitional period to ensure business as usual operations is maintained while transitioning to a new operating model.
• Support the ongoing delivery of the current Exams Transformation Programme portfolio ensuring that the supply chain is efficient and effective on a global basis.
• Implementation of new products and services including support of the transition from paper based to computer based exams
• Champion for the region to enable the business to respond to future product demands.
• Review and guarantee improvement of exams systems to ensure that they remain fit for purpose and are designed to meet customer and stakeholder needs.
• Act as a funnel for the region to present challenges and to provide continuous support the implementation process from start to finish including evaluation of benefits and capability realized.
• Support business as usual compliance and operational activities

Main Accountabilities Service delivery:

• Identifies and makes recommendations on improvements to ways of working that enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Exams delivery, as well as the operational effectiveness of their internal customers. Supports transitional arrangements to the new operating model.
• Supports implementation of Exams Transformation and acts as a key agent of change for the country ensuring embedding in the business and benefits realisation.
• Supports the delivery of the strategic transition from a paper based exams business to the embedding of Computer Based Testing (CBT) processes in all delivery processes

Continuous Improvement:

• Support the ongoing exams transformation programme by ensuring maximum effectiveness, efficiency and co-ordination of the delivery of the Exams business
• Provides communication and documentation support on a range of market and competitor data to improve Exams delivery processes and services
• Supports the planning and delivery of business changes through processes and systems to the implementation in business in a more effective and efficient way

Customers & stakeholders:

• Maintains excellent relationships and communication with internal and external stakeholders across the regions and SBU’s, to inform and enable improvements in the quality of exams delivery.
• Builds a network of internal sponsors and supporters to help influence decision-making.
• Develops peer/personal networks within and outside the BC to enhance own knowledge and expertise
• Builds understanding of exams product portfolio

Risk & compliance:

• Support team to ensure Exams delivery is compliant with agreed standards and that areas identified for improvement are quickly and fully implemented
• Actively champions and monitors staff compliance with the agreed corporate policies and practices relevant to their area of functional expertise. Investigates reasons for non-compliance and feeds these back into country, region and corporate team, as required

Commercial & resource management:

• Shows an understanding of value for money/cost effectiveness in the advice, recommendations or service support provided to the business improvement team
• Provide financial analysis to country, region and corporate team. Support regular financial reporting requirements
• Contribute to marketing strategy, as required. Help represent exams at external functions and/or with key partners.

Leadership & management:

• Support exams leadership in planning and resource planning. Line manage staff across multiple locations
• Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure effective delivery of diverse responsibilities and deliverables over a quarterly to annual time horizon
• Determines work plans and coordinates input from others to meet specific objectives
• As an experienced professional, contributes ideas to support the development of discipline-wide and customer-specific business plans and priorities

Key Relationships Internal:

• Country Exams Manager Nigeria, Exams team Nigeria, Exams Product Managers, Venue Staff managers, Change Manager Exams
• HR, Finance and Compliance colleagues, Nigeria, Head of Finance, Country Director Nigeria
• Regional Operations Manager, Regional Exams Director, Regional Compliance Manager and other regional exams colleagues.
• Country Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Directors, Nigeria and Regional Procurement colleagues
• Global Examinations colleagues, Global exams transformation change team
• Shared Services Centre India and SAP specialists
• Role equivalents across the British Council network
• Venue staff and Examiners

External:

• External Suppliers
• Exams Boards
• Corporate Partners

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in any numerate course of study

Role Specific Skills, Knowledge & Experience Minimum / essential:

• At least 3 years line management experience with evidence of managing staff performance
• At least 3 years in operations management, meeting challenging targets
• Experience of business process improvement including improvement within a global business environment
• Experience of supporting projects in response to customer expectations and changing products & services.
• Data analysis skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Desirable:

• Broad knowledge and understanding of the Exams Delivery end to end supply chain
• Knowledge of project management
• Education or exams management experience; or working in public sector
• Knowledge of UK qualifications
• Leading teams across dispersed teams
• Working knowledge of SAP

Language Requirements Minimum / essential:

• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Shortlisted candidates will need to demonstrate that they meet the required standard through IELTS tests which will be administered as part of the recruitment and selection process

British Council Core Skills

• Managing People (Level 4): Experience of providing full line management to a team where members working across different areas of business or expertise.
• Managing Finance and Resources (Level 4): Negotiates and agrees the resources for a defined area as part of forward planning, monitoring progress and adjusting resources or priorities to meet goals.
• Managing risks (Level 4): Has track record of analysing potential risks, promoting risk awareness, and holding others to account for their practices.
• Analysing data (Level 3): Able to apply or devise specialised concepts and methods of analysis – or commission them from others. Understands the output and uses the results to make clear and / or solve complex business, market or policy problems.

British Council Behaviours Creating shared purpose (more demanding):

• Creating energy and clarity so that people want to work purposefully together

Connecting with others (more demanding):

• Actively appreciating the needs and concerns of myself and others

Making it Happen (more demanding):

• Achieving stretching results when faced by change, uncertainty or major obstacle

Being Accountable (more demanding):

• Showing real dedication to the long-term mission of the British Council or the team.

Shaping the future (more demanding):

• Exploring ways in which we can add more value

Working together (more demanding):

• Ensuring that others benefit as well as me

Remuneration Starting Salary NGN 9,178,045.00 Interested and qualified candidates should:Click here to apply   Application Deadline 23rd July, 2018.     Job Title: Customer Service Officer Location: Abuja Reports To: Head of Customer Service/Exams Quality and Training Manager Region: Sub Saharan Africa Department: English & Exams Job Category: Customer Services Pay Band: 4 Role purpose

• To support the delivery of high quality customer service as part of a larger team in line with the corporate standards and policies.
• The postholder will be the main point of contract for visitors, providing information about our products and services.
• The role is also responsible to ensure a smooth customer journey through all our communication channels.

Main Accountabilities

• The postholder will be based in Abuja, working within a team dispersed across offices
• To deliver a high standard of customer service to our customers and prospects and make them advocates of the British Council
• To handle first level enquiries received in person, by email or telephone on relevant aspects of the British Council’s activities / products, in a friendly and professional manner, in line with customer service standards. Forward second level enquiries to relevant colleagues, ensuring they are attended to within specified timelines.
• To update and maintain standard responses and other information for enquiry handling and send out information by mail or telephone, as required
• To carry out all reception and registration duties as required in line with relevant corporate standards and policies. Ensure that visitors are attended to immediately
• All service registration procedures (i.e. Exams, Certification and other programme registration) are fully understood and implemented to standard.
• To record all forms of customer data and records accurately to meet corporate customer service standards to inform reporting requirements and strategic decision making
• To support training of venue staff to ensure adequately trained and updated to deliver excellent customer service for British Council activities such as exams and external event activities, as required
• To maintain an up-to-date contact database of our customers, in relevant segments, within the agreed contacts spreadsheet or system (i.e. CRM)
• Ensure that customer receives responses within our service level agreements and within customer service policy
• Ensure information about the full range of British Council products and services is clearly and confidently articulated to customers, encouraging customer engagement and possible cross-selling of other British Council products
• Ensure regular communication and working is maintained with back office teams
• To regularly attend staff meetings to both gain and impart knowledge about our customers, products and services
• Regular communication and working is maintained with back-of-house teams
• Receive mail packages on behalf of team and in line with internal policy.  Follow compliance policy per exams quality standards with regards to confidential materials.

Information Knowledge Management:

• Manage information created and received in compliance with British Council’s information management standards, policies, the UK data protection principles and local legislation.

Stock keeping of materials:

• Maintaining logs of exam preparation materials, as required.

Finance:

• Ensure that payments are collected, receipts issued and accurately posted on the system. (This is mostly applicable to exam payment processing)
• To collect and report payment collected from customers for exam services on a daily basis according to FCCF and audit requirements, by issuing receipts for all income received to enable reconciliation and processing of refunds. Financial transactions must be balanced and closed with actual received income.
• Conduct daily/weekly reconciliations on financial systems and spreadsheet.

Other Duties:

• To discharge other duties and activities as directed by Management.

Key Relationships This list is not exclusive but demonstrates that the range of relationships:

• Internal: Head of Customer Service, Customer Service colleagues Nigeria, Exams Team Nigeria, Regional Customer Service Lead, UK Customer Management Team, Strategic Business Unit Leads, Marketing Communications Team.
• External: Visitors, Customers, Enquirers, Exam Candidates, Venue Staff, External Stakeholders – i.e. partners, UK Exams Board representatives.

Qualifications Minimum / Essential:

• Education to degree level or equivalent.

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience Minimum / Essential:

• Dealing with customers and enquiries in a service environment
• Providing and monitoring service with quality standards
• Working quickly and accurately to tight deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail
• Experience in handling and reporting on payments from customers
• Experience dealing with difficult customers
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Minimum / Desirable:

• Experience in public sector, education or related services industry
• Managing and training casual staff
• Experience in digital communication (i.e. social media, website)
• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in UK and Nigeria.

Interested and qualified candidates should:Click here to apply     Job Title: Exams Officer Locations: Lagos & Abuja Role Type: Business Delivery Pay Band: PB 4 – H Duration: Fixed Term contract ending March 2019 Reports to: Assistant IELTS Administrator, Lagos / Head of IELTS Operations Main Accountabilities (including people management and finance)

• Quality and Compliance: to deliver a high standard of customer service to our schools and their candidates. As measured by our own Exams Quality Standards, Customer Service Standards, and inspection visits from Cambridge International Exams, IELTS and other examination boards as required.
• Finance: all British Council standards for managing finances are met with relation to income reconciliations, cash handling, managing purchase orders, managing contracts and procurement.
• As Exams Officer, the post holder will be line managed by an Operations Manager or IELTS Administrator in Lagos.
• This role will support delivery of all examinations administered from the Lagos office.
• This role will ensure that assigned tests are delivered in a timely manner
• All administrative procedures are in full compliance with examination boards, partners and EQCA standards.
• Reliability: to ensure examinations are delivered securely according to board requirements

Main Duties Administration of examinations (pre-test):

• Overseeing the taking delivery of examinations materials and checking them prior to exams commencing, packing and returning scripts, maintaining logs appropriately.
• Answering enquiries about exams.
• Exam registration procedures including receiving and collating registration forms, entering and retrieving data on exam board registration portals, payments and exams correspondence including dispatch of results.
• Assist with recruitment and management of venue staff (invigilators, examiners and inspectors).
• Assist with evaluation of new associate schools, agents and other educational institutions.
• Assist with searching for and evaluation new venues.

Exam delivery:

• Delivering  Examinations on test days which includes:
  • Supervision of venue staff
  • Ensuring adherence examination day procedures
  • Delivering speaking tests
  • verseeing practical examinations
• Post-Examination administration
• Secure and accurate despatch of test answers and materials to the examination board. Maintaining accurate logs of examination paper movements.
• Effective delegation of duties when absent on leave or through illness etc.

Venue Staff:

• Venue staff creation, scheduling and payment.
• Assist with monitoring and training of invigilators.
• To be part of the recruitment, training and monitoring team for venue staff.
• To act as liaison between examiners and the relevant operations managers and trainers.

Client support:

• To assist in planning agent briefing events, and to support agents in the registration and preparing candidates for exams.
• To assist schools with becoming associate centres, as necessary.
• To assist Exam/Grant Funded Services (GFS) project managers in delivery of Education/Skills-specific events, including assisting with managing relationships with stakeholders.
• To assist with managing administration of exams with professional bodies partners, as necessary.

Marketing & Customer Service:

• To assist in customer service, delivery of other examinations and other duties as required in this small office, especially in times of staff absences.
• To assist in providing data for marketing action plan and business planning.
• Seeking and using customer feedback to improve service delivery.
• To assist the Regional Sales Manager in appropriate marketing of examinations in Nigeria.
• To follow a programme of visits to schools/educational institutions/training providers to build relationships with existing and potential clients to expand the business.

Finance:

• To assist with preparation and submission of income reconciliations to agreed timescales.
• To record income correctly on the FABS (Finance and Business Support) system and in a timely manner.
• To comply with Contract and Procurement standards.

Continuing professional development:

• To ensure that elective and mandatory training is completed. To contribute to centre and national meetings and working groups.

Key Relationships Internal:

• Country Exams Manager, Deputy Country Exams Manager,  Examination Officers elsewhere in Nigeria and globally, Customer Service Staff Nigeria, Finance Manager Nigeria, Regional Exams Team, IELTS team, Professional Exams Team, Schools Team

External:

• Vocational and higher education training providers in Nigeria and the UK. IELTS Regional Team.  School Principals, Educational Agents, AISEN, APEN, ELTAN and other professional teaching associations; venue staff, enquirers, candidates

Person Specification Language requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in any numerate course of study. (Minimum / essential)
• A qualification in examinations management. (Desirable)

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience:

• Providing and monitoring service within quality standards. (Minimum / essential)
• Working quickly and accurately to tight deadlines. (Minimum / essential)
• Experience of handling and reporting on payments from customers. (Minimum / essential)
• Training and managing a team to deliver to quality standards. (Minimum / essential)
• Arranging meetings with stakeholders. (Minimum / essential)
• Experience of delivering examinations in a timely and secure manner (Desirable)

Interested and qualified candidates should:Click here to apply   Application Deadline 29th July, 2018.

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