Job DescriptionRef. No:15/01/033

/ Role Profile
Job Title / DirectorEducation and Society
Directorate or Region / Bangladesh / Department/Country / Programmes and Partnerships
Location of post / Fuller Road / Pay Band / PB 8 (locally appointed)
Reports to / Deputy Director / Duration of job / Indefinite
Purpose of job:
  • Working to Deputy Director, provide strategic leadership for British Council Education and Society programme areas in Bangladesh, increasing the scale of our income and impact across both these Strategic Business Areas.
  • To identify and build relations with strategic stakeholders and partners, including for programme funding.
  • To position the British Council and the UK as the partner of choice for Government,Education and Civil Society institutions in Bangladesh.
Context and environment:
As the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, the British Council works with public and private organisations across the world to build mutually-beneficial relationships.The successful design and implementation of our programmes and projects is increasingly dependent on partnerships for income and impact. Bangladesh is a priority country for the UK.
By promoting quality education, sharing international best practice and facilitating dialogue between policymakers, practitioners, and education leaders we influence whole-system reform to help improve learning outcomes.
In our society work we support non-governmental organisations, networks of organisations, and community leaders to collaborate locally and internationally and contribute to the development of more inclusive open and stable societies.
The post holder will be responsible for extending our income and impact nationwide through the design and implementation of our global, regional and country projects across Education and Society.Education programmes include Higher Education projects, skills and employability development, and bilateral Schools and Education UK links between UK and Bangladesh. Society programmes include our youth work with our nationwide ‘Active Citizens’ programme,‘Youth Parliament’, our ‘Next Generation’ project and our work in Social Enterprise and Civil Society.
This role will play a pivotal role in leading these major areas of work, adapting corporate and regional guidelines to the Bangladesh country context, liaising closely with ourHeads of Arts and English.
This role will also work closely with the Marketing and Communications and Business Development teams, exploiting opportunities for donor funding, strengthening our reputation and profile, communicating key messages, positioning our brand, and ensuring effective communication with our audiences both externally and internally.
Working innovatively, strategically and proactively is key for this role.
This role requires an excellent understanding and experience of the national Higher and Secondary Education sectors, the Civil Society infrastructure and major areas of NGO work in Bangladesh,and an awareness of Governance principles
The post holder should have experience in leading and managing successful teams, native English standard spoken and written English and highly developed communication and presentational skills.
Accountabilities, responsibilities and main duties:
  • To provide strategic leadership to the Education and Society strategic business units.
  • To lead in the development of medium to long term strategy for the British Council Bangladesh Education and Society strategic business units in line with global and regional strategy.
  • To ensure that financial and operational targets are achieved in a timely manner by the SBU through accurate planning, financial management and reporting.
  • To develop and manage strategic relationship with the key partners, donors, Govt. of Bangladesh, etc.
  • To identify opportunities for collaboration and partnership, positioning British Council for major donor-funded projects, building new partnerships and securingfunding to support Education and Society strategies.
  • To represent Bangladesh at the regional and corporate levels and to ensure the Bangladesh Education and Society perspective contributes to, and benefits from, corporate and regional initiatives.
  • To ensure continuous project improvement through monitoring and evaluation and reporting on project outcomes to internal and external clients and customers
  • To provide specialist professional expertise and thought leadership on behalf of British Council in Bangladesh.
  • To ensure that Education and Society team have the right capacity and capability to achieve the short, medium and long term objectives.
  • To lead and manage the Education and Society teams (16 staff).
Key Relationships:
Internal: Deputy Director, Business Development Team, Regional South Asia Management Team Heads in Education and Society.
External: Government Ministries and other Departments relating to British Council Education and Society programmes, the University Grants Commission, University Vice Chancellors and Senior Faculty in both Public and Private Universities,DirectorDFID, Head INGOs and NGOs in relevant fields
Other important features or requirements of the job
  • The post holder will understand and make decisions which are affected by Equal Opportunity and Diversity (EO&D) legislation and policy. Additionally he/she will exploit opportunities brought by diversity and build them into all planning.
  • The post holder will understand the importance of child protection and ensure polices and processes are in place to offer maximum protection of young people at all relevant events and venues and ensure compliance with BC Child Protection policy.
  • The post holder will need to be flexible in terms of national & international travel and weekend and evening work.

Please specify any passport/visa and/or nationality requirement. / Bangladesh / Must be legally entitled to work in Bangladesh
Please indicate if any security or legal checks are required
for this role. / ID, local/international police record check qualification and reference checks are required for external candidates.

“The British Council believes that all children have potential and that every child matters - everywhere in the world. The British Council affirms the position that all children have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse as set out in article 19, UNCRC, 1989”

Person Specification

Essential / Desirable / Assessment stage
Behaviours
Please see The Behaviours Dictionary for behaviour definitions and levels / Behaviours assessed during interview stage of recruitment process
Creating Shared Purpose – most demanding
Shaping the Future – most demanding
Being Accountable – mostdemanding
Behaviours not assessed during recruitment process
Making it Happen – mostdemanding
Connecting with Others – more demanding
Working Together – moredemanding
. / The position holder will be required to demonstrate all six behaviours, on the job. These will be assessed during year end performance evaluations.
Behaviours to be assessed during the interview stage of recruitment are mentioned.
Skills and Knowledge
See Core skills for details / Developing Business (Level 3)
Managing Accounts and Partnerships (Level 4)
Managing Finance and Resources (Level 4)
Planning and Organising (Level 3)
Managing Projects (level 4)
Managing People (Level 4)
Excellent spoken and written English language skills.
Excellent presentation skills.
Specialist knowledge ofBangladesh Education infrastructure and good awareness of governance and youth-oriented society sectors
Very good knowledge and understanding of major donors’ priorities in Education and Society sector in Bangladesh.
Excellent interpersonal and team leadership skills. / Short listing
and/or Interview
Experience / At least 5 years’ experience in a similar position in Education or Society sectors.
Experience of designing and developing education or society programmes and evidence of success in developing and sustaining high level, strategic partnerships and relationships. / Substantial experience of work in schools and higher education, or in Society projects / Short listing
and/or Interview
Qualifications / Masters level qualification / Short listing
Submitted by / Robin Davies / Date / June 2014

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