We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.
Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.
We connect. We inspire.
British Council Payband 7
Contract Type : 1 year Fixed-Term Contract
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Closing Date: 17th June 2026
Gross Salary: R65,393
Hybrid model: Mandatory 3 days in the office each week
Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) legal right to work in South Africa at the time of application. Visa Sponsorship and relocation assistance is not provided.
Role Purpose
Our international education programme, Learning Sectors, supports young people to develop the knowledge, skills, and passion for a career in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The Senior Manager will lead and implement activities under this programme in South Africa.
Role Context
Learning Sectors, supported by Formula 1, aims to inspire the next generation, especially girls, and open a world of future career opportunities in STEM. Within this programme, young people around the world build the skills such as international collaboration, critical thinking and digital literacy and gain practical skills for future STEM careers, challenging stereotypes and building and understanding of diversity in the STEM workforce.
The Senior Manager will play a crucial role within the team in selecting and matching schools, facilitating and delivering webinars for teachers, and supporting schools on their school partnership journeys. They will work closely with colleagues from Department of basic Education, Provincial Education Departments, Schools Leaders among others, in the delivery of the project.
Main accountabilities
Leadership and Management
- Manages project day-to-day, ensuring global standards on programme and contract management are achieved.
- Is responsible for assuring quality and impact relating to project.
- Ensures effective financial management and compliance on project.
Actively works to mainstream EDI and become anti-racist in our cultures and practices within our organisation and in our programmes.
-
Relationship and Stakeholders:
- Builds and maintains a broad, diverse and dynamic network of key education sector representatives in country, including professionals, organisations, intermediary and sector bodies, etc.
- Proactively manages all stakeholder relationships to ensure maximum participation in project.
- Builds and maintains the sector institutional relationships
Develop and nurtures relationships across Cultural Engagement to ensure strategic objectives are aligned, understood and achieved.
-
Strategy and/or planning
- Supports with planning process for country portfolio within the leaning Sectors global programme portfolio.
- Manages design, development, delivery and closure of projects and or programmes as needed
Considers the role of digital products, services and channels in optimising the impact and sustainability of the portfolio, working with marketing and digital colleagues.
-
Sector/subject expertise
- Uses their own expert knowledge of STEM in education, intelligence and insight from other sector stakeholders, opinion formers to support the ongoing development of the programme that meet the specific needs of the country.
Represents British Council in country as a recognised, credible authority in STEM and education to external stakeholders and audiences.
-
Brand and market positioning
- Ensures that British Council’s reputation for quality and as a valued not-for-profit partner remains high and contributes to our organisational mission of building trust between the UK and other countries.
- Works closely with colleagues and experts in CE to feed market/customer insights into the programme development planning cycle, to ensure the British Council’s offer is market relevant for the country and the UK, demand-led and consistent with the British Council and FCDO objectives.
Contributes to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impactful stories.
-
Business development
Contributes to business and partnership development for the portfolio, aligning with country and CE priorities, systems and processes.
Programme management
- Ensures that agreed activities delivered through the Learning Sectors programme are tailored to the specific needs of South Africa, through collaboration with colleagues in globally dispersed programme teams.
- Reports to global team to ensure alignment with client objectives and other participating countries.
- Oversees finances of the relevant programme and can interpret financial information
- Holds delivery partners, team members and consultants to account including supply chain management.
- Where applicable has responsibility for managing all country contractual obligations on programme or project.
- Maintains governance frameworks and manages compliance on a project.
Oversees procurement, grants management and due diligence on programmes.
-
Role specific knowledge and experience:
Minimum / Essential Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Knowledge of the South African schools’ education systems
- Experience of using technology effectively in the workplace
- Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience of project delivery, particularly client-funded and/or partnership projects
- Experience of maintaining project standards in delivery, in line with Centre of Excellence Project Management Standards.
- Experience of working across different cultures
- Experience of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within projects
- 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.
- Confident user of information technology (Word; Excel; Powerpoint), Microsoft 365 functionality and working knowledge of British Council SAP system (aptitude if recruiting externally)
- Able to set up and coordinate digital events on basic platforms (Microsoft Teams) including considering issues around accessibility and safeguarding
Well-organised, able to develop and follow prioritised work plans, to track progress towards goals and use data and evidence to assess achievement
-
Desirable Requirements
Experience leading large scale/multi-country projects
Language Requirements
The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required
A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
Safeguarding Statement
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 in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email [email protected]
