Assistant Consultant – Language Assistants

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.

We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK.

These connections lead to an understanding of each other’s strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained. We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

Assistant Consultant – Language Assistants.

Pay band: 6 – £20,254 per annum.

Location: Cardiff, London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Belfast. (The UK Only).

Department: Education, HE & Science

Contract type: FTC until 30th June 2024.

Closing Date: 16th March 2022 at 23:59 UK Time.

You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.

There are two posts.

The Context

Education is a powerful vector for cultural relations activity – especially as access to high quality education at all levels is more important than ever. The UK’s strength in education makes it an excellent partner for people-to-people, institution-to-institution and government-to-government connections. It is one of the three core pillars of the British Council’s cultural engagement activity.

Within the Higher Education and Science Portfolio our Alumni and Outward Mobility Programmes makes a significant contribution to our overall impact.

To support outward mobility, we run a number of programmes including Language Assistants and Generation UK China, both funded by the Department for Education.

Role Purpose

The Opportunity:

The Assistant Consultant is responsible for supporting the management and delivery of the Language Assistants programme.

The programme supports the recruitment and placement of Modern Language Assistants in schools in the UK. Modern Language Assistants are speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian and Mandarin, who assist with the teaching of their language in host primary schools, secondary schools, further education and higher education institutions.

The programme also organises English Language Assistant placements in schools and universities overseas for UK students and recent graduates, who assist with teaching English and promote knowledge and understanding of the English language and UK culture overseas.

The Role Will

• Support the delivery of the outgoing English Language Assistants and incoming Modern Language Assistants programmes; including eligibility checking, matching of candidates, query handling and providing support to applicants and participants through the programme lifecycle.
• Provide administrative support, managing information and records.
• Plan and deliver pre-departure / induction events and webinars.
• Manage stakeholders including government contacts, schools, universities, language associations and overseas delivery partners.
• Take responsibility for at least one of the wider programme activities e.g. marketing, customer service, alumni & engagement, child protection, monitoring and evaluation, systems and records management etc.

Operational Delivery

Accountabilities:

• Uses a range of standardised systems and processes to plan and coordinate effective, timely and cost effective logistical support to enable the delivery of high quality services to a range of customers
• Receives instructions and requests from senior managers and/or customers (internal or external), and plans and organises given resources accordingly (often at short notice) to ensure that work is carried out efficiently and effectively
• Provides timely feedback on operational issues and events to more senior managers, enabling the adaptation of work plans where necessary and supporting continuous improvement in the efficiency/cost effectiveness/quality of service delivery/systems in the unit or department

Service Delivery

• Takes end-to-end accountability for researching and obtaining satisfactory and timely resolution of complex/escalated customer (internal or external) operational complaints and issues, coordinating input from other colleagues/departments/managers as required, to do so. Ensures the customer is kept informed throughout the process.

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Develops good working relationships with appropriate colleagues throughout the British Council to facilitate effective and efficient service delivery.
• As required, supports senior colleagues in hosting/attending external events or meetings, ensuring these run efficiently and effectively and that a positive, professional image of the British Council is projected. These events may be face to face, delivered digitally or in a blended model.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with project partners, end user(s), suppliers and contractors, to facilitate the smooth running of the project and ensure ongoing alignment of interests.

Analysis & reporting

• Using standard procedures and templates, regularly records, analyses and reports on operational activity levels and performance data, to support senior managers in making timely and effective business decisions that respond to operational needs.
• Contributes to establishment and implementation of an effective M&E process for a particular project/programme, for instance through capturing audience participation or feedback through a recognised M&E process.

Commercial and/or financial management

• Operates and runs regular reports on range of standard, corporate financial processes and procedures to enable effective budget and resource management for the team, unit or project(s) – e.g. purchase order system, vendor creation, SAP reporting, procurement processes.
• Actively seeks to maximise value for money when acquiring resources, goods or services for the team, unit or project by adopting current best practice in procurement and advising managers on the use of tenders etc.
• Plans and prioritises own work activities, which span across a range of different work streams, responding to changing and at times competing requirements to ensure effective delivery of responsibilities over a weekly/monthly time horizon

Requirements Of The Role

• Experience of managing relationships effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
• Experience of having lived, worked or studied abroad and/or knowledge of other cultures.
• CEFR B2 Level in French, Spanish or Italian.
• Experience of delivering excellent customer service through a range of media and platforms to diverse audiences.

Closing Date: Applications will close at 23:59 on 16th March 2022 UK Time.

Interviews will be held around the beginning of April 2022. There will be a short task to complete as part of the interview process.

You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application

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 [email protected]

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.