Commercial Manager (Exams) at British Council

Role Type: BD, Opportunity & Pursuit
Pay Band: Pay band 7
Duration: Indefinite
Reports to: Director, Exams

Role Purpose

• The purpose of this role is to develop the 2-3-year Large Country Commercial plan, drawing together Regional targets, market insights and market intelligence to agree priorities and focus with Country Business Development and input into the 3-5-year Regional Commercial Strategy.
• This role is ultimately responsible for overseeing Demand Planning for the country, assessing and monitoring quality of pipeline fill, commercial viability, sales forecasting and capacity fill.
• The role also ensures the development/tailoring of solutions/value propositions to meet market needs in conjunction with Country Operations Manager and Regional Commercial Manager.
• Co-ordinates support for the development of large-scale tenders and manages contract governance, where applicable. Handles venue negotiation and pricing in country.       

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview

• The English and Examinations Strategic Business Unit (E&E) is one of three strategic business units in the British Council (the others being Arts and Education & Society) all of which have the remit to build trust for the people of the UK by building relationships through aspects of our language and culture.
• E&E achieves this by enabling people across the world to access the life-changing education and work opportunities that are created by learning English or gaining valuable UK qualifications.
• Promoting the English language also provides a medium for communication, helping break down barriers of misunderstanding or mistrust between cultures.
• The British Council’s 2020 vision for English & Examinations is to be the world authority in high quality English language teaching, learning and assessment, as well as the International distributor of choice for UK professional and school qualifications.
• The Examinations business makes a significant contribution to British Council financial sustainability, and as such, it is essential that the business evolves in order to maintain its position in a fast-changing operating context.
• There is a need to standardise and automate activities across the globe to deliver efficiencies, and there is also a requirement to develop new digital products and services to meet changing customer demands and competitive pressures.
• In a cost and resource-constrained environment, balancing the on-going requirements and allocation of funds will be critical, as will the integration and planning of the implementation of the different changes across a global network of 110+ countries charged with the on-going delivery of impact and income whilst changing key elements of the supporting operational platform.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role:       

• Working in a new discipline across a complex business, working with the Country Operations Team, Country Head of Business Development and Regional Commercial Development Manager to set up commercial and demand planning processes, new ways of working,
• Harnessing insightful market data on specific segment /opportunities
• Managing pipeline and performance reporting
• Adapting to shifting conditions in the commercial environment in the cluster
• Handling in-country commercial negotiations with external venues for exam delivery
• Support business planning under upcoming new Status and Tax regulations for Nigeria

Main Accountabilities
Commercial planning:

• Develops Country BD & Sales Strategy cross product/segment
• Works with Country Team and Regional Commercial Development Manager on detailed Commercial Plan, undertakes regular quality checks, provides feedback and implements plans and targets for products/services relative to Market need with Commercial Development Manager as primary focus is business pursuit.
• Supports Director Exams in Exams business plan country actions to meet (monthly, quarterly, annual) agreed targets.
• Contributes to the development and delivery of customised, local business development initiatives
• Pull together the Commercial picture, short lists opportunities and validate, monitor & report on pipeline plan and performance.
• Put in place contract governance that aligns with Global requirements, assess commercial feasibility and review exceptions.
• Define the physical footprint strategy (what, to whom, where at what cost) with input from BD/Exams leads, Marketing and Head of Operations
• Put in place right technical support and contract management for large scale tenders working with Regional Commercial Manager (when applicable)
• Monitor and make recommendations for pricing strategy. Monitor economic environment and FX changes. Provide data and insight to global client and pricing teams. Work with local finance team on analysis
• Develop and support venue strategy and management. Provide technical support to Operations Planning team.

Market & customer intelligence:

• Pulls together and provides Customer and Market intelligence to identify opportunities and works to prioritise lead generation
• Assesses and develops footprint strategy (what/where/when/who) and handover to Head of Operations
• Keeps updated and has extensive knowledge of the market from both a supply and demand perspective.

Winning business:

• Analyses clients’ needs and tailors value propositions with expert support where needed. Input into Global Innovation and Business Development strategies working with Regional Commercial Manager
• Advises and enables country commercial to pursue key commercial activities and removes obstacles. Highlights any issues of non-compliance
• Develops tangible income generating plans and opportunity shortlists based on market intelligence and Marketing Insights/Analytics.
• Assesses commercial feasibility and Contract governance up to certain level including contract approval escalation with input from Finance on Cost modelling
• Develops proposals and large scale tenders drawing from Regional Commercial Development Manager
• Put in place the Global Demand Planning framework in Country & embeds consistent, effective Demand Planning practices integrated with Operations and adjacent supporting functions;
• Oversees capacity fill and requirements to increase Demand

Account & stakeholder management:

• Business Pursuit, RO influencing, networking and key account relationships plan and delivery agreed with Country Lead and with CD/BC colleagues on shared opportunities
• Identifies and shares examples of process/procedural best practice with colleagues in the country/region to drive continuous improvement in key account management and stakeholders.

Analysis & Reporting:

• Undertakes Commercial and demand reporting to the Region
• Provides B2B/Sales forecast at cluster level, actively manages pipeline and drives demand in year and for the following year.
• Builds effective working relationships, and a range of information-gathering techniques, to maintain a full and current understanding of product/programme/sector developments and priorities.

Leadership & management:

• Motivates and encourages team performance.
• Plans and prioritises country's operational activities, and supports team development towards effective business development.
• Manage day to day performance of team, dealing with sickness, discipline, motivation etc., to ensure high quality service delivery is maintained at all times (tbc on direct reports)
• Shares intelligence and ideas with Country Exams lead and Regional colleagues

Key Relationships
Internal:

• Exams Operational Teams, Business Development Managers
• Head of Business Development, Director Exams, Country Director and Senior Leadership Team
• Regional Commercial Manager
• Customer Services
• Finance
• Exams Regional Management Team
• Other Nigeria SBUs
• Country/Regional/Global Marketing
• Global Exams Product teams
• Status and Tax Project Team

External:

• Country and Regional (B2B/C/G) partners, agencies, receiving organisations (RO’s),regulators and key partners in BC tests

Role Requirements
Threshold requirements - Assessment stage       

• Passport requirements/ Right to work in country: You must have existing rights to live and work where role is based.
• Ability to work in the region without restrictions: Shortlisting       
• Direct contact or managing staff working with children?: No: N/a

Person Specification: Assessment stage
Qualifications:
Minimum / essential - Desirable - Assessment Stage:

• Commercial and Financial Planning experience and experience working in a relevant field
• Degree in any subject or relevant qualification
• Shortlisting

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience
Minimum / essential - Desirable - Assessment Stage:

• Significant experience of conducting demand planning processes and pipeline management.

Experience of:
Business Development:

• Contract management and developing bids, costing and pricing for large scale opportunities
• Market research and horizon scanning of sector
• Working with regulatory bodies and building and maintaining stakeholder relationships
• Demonstrated analytical ability and commercial acumen
• Experience in exams setting (or services related field)
• Experience in contract negotiation
• Shortlisting

Role Specific Skills (if any)- Assessment Stage:

• N/A
• Shortlisting AND Interview

British Council Core Skills - Assessment Stage:

• Communicating and influencing (level 3). Is creative and adaptable in communications
• Able to use a range of non-standard and creative approaches to inform, and persuade others, extending beyond logical argument to influence decisions and actions in a way which is inclusive and engaging.
• Managing projects (level 3). Leads smaller projects
• Analyses requirements with the sponsor/stakeholders, defining the specification with awareness of equality and diversity impact, planning, revising, implementing and evaluating on small-to-medium scale and/or low risk projects
• Finance and resource management (level 3) Supports budget management Monitors and controls an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analyses and contributing to planning.
• Commercial and business development (level 3) Develops viable business
• Defines and develops products/programmes/services which deliver British Council goals on impact, income and surplus within a defined area of business that responds to market opportunities and aligns to wider corporate strategies.
• Account and partnership management (level 3) Builds account teams
• Identifies and deploys teams of British Council staff whose attributes match the stakeholder/ customer/partner’s needs, and adapting proposals to accommodate the needs of the other party.

British Council Behaviours: Assessment Stage

• 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
• Working together (more demanding):
• Ensuring that others benefit as well as me
• Being accountable (more demanding):
• Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own - Interview.