HE Programme Manager at British Council

Role purpose:

• Lead on strategy, planning and delivery of the country Tertiary Education portfolio including delivery of British Council global programmes - student mobility and internationalisation, tertiary education and science partnerships, and non-formal education - and client-funded programmes, ensuring they achieve impact targets.
• Support business development and income generation, contributing to successful delivery of country and global income targets, with support from Country Director and the global team. 
• Manage stakeholder relationships and demonstrate expertise on behalf of the British Council and the UK in the sector, positioning the organisation favourably with government representatives, clients, partners, researchers and technical experts. 
• Build market knowledge and insight about the local education context and share this internally and externally.
• Embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into all aspects of this work so that our people and partners experience a culture that promotes respect, inclusion and diversity, and benefits everyone.

Role Accountabilities:

• This role is responsible for leading the country’s Education/Tertiary Education strategy and annual planning, ensuring alignment with global British Council priorities, local stakeholder needs, and broader cultural engagement objectives. Working closely with the Country Director, government partners, and British Embassy or High Commission colleagues, the role develops strategic partnerships, strengthens internal collaboration, and leverages digital tools and channels to maximize programme impact, reach, and sustainability. It also builds sector knowledge and research insights to support the UK education sector’s engagement with the country and region.
• A key part of the position is providing leadership and oversight for the Education/Tertiary Education portfolio, including programme design, implementation, quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and risk management. The role ensures compliance with British Council standards, manages budgets and resources effectively, incorporates Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) principles into all activities, and uses technology to improve programme delivery. It may also involve direct line management, acting as the Senior Responsible Officer for designated projects, and ensuring projects achieve agreed outcomes and impact measures.
• The role has a strong business development and stakeholder engagement focus. It identifies funding and partnership opportunities, develops relationships with donors, clients, consultants, universities, government bodies, and other sector stakeholders, and contributes to the preparation of competitive, evidence-based proposals and contracts. It also supports negotiations, due diligence processes, financial reporting, and the management of externally funded programmes, while maintaining the British Council’s reputation as a trusted and high-quality partner.
• Additionally, the role serves as a sector expert and ambassador, representing the British Council through networking, research, thought leadership, events, publications, and policy engagement. It promotes an inclusive, anti-racist organisational culture, embeds gender equality, disability inclusion, and social inclusion across programmes, and ensures staff, partners, and beneficiaries are treated equitably and supported effectively.

Role specific knowledge and experience

Essentials

• Bachelor’s degree is required
• In-depth understanding of Education sectors of Nigeria and of the UK, and of bilateral priorities.
• Experience of delivering externally funded projects or programmes.
• Direct experience of client-funded contract pursuit.
• Experience of overseeing monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) within projects and incorporating lessons learned from MEL into programmes and strategy.
• Experience of building mutually beneficial relationships with diverse stakeholders including multilateral agencies, donors, government officials, Education/Higher Education leaders, academics, researchers, alumni and students.
• Knowledge and experience of embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in programmes

Desirables

• Ability to analyse relevant equality issues and identify opportunities to address these in the portfolio.
• Knowledge of international mobility trends of Nigerian students seeking tertiary educational opportunities.
• Knowledge of transnational educational trends in Nigeria, including academic and research partnerships of local public and private educational institutions.