NFE Programme Manager at British Council

The Role:

Contributes to planning and implementation of the country’s Non Formal Education (NFE) portfolio including the  delivery of Youth Connect and partner-funded programmes, leading on income generation and stakeholder management, contributing to successful delivery of the global Non-Formal Education (NFE) strategy and contributing to Cultural Engagement (CE) and NFE financial and non-financial targets.

Accountabilities:  

Leadership and management 

• Contribute to strategic planning, implementation and business development for the NFE portfolio, developing and managing Youth Connect project plans aligned with organisational priorities and growth objectives.
• Ensure high-quality programme delivery through effective project management, risk mitigation, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) integration, digital innovation, compliance, and adherence to British Council standards.
• Manage portfolio performance, finances, reporting, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring achievement of impact measures, corporate quality standards, and programme sustainability.

Strategy and planning  

• Contributes to strategic portfolio planning, cross-functional collaboration, and digital innovation to maximise programme impact and sustainability.

Business Development

• Develop strategic partnerships and bid opportunities through networking, due diligence, proposal development, contract support, and alignment with education and NFE priorities.
• Manage partner and consultant networks while ensuring effective risk management, EDI integration, appropriate costing, and timely reporting for funded programmes and contracts.

Brand and market positioning

• Strengthens the British Council’s reputation as a trusted international education partner by driving market insights, research, and thought leadership to support strategic sector engagement and advance the UK’s global relationship-building objectives.

Sector/subject expertise 

• Uses sector expertise to provide insight and content for corporate, and  public consultations, representing the British Council’s perspective and demonstrating our thought-leadership in relevant external fora   

Commercial and/or financial management 

• Manage programme financial performance by overseeing budgets, income and expenditure, producing business performance reports, and contributing to strategic business planning and portfolio impact assessment.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion  

• Promote an inclusive, anti-tribal/racist culture by fostering equity, well-being, and belonging, while actively addressing personal biases and supporting diverse teams.
• Champions EDI best practices across programmes, strengthening gender equality, disability inclusion, social inclusion, and continuous learning in diversity and anti-racism.

Role specific knowledge and experience: 

Essential:

• In depth understanding of the youth and skills sectors.
• 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 engaging with diverse stakeholders including multilateral agencies, donors, government officials, academics

Desirable:

• Able to lead digital events on basic platforms (Microsoft Teams) ensuring all corporate standards are met, including those for accessibility and safeguarding.
• Ability to analyse relevant equality issues and identify opportunities to address these in the portfolio

Language Requirements: The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree (Essential)