Operations Manager - South at British Council Nigeria

Role Type: Business Delivery
Pay Band: Pay band 7
Duration: Indefinite
Reports to: Head of Operations - Nigeria

Role purpose

• The purpose of this role is to ensure exams operations meet demand, whilst maintaining customer service quality, exams integrity and compliance standards across our Lagos and Port Harcourt offices.
• The postholder will have responsibility for the southern part of country and will also have oversight in this area outside of our main office locations.
• This role is ultimately responsible for efficient and effective capacity, cost management, test day delivery expected to guide and coach team members to meet operations and service delivery standards.
• The role also will work closely with commercial and business development colleagues in the geography.

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 ongoing 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

• Setting up new operational ways of working to support the new Exams Operating Model, coaching and developing team members to delivery to a high standard and ensuring culture change is considered.
• Upholding compliance standards and efforts to standardise across product and execute high quality exam delivery services for assigned geography
• Implementing significant change, with regards to people, process and systems
• Upholding a customer service culture

Main Accountabilities
Product Service Delivery:

• Implements a range of standardised, operational procedures and systems within a given work plan to achieve specified, clearly measurable targets (revenue, volume, time and/or cost)
• Receives instructions, plans and organises given resources accordingly (often at short notice) to ensure that work is carried out efficiently and effectively
• Adapts work plans where necessary to meet customer expectations.
• Drives continuous improvement at country level in the efficiency/cost effectiveness/quality of service delivery
• 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 (internal and/or external)
• Manage service delivery across all products – IELTS, Distribution, University and Schools.
• Ensure smooth maintenance and transition to new processes including CBT and CD IELTS.
• Serve as IELTS Administrator. Carry out responsibilities related to this role.

Customer service:

• 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.
• Ensures end to end experience for test candidates is to high quality standard.

Relationship & stakeholder management:

• Develops good working relationships with appropriate colleagues to facilitate effective and efficient service delivery.
• As required, supports the Head of Operations in hosting/attending external events or meetings, ensuring these run efficiently and effectively and that a positive, professional image is projected.

Risk & compliance:

• Uses standardised processes to monitor team/unit compliance with agreed corporate risk management procedures relevant to service delivery (e.g. child protection, security policies, financial protocols, antifraud measures) to protect the interests of the BC and its customers at all times.
• Highlights to senior managers any instances of non-compliance.
• Ensures team receive and maintain appropriate induction/training in all relevant risk management procedures.
• Uses standard corporate protocols to assess a range of risks into service/product/programme delivery.
• Makes appropriate contingency plans to manage delivery safely and effectively in challenging or highrisk circumstances.

Analysis & reporting:

• Uses agreed financial procedures/templates, conducts monthly and year-end analysis and reporting on income and expenditure/ profitability and risk/pipeline/actual performance versus plan targets

Commercial & resource management:

• Directly plans and controls specific cost variables (rather than the total budget) to meet established targets, ensuring compliance with all relevant corporate financial systems and processes
• Actively seeks to maximise value for money when acquiring resources, goods or services for the country operations.
• Operates and runs regular reports on financial processes and procedures to enable effective budget and resource management.
• Handles budget management on assigned cost areas.

Leadership & management:

• Motivates and encourages team performance.
• Plans and prioritises country's operational activities, and supports team development towards effective delivery of services
• Manages day to day performance of country operations team, dealing with sickness, discipline, motivation etc., to ensure high quality service delivery is maintained at all times
• Tasks and coordinates others (e.g. third party suppliers, external partners and internal colleagues) to complete activities in accordance with agreed service delivery/ contractual/ project milestones or requirements (e.g. cost schedules, time deadlines etc).
• Deputise for Head of Operations – Nigeria, as required

Key Relationships
Internal:

• Operations Manager, Operations Planning Manager and Operations Pool Manager and respective operational teams. Commercial function.
• Global/Regional Procurement Team
• CMR and Logistics Team and Technical Support
• Exams colleagues in business development and account management
• Business Assurance
• Customer Service
• Finance and Resources Team
• Regional Operations Manager
• Regional Compliance Lead
• Exams Regional Management Team
• Global/Regional Examinations Team
• Global exam product teams
• HR, GIS, Procurements
• Country Director

External:

• Venue Staff
• Examiners
• Venues
• Exams partners and agents
• Exam Boards
• Receiving Organisations
• Exam candidates
• B2B Customers
• Technical support providers

Threshold Requirements

• Passport requirements/ Right to work in country: All applicants should have a pre-existing legal status to live and work in Nigeria. British Council will not facilitate/sponsor visa applications and work permits. Assessment stage - Shortlisting
• Direct contact or managing staff working with children? - Yes (IF YES. Appropriate police check ). Assessment stage - N/a

Person Specification
Qualifications:

• University degree in any subject or relevant qualification - Minimum / essential
• Assessment Stage - Shortlisting

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience:

• Relevant experience of overseeing production of goods/provision of services - Minimum / essential  
• Experience of planning and delivery in a fast paced operational environment at a management level - Minimum / essential  
• Experience managing large teams - Minimum / essential  
• Experience of delivery change and ensuring that new ways of working are embedded - Minimum / essential  
• Experience working in Exams environment - Desirable
• Experience of leading on delivery of computer based exams - Desirable
• Assessment Stage - Shortlisting.