Director Chevening Scholarships
| 🗏Job Type | Full Time |
Purpose of the role:
We are looking to appoint an experienced senior manager to lead the delivery of the prestigious Chevening scholarships programme, funded by the UK government.
The post-holder will be accountable for all aspects of the Chevening Scholarships programme, which selects, fund and supports over 1,500 postgraduate students each year from across the world to study in the UK. These are talented individuals with leadership potential and a vision for the future, who will continue to build positive relationships between their home countries and the UK throughout their lives.
The role will lead and manage a team of around 50 staff and be accountable for expenditure of over £60m p/year which encompasses the administration of payments to scholars, universities, and sub-contractors.
It will ensure that the contract is closely managed in compliance with internal and client management controls, that KPIs are met and exceeded where possible, and that the administration services delivered through the contract are done on time and within budget. Regular reporting on these will be required to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as funder and contractor.
The role will engage effectively with senior government and Higher Education stakeholders, as well as with business leaders, to build support for the programme, and will achieve ambitious fundraising targets through the development of new strategic partnerships. The role will also work closely with the CEO of Marshall Scholarships, the UK’s flagship scholarships programme with the United States, to ensure successful delivery of that programme, which is overseen by the Marshall Aid Commemorative Commission.
Accountabilities/Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Team leadership of about 50 people, with direct line-management responsibilities for 5-6 members of programme management team.
• Stakeholder management, including main point of contact with the FCDO relating to the programme, point of liaison between Chevening and the MACC, and engagement with a wider range of key stakeholders.
• Responsibility for monthly management control and compliance checks and ensuring risks and issues are actively managed and escalated for resolution where required.
• Financial management, ensuring that internal processes for payments of scholar stipends are accurate and timely, and that all reporting to FCDO, MACC, and for internal financial compliance is carried out.
• Effective internal and external communication, in accordance with programme requirements.
• Ensuring scholar welfare and well-being is appropriately supported, including safeguarding
• Ensuring and championing equality, diversity and inclusion.
Requirements of the role:
• Scholarship Management: Must have proven track-record of designing and/or delivering significant scholarship management activity, ideally relating to international students studying in the UK.
• Knowledge and prior experience of having delivered project activity within a UK higher education setting or context.
• An understanding, based on experience, of international higher education, in particular student recruitment and marketing.
• EDI: A proven commitment to delivering activity and embedding EDI into programme plans and delivery.
Further Information :
Contract: Fixed Term Contract until 31st August 2025, with possible extension subject to renewal of contract with FCDO.
Location: London Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast. (UK Only).
Salary: Competitive package (External)
Closing Date: 14th August 2023 at 23:59 UK Time.
Benefits Include, but are not limited to:
• 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
• 3 days volunteering leave
• Career average defined benefit pension scheme
An unrivalled opportunity for you to get to use all the experience you’ve built up working in and/or leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world.
Interviews will be held around the beginning of September 2023.
Please Note that the post holder must be able to work physically from the British Council office in London (Stratford) regularly and travel frequently to central London for meetings with FCDO, MACC and other stakeholders. This does not preclude the postholder being substantively located at one of the other British Council offices in the UK
About British Council :
We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.
We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.
Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 we reached 650 million people.
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 askhr@britishcouncil.org
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
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