Professional/Educational Examinations and Aptis Operations Manager at British Council Nigeria

The British Council is the world's leading cultural relations organization and creates opportunities for people in the UK and worldwide to understand each other, to work together and learn from one another. We see this as crucial to building secure, more prosperous and sustainable futures for us all. We build trust and understanding between different countries and cultures and develop strong international links that are of benefit to people in Britain and the rest of the world.

We are recruiting to fill the below position:

Job Title: Professional/Educational Examinations and Aptis Operations Manager

Directorate or Region: SSA
Location: Lagos
Reports to: Head of Operations, Nigeria
Department: English & Exams
Pay Band: Pay Band 6

Purpose of Job

• Nigeria, a tier 1 country, has the largest project, programme and exams operations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We operate from 4 main office locations. Individually, the Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt Exams offices alone are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd largest exams businesses by income in SSA respectively.
• There are currently 36 members in the exams team, 22 of whom are in the Lagos office. We operate a hub-and-spoke system in Nigeria with the main support functions, Business Support Services (BSS) and customer services, located in Lagos.
• The Exams business in Nigeria has grown significantly in recent years.
• We doubled our income and volumes between 2011 and 2013. In 2014/15 we delivered 90,000 examinations, this financial year the target is 100,000 exams on a turnover of £8.5m, and by 2016 we expect to double on 2013 figures to 120,000 exams.
• An investment in over 15 new posts in the exams team in Nigeria, of which this is one, will support our doubling ambition and address the issues highlighted below.
• We have a number of challenges namely: team capacity, quality of delivery, security risks and infrastructure restraints which we are addressing through organisational change, capacity increases and technological solutions. The Global New Operating Model for Exams (GNOME) and Global Financial Change projects are critical to our business plans.
• We are a global leader in a cross-SBU project on school quality and engagement in Nigeria, and we are developing a second cross-SBU project on skills and employability - again, a first for the British Council global network.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities
(including people management and finance)

• Financial control assist with monitoring and reporting of the professional and educational exams business.
• Business growth: to support business growth through capacity enhancements and assist with setting country business strategy with CEM/DCEM and other managers.
• Reliability: to ensure examinations are delivered securely according to board requirements
• Quality: to deliver a high standard of customer service to our candidates as measured by our own Exams Quality Standards and inspection visits from exams boards.
• The Professional and Educational Exams Manager is responsible for maintaining relations with current stakeholders and clients in order to meet business targets.
• Impact: to achieve impact for the UK and the BC through providing access to quality UK qualifications
• Develop and deliver a computer based testing (CBT) strategy for Nigeria.
• To assist with developing a Skills Agenda project for Nigeria with the Education SBU.
• To assist with developing capacity for transnational education between the UK and Nigeria.

Main Duties
Examination delivery:

• Responsibility for the full cycle of operations of professional and educational examinations. To ensure that these examinations are delivered to examination board, partners’ and EQS standards. Occasionally to assist in delivery at peak times.
• Compliance: To assist with managing inspection visits from examination boards as well as for carrying out regular inspections of examination venues themselves, monitoring security processes against standards set by the examination board and QCA. To conduct spot checks of venues and venue staff where necessary.
• To respond to and implement appropriately recommendations from the Head of Operations via exam boards, partners and QCA reviewers.
• To assist with identifying areas for increased efficiency and security in examination delivery and prepare plans to implement these. Oversee implementation of these plans across Nigeria.

Business Development and Computer-Based Testing:

• To investigate the provision of different forms of computer based testing appropriate for Nigeria; develop and implement a strategy for Nigeria.
• Planning for Growth: assisting Head of Operations with increasing the capacity to meet growth in number of professional and educational examinations as outlined in the Marketing Action Plan (MAP); working with CEM on the Professional and Educational exams section of the MAP and planning targets for future years.
• To develop and manage a programme of visits to tuition providers, professional organisations and other potential partners and clients to meet business targets.
• To collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative marketing data in order to contribute to the marketing action plan and support business development.
• Seek and use customer feedback to improve service delivery.

Venue Staff:

• To assist with the recruitment, training and monitoring team for Professional and Educational exams venue staff for Nigeria.
• To ensure training of venue staff in Nigeria for professional and educational examinations is appropriate and takes into account feedback from partners and quality checks.

Budget Management:

• To assist CEM/Head of Operations in planning activity and then to assist on monitoring and managing income and expenditure to agreed targets.
• To report on these targets monthly.
• To identify areas for budget savings while retaining value for money.

Line Management:

• To line manage up to 6 members of staff according to essential HR standards.

General Management:

• To contribute to Nigeria Exams team objectives by attending and contributing to staff meetings.
• To substitute for management team members.

Continuing professional Development:

• To ensure that elective and mandatory training is undertaken.
• To identify training needs for team, and assist in delivering this training.

Key Relationships:

• Internal: Professional and Educational Exams Officers, Customer Service Officers, Country Exams Manager, Deputy Country Exams Manager, Centre Manager Port Harcourt; Facilities Manager and Assistants; Country Director; Regional Sales Managers. Education SBU lead.
• External: Exams Board representatives in the UK and SSA region; venue staff, enquirers, candidates, customer service staff, Regional Exams and Customer Service Managers. Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Local CFA, ACCA City and Guilds representatives.

Other important features or requirements of the job:
(e.g. travel, unsocial/evening hours, restrictions on employment etc)

• Travel to administer/monitor/promote examinations and training events in centres outside of Lagos is required, as are overnight and weekend stays.
• Examination delivery deadlines are absolute; therefore, out of hours working may be required in order to meet these deadlines.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education to degree level or equivalent.
• A business-related degree.
• A qualification in examination delivery.
• A qualification in teaching.
• Line management and/or leading a team.
• Developing networks of contacts.
• Monitoring service to quality standards and implementing improvements.
• Organising and delivering training events.
• Three year’s work experience in a related field - exams delivery and/or customer service.
• Developing or managing IT solutions for distance learning and testing.

Skills and Knowledge
Developing Business Level 2

• Researches markets and conducts cost/benefit analyses to identify new opportunities or recommend improvements to current initiatives

Using Technology Level 1

• Able, with adjustments if necessary, to use office software and British Council systems to do the job and manage documents or processes.

Financial Planning Level 1

• Uses corporate financial systems and processes appropriately as part of the job and on behalf of a team.

Managing Accounts & Partnerships - Level 1

• Able to research business issues and contacts in stakeholder and potential partner organisations to support account management and business development.
• English Language proficiency to IELTS band 8.0 in all areas (or equivalent).
• Good presentation skills.
• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in the UK and Nigeria.

Application Closing Date
6th July, 2015.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here to download job details MS Word

Click here to download BC Core Skills (pdf)

Click here to download BC Behaviours (pdf)