Operations Manager, South at the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.
 
We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Operations Manager, South

Location: Lagos, Sub Saharan Africa
Pay band: 7
Department: English and Exams
Contract type: Locally Engaged   
Duration: Indefinite

Background
The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities.

We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK.

These connections lead to an understanding of each other's strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained. We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

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 post holder 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.

Opportunities / Challenges:

• 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

Requirements
Essential:

• University Degree in any subject or relevant qualification
• Relevant experience of overseeing production of goods / provision of services
• Experience of planning and delivery in a fast-paced operational environment at management level
• Experience managing large teams
• Experience of delivery change and ensuring that new ways of working are embedded

Desirable:

• Experience working in an exams environment
• Experience leading on delivery of computer-based exams

Application Closing Date
22nd November, 2020. by 23:59 SAST