Deputy Country Director at the British Council (Abuja & Lagos)

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: Deputy Country Director Nigeria

Locations: Abuja and Lagos (Sub Saharan Africa, NG
Pay Band - SMP (Senior Management Professional)
Contract Type - 3-year Fixed Term Contract with possibility of extension based on mutual agreement

Role Purpose

• Through an in-depth understanding of Nigeria and the UK, the Deputy Country Director will support the Country Director in the development and delivery of effective, sustainable and corporately aligned cultural relations between the two geographies, drawing on the UK’s cultural assets and thereby strengthening awareness of, positive attitudes towards and collaboration with the wider UK. 
• By role modelling inclusive leadership, the role will be unifying across all areas of the British Council, whether Cultural Engagement and Exams or Professional Service functions.

Main Accountabilities
UK and country insight and intelligence to identify cultural relations opportunities:

• Has a thorough understanding of the Nigeria context, through extensive networks of opinion leaders and formers and other sources, and identifies opportunities to increase cultural relations impact through a similar understanding of the UK
• Has a sound understanding of comparators and (potential) partners to enrich insight and support business development and cultural relations impact, including competition in the ‘soft power’ space.

Shaping, monitoring & delivering the whole country British Council strategy, narrative and brand - our cultural relations response:

• Develop and deliver a strong medium-term (3 year) strategy and annual/multi-year country plan for Nigeria, with support of Country Director, regional SBU/marketing leads and relevant members of country team. 
• Strategy and plans are based on insight and include a compelling articulation of our strengths, niche and value, drawing these from across all areas of British Council, ensuring we aim for the strongest possible cultural relations impact
• Strategy and narrative are aligned with, and inform, agreed regional and SBU strategy/global programmes and narratives to enable us to amplify our impact appropriately and ensure our cultural relations response is seen as cohesive

Identifying and leveraging partnership and contract opportunities to deliver the strategy:

• Is seen as a strong public face of the British Council in country leading and contributing to relevant public debate in ways which strengthen the UK’s and the British Council’s reputation and positions the British Council to work in partnership with like-minded organisations.
• Secures partnership and contract opportunities which align to our strategy and benefit the British Council and UK, through effective market, client and partner insights and networking.
• Builds and maintains strong senior relationships with key agencies, partners and individuals to support the achievement of British Council global and country strategies and plans

Managing stakeholders: FCDO, other UK Delegations, devolved administrations, representatives of UK institutions:

• Identify key in-country and UK based stakeholders at the Mission/s if present with regular participation in Mission meetings.

Support leadership of the Nigeria team - Overall duty of care:

• Support and champion change within the country team when needed, and instilling a culture which embraces continuous change
• To consistently create an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of your own biases and taking action to mitigate against these. Ensuring people feel valued and are treated equitably, with support for people’s well-being and mental health particularly through periods of significant change.

Protect trust in the British Council and the UK:

• Risks (safeguarding, fraud, IGRM, safety and security etc) are managed effectively across the operation and evidence of this monitoring and challenge is clear (e.g. through recorded reviews of risk register) Concerns are escalated up the management line appropriately

 Role Specific Knowledge and Experience
Minimum/essential:

• Recent experience of working in-country and an understanding of the government, education and culture sectors and decision-making processes.

Further Information:

• Requirements - The role may include occasional travel within the country, region or internationally
• Eligibility - Candidates for this role must have a natural right to work in this location and would normally already be based in the location.

Role Specific Skills
Business Development:

• Uses a range of market analysis, research and business intelligence to develop and implement across a group of diverse products/programmes/services and markets to meet British Council objectives. 

Inclusive Leadership:

• Leads teams to create new solutions to address future challenges. Actively seeks out and considers diverse perspectives to inform decision-making and collaborates more effectively with others.

Geographical Knowledge and Experience:

• Connects complex information on geopolitics and demographics, establishes a vision, anticipating changes internationally, whilst effecting change through priorities.

Language Requirement:

• The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required to CEF Level C1 English.

Application Closing Date 
19th July, 2022 (23:59 South Africa Time)