Location: Sub Saharan Africa, TZ

Company: British Council

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.

Country Director Tanzania and Country TVET Lead

Overview

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 and education. 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.

Role Purpose

Through an in-depth understanding of Tanzania and the UK the Country Director will lead 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, Teaching and Exams or Professional Service functions.

The CD will lead, develop and deliver a strategic education portfolio of cultural relations partnerships, programmes and contracts across mixed funding streams and business models. They will ensure an overall balance of impact and financial sustainability; deliver corporate and regional outcomes and ensure that benefit is achieved overseas and for the UK. The role holder will provide sector expertise at country level, lead large, dispersed teams and manage senior partner and stakeholder relationships.

Main accountabilities

UK and country insight and intelligence to identify cultural relations opportunities
Has a thorough understanding of the country 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
Ensures insight is organisational, it is shared and accessible to the organisation, rather than retained by the individual and country

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 Tanzania with support of 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. These must include, as a minimum, HMA and DHM with whom CD must maintain proactive contact – at least once per month with regular participation in SLT / Heads of Section meetings
Key HMG stakeholders are actively consulted on our Country Strategy and Plan, which are shared and agreed with the Mission. Equally, we will contribute to the Mission’s business planning and KPIs and aim to be the SRO for any cultural, educational and English sub-items in the Mission’s Strategic Plan, and to advocate for such activity as part of the Mission’s activities.

Lead the Tanzania 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.
Have a deep understanding of and take accountability for putting the British Council’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and anti-racism into practice. To make time for and visibly engage with learning and development related to EDI and anti-racism

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
Compliance with British Council policies and processes, (including amongst teams reporting outside the country operation) is modelled and championed and staff held to account for the same
Our commitments to EDI, the Anti-Racism Action Plan, and Environmental protection are delivered

7. Country TVET leadership and management

Provides technical input and design to TVET contracts, programmes and projects, assuring quality and impact and managing issues and risks.
Uses digital platforms and technological advancements to improve efficiency, impact and quality of project and/or programme design and delivery
Incorporates specific actions to address equality, diversity and inclusion priorities in programme delivery

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.

TVET Experience:

Extensive experience of the TVET sector in country, including the funding and partner landscape. Strong expertise in the education sectors the Region, an understanding of the policy and reform in the TVET sector and a good working knowledge on the UK’s TVET systems.

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

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

Pay Band – 8
Contract Type – 2-year Fixed Term Contract (with possibility of 1 year extension based on mutual agreement)
Location – Tanzania
Eligibility – Local Hire or International Transfer
Requirements – The role may include occasional travel within the country, region or internationally
Candidates are expected to have researched whether they have the right to live and work in the country in which the role is based and the likelihood of obtaining a Visa.
Applications are also welcomed from candidates currently based in other British Council country/territory offices
Immigration clearance and/or on-going visa support is provided by the British Council for this role. Relocation support is also provided.

Closing Date – 17 July 2022 (23:59 South Africa Time)

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. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.