Assistant Consultant 2023

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.

What we offer

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!

Context

Education is a powerful vector for cultural relations activity – especially as access to high quality education at all levels is more important than ever. The UK’s strength in education makes it an excellent partner for people-to-people, institution and government-to-government connections. It is one of the three core pillars of the British Council’s cultural engagement activity, and this role sits within the Higher Education and Science Portfolio.

Newton Fund

The Newton Fund is part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA). Launched in 2014, its aim is to develop science and innovation partnerships that promote the economic development and social welfare of partner countries. Up to 2021, the total UK investment has been to a value of £735M with partner countries providing matched effort or funding. In 2021, it was announced by the client that the 7-year funding cycle for the Newton Fund would be ending and that a new blended programme with ODA and non-ODA funding would be developed. This new programme, which has a working title of the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), is due to launch in 2023. The Newton Fund will be phased out and closed over this calendar year (2023-2024).

Role purpose

The Assistant Consultant role will provide operational assistance to the Consultant with specific responsibility for the following key areas of work:

• Assisting with all aspects of the Newton Fund legacy work, ensuring compliance with project management standards (including risks and issues, resourcing, records management), corporate policies and in accordance with key contractual and reporting obligations from the Client, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
• Contributing to the phase out stages and final closure of all Newton Fund activity (2014-2024) ensuring that lessons learned are captured and all relevant reporting documentation is accessible for dissemination and future recommendations.
• Helping to create templates, schedules and relevant documentation as directed by the Consultant to operationalise the new Science global programme.
• To undertake financial tasks including invoicing, raising purchase orders, and maintaining relevant spreadsheets.
• Issuing and processing grant agreements and processing payments to the grant applicants.
• Maintaining accurate financial records and file management systems.
• Monitoring generic inboxes and offering high levels of customer service to customers and grantees.

Main accountabilities

Operational delivery

• Use a range of standardised systems and processes (Admin Tracker, SAP, generic inboxes) to plan and coordinate effective, timely and cost-effective support to ensure that the programme work is managed appropriately
• Receive instructions and request from senior managers and/or customers (internal or external), and plan and organise given resources accordingly (often at short notice) to ensure that work is carried out efficiently and effectively.

Customer service

• Take end-to-end accountability for researching and obtaining satisfactory and timely resolution of complex/escalated customer (internal or external) operational complaints and issue, coordinating input from other colleagues/departments/managers as required, to do so. Ensure the customer is kept informed throughout the process.

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Develop good working relationships with appropriate colleagues throughout the British Council to facilitate effective and efficient service delivery.
• As required, support senior colleagues in hosting/attending external events or meetings, ensuring these run efficiently and effectively and that a positive, professional image of the British Council is projected. These events may be face to face, delivered digitally or in a blended model.

Risk & compliance

• Follow agreed corporate risk management processes and procedures when delivering services (e.g. safeguarding, EDI, anti-racism, security policies, financial protocols, anti-fraud measures, cyber security) to protect the interests of the British Council and its customers at all times.

Analysis & reporting

• Using standard procedures and templates, regularly record, analyse and report on operational activity levels and performance data, to support senior managers in making timely and effective business decisions that respond to operational needs.
• Contribute to establishment and implementation of an effective M&E process for a particular project/programme, for instance through capturing audience participation or feedback through a recognised M&E process.

Financial management

• Operate and run regular reports on range of standard, corporate financial processes and procedures to enable effective budget and resource management for the team, unit or project(s) – e.g. purchase order system, vendor creation, SAP reporting, procurement processes.

Managing self & others

• Plan and prioritise own work activities, which span across a range of different work streams, responding to changing and at times competing requirements to ensure effective delivery of responsibilities over a weekly/monthly time horizon.
• Task, coordinate or assist/motivate others (e.g. third party suppliers, external partners and internal colleagues) to complete activities in accordance with agreed service delivery/ contractual/ project milestones or requirements (e.g. cost schedules, time deadlines etc)

Equality, diversity and inclusion

• Be aware of your own unconscious biases and their impact and find ways to reduce them, act against bias and discrimination
• Involve people from diverse backgrounds in your work and make decisions with an appreciation of the experiences and barriers for people from different equality backgrounds

Role specific skills

• Confident user of information technology (Word; Excel; PowerPoint), Microsoft 365 functionality
• Able to set up and coordinate digital events on basic platforms (Microsoft Teams) including considering issues around accessibility and safeguarding