Education Manager Northern Ireland

Role Purpose

The Education Manager leads the delivery of education programmes in Northern Ireland, building international partnerships and increasing participation across schools, further education, higher education, and non-formal education sectors. The role manages key stakeholder relationships, supports strategic planning and income generation, and ensures the successful delivery of high-quality, inclusive education projects aligned with British Council objectives and global education priorities.

Role Context

This role sits within the British Council’s Cultural Engagement team and supports the delivery of our global Education and Higher Education portfolio. Working as part of our commitment to Working for the Whole of the UK, the post focuses on strengthening international education partnerships, supporting strategic programmes in Northern Ireland, and contributing to the growth and impact of our global education work. The role plays a key part in ensuring high-quality programme delivery, fostering collaboration with partners, and advancing the UK’s international education ambitions while embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) across all activities.

Role Accountabilities

Strategy and Planning

Contributes to development of the Northern Ireland Education strategy and annual plan, aligned with the global Education/Tertiary Education strategy and the Cultural Engagement plan for Northern Ireland, and to the planning process for the education portfolio and country strategy supporting the sector's international ambitions. Supports development of internal relationships across the UK Region and Cultural Engagement teams to ensure Northern Ireland's education objectives are aligned, understood and achieved, and considers the role of digital products, services and channels in optimising impact and sustainability, working with marketing and digital colleagues.

Leadership and Management

Manages a range of agreed education activities day to day, ensuring global standards of programme and contract management are achieved, and ensures effective financial management and compliance, delivering to target on budgets, profitability, timelines and quality standards. Contributes technical expertise to the design of Education/Tertiary Education programmes and contracts, assuring quality and impact and managing issues and risks, using digital platforms to improve efficiency and quality, and incorporating specific actions to address local EDI priorities. Provides direct line management where applicable, with matrix management support to sector programme teams as required, and acts as Senior Responsible Officer for smaller projects. Monitors and ensures the portfolio achieves agreed impact measures with MEL plans and reporting in place, modelling compliance with British Council policies, values and behaviours in all activities.

Business Development

Contributes to business development and income generation with support from the Country Director and global business development team, using networking opportunities to develop contacts with potential funders, clients and partners in Northern Ireland, and identifying opportunities aligned with local and global plans. Applies due diligence to potential partners, manages the development of commercial proposals and technical writing for evidence-based bids, ensuring EDI mainstreaming and alignment with the Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion framework, and works with global business support teams on costing and pricing. Manages a network of associate advisors, consultants and partners, participates in contract negotiations with the UK Contract Management team, and ensures timely reporting on externally funded contracts and grant-funded initiatives.

Stakeholder Management and Market Positioning

Manages and builds mutually beneficial relationships with key stakeholders in Northern Ireland agreed with the Country Director, to better understand the context and explore partnerships. Demonstrates expertise on behalf of the British Council and the UK by networking effectively, speaking at events and publishing articles, positioning the organisation favourably with government representatives, clients, partners, researchers and technical experts, and ensures the British Council's reputation for quality remains high, contributing to our mission of building trust between people in the UK and other countries.

Market Knowledge, Research and Insight

Builds market knowledge and insight about the broad education context in Northern Ireland, sharing this internally and externally to support UK sector engagement with the country and region. Commissions relevant research to contribute to the British Council's Tertiary Education research strategy, and uses sector expertise to provide insight and content for corporate responses to public consultations, representing the British Council's perspective and thought leadership in external forums.

Commercial and/or Financial Management

Produces business performance reports, including income, cost management, results and portfolio impact, and manages income and expenditure accounts for programmes and individual projects, contributing to business planning exercises.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Actively contributes to an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of personal bias and taking action to mitigate it, ensuring people feel valued and treated equitably, with support for wellbeing and mental health. Understands the British Council's approach to EDI and makes time for related learning and development, embedding good practice across projects and programmes to improve gender equality, disability and social inclusion.

Knowledge & Experience

Education

Essential:

• Degree and/or equivalent experience

Desirable:

• Project management or equivalent qualification or equivalent work experience

Experience

Essential:

• In-depth understanding of the education sectors of Northern Ireland and the UK, and of bilateral priorities
• Experience of delivering externally funded projects or programmes
• Direct experience of client-funded contract pursuit
• Experience of overseeing monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) within projects and incorporating lessons learned into programmes and strategy
• Experience of building mutually beneficial relationships with diverse stakeholders, including multilateral agencies, donors, government officials, Education/Higher Education leaders, academics, researchers, alumni and students
• Knowledge and experience of embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in programmes
• Strong report-writing and presentation skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders
• Team-working and inter-cultural skills
• Strong knowledge of Northern Ireland's education sector, including trends in youth and non-formal education, as well as tertiary and school education
• Ability to lead digital events on platforms such as Microsoft Teams, meeting corporate standards for accessibility and safeguarding

Desirable:

• Ability to analyse relevant equality issues and identify opportunities to address these in the portfolio
• Knowledge of international mobility trends of Northern Ireland students seeking tertiary educational opportunities
• Knowledge of transnational educational trends in Northern Ireland, including academic and research partnerships of local public and private educational institutions

Important Information

• Location: Northern Ireland, UK
• Contract Type: Indefinite (External /Internal)
• Pay band: 7
• Department: Cultural Engagement
• Right to Work Requirements: You must have the legal right to work in the location in which the role is based
• Languages: Written and verbal proficiency in English is required

Closing date for applications: 

11.59 PM India (IST), Thursday 1st October 2026

7:29 PM UK time (BST, British Summer Time) on Thursday, 1 October 2026