Head of New Business Development

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Pay Band: 7

Country/Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Department: English and Exams

Contract Type: Fixed term

Contract Duration: Two years

Closing Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2026- 23:59 Philippine Time (GMT +8)

Role Description/Purpose

The Head of New Business Development is responsible for actively pursuing new business opportunities across our B2B English business (Teaching and Assessment) and Schools and Exams Services business. The role is responsible for identifying new opportunities and prospects, proactively reaching out to establish connections, and managing inbound leads to qualify and convert them into business opportunities.

Role Accountabilities

The British Council is seeking a dynamic and commercially driven Head of New Business Development to help accelerate the growth of our English and Examinations business. As the world's authority in English language teaching, learning and assessment, and a leading distributor of UK professional and school qualifications, we work with educational institutions, governments, corporate clients and learners worldwide. This role will play a pivotal part in expanding our Business-to-Business (B2B) portfolio across English language training, assessments, and exams services by identifying new market opportunities, generating high-quality leads, and developing strong client relationships that deliver sustainable business growth. Working closely with senior leaders, sales teams, and marketing colleagues, the successful candidate will help implement strategic business development plans and strengthen the British Council’s position as a trusted long-term partner across the region.

The Head of New Business Development will combine hands-on business development with leadership responsibilities, contributing both as an individual business contributor and as a people manager. The role is responsible for driving lead generation initiatives, identifying and qualifying new business opportunities, managing prospect pipelines, and converting interest into tangible commercial outcomes. The successful candidate will oversee business development activities, monitor performance against targets, leverage CRM insights and market intelligence to inform decision-making, and ensure effective collaboration across internal stakeholders. They will also support the development and performance of the Business Development team, provide coaching and guidance, contribute to marketing and customer engagement initiatives, maintain strong governance and compliance standards, and help deliver ambitious growth targets across the British Council’s English and Examinations portfolio.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: University degree or equivalent in a relevant subject or discipline
• Certification and Professional Qualifications: Sales or Marketing qualifications
• Four years of sales experience to include some experience of outbound B2B sales
• Familiarity with Salesforce or use of similar CRM and prospecting tools
• Experience of managing a team

Further Information

Language: English level at C1 speaking and writing

Right to Work: Locally recruited

Applications are welcomed from candidates currently in this location with a natural right to work.  

Applications are also welcomed from candidates currently based in other British Council country offices. However, please note candidates must have a natural right to work in the country, on a permanent basis, as immigration clearance and/or on-going visa support is not provided by the British Council for this role.  Relocation support is also not provided. 

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

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 in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org