Senior Manager Student Journey & Alumni Engagement

Date: 2 Sept 2026

Location: Dammam 32252, Middle East and North Africa, SA

Company: British Council

 

Pay Band: 7

Country/Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Contract Type: Indefinite (Permanent)

Closing Date:   Applications will close on 20 September 2026 at 21:59 UK Time

You must have the legal right to work in the country where the role is based at the time of application.

 

Language Requirements: Written and verbal proficiency in English and Arabic is required.

 

The Role:

  • Acts as a locally embedded engagement and delivery lead sitting within a globally connected alumni ecosystem.
  • Supports the delivery and growth of the Alumni UK programme in-country through alumni engagement, stakeholder coordination, community development and programme delivery activity.
  • Delivers country-level alumni engagement activity aligned to global Alumni UK, International Student Mobility and wider Education priorities.
  • Supports the development of active, inclusive and professionally relevant alumni communities that strengthen long-term connections between alumni, the UK and local education ecosystems.
  • Builds and maintains relationships with alumni, alumni ambassadors, universities, employers, professional bodies and wider stakeholders.
  • Supports the collection of engagement insight, monitoring data and impact evidence to strengthen programme learning and reporting.
  • Contributes to the British Council’s strategic objectives in international education, soft power, international relationship building and global alumni engagement.  

 

Accountabilities:

 

Alumni engagement and community development

  • Supports delivery of country-level alumni engagement plans aligned to global Alumni UK priorities.
  • Builds and maintains productive relationships with alumni, alumni ambassadors, universities, employers, professional networks and wider stakeholders.
  • Supports development and activation of alumni communities, networks and thematic engagement groups.
  • Identifies opportunities to strengthen alumni participation, engagement and advocacy across Alumni UK activity.
  • Supports identification and development of alumni stories, case studies and ambassador activity that demonstrate the impact of UK education and international collaboration.

Communications and audience engagement

  • Supports delivery of country-level alumni communications and engagement activity aligned to global Alumni UK priorities and audience engagement strategies.
  • Coordinates local delivery of centrally developed communications, toolkits and engagement activity across relevant channels and stakeholder networks.
  • Supports audience engagement and retention activity through targeted communications, storytelling and event promotion.
  • Works with marketing and digital colleagues to increase visibility, participation and alumni registration growth.
  • Supports promotion of alumni stories, ambassador activity and impact narratives that strengthen engagement with the UK and Alumni UK community.

Programme and event delivery

  • Designs and coordinates engaging alumni events, networking activity and skills initiatives that strengthen alumni participation and connection with the UK.
  • Supports the delivery of flagship and locally led alumni engagement events across digital and in-person formats, including communications, registration management, stakeholder coordination and participant engagement.
  • Works with internal and external stakeholders to ensure activity is inclusive, high quality and aligned to programme objectives.
  • Supports delivery of Alumni UK engagement initiatives, awards and recognition activity where appropriate.

Brand and positioning

  • Supports the British Council’s reputation as a trusted and valued partner within international education and alumni engagement.
  • Contributes to strengthening awareness and visibility of Alumni UK activity in-country.
  • Supports local promotion of Alumni UK opportunities and engagement initiatives.

 

Role-specific knowledge and experience:

 

Essential:

 

  • In-depth understanding of education, international education or alumni engagement environments.
  • Experience supporting stakeholder engagement, partnerships or community engagement activity.
  • Experience coordinating events, communications or programme delivery activity.
  • Experience working with digital engagement systems, CRM platforms or audience databases.
  • Strong organisational and project coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
  • Experience supporting audience engagement, communications or community-building initiatives.
  • Experience working collaboratively across teams and with external stakeholders.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Experience supporting monitoring, reporting or insight collection activity.
  • Understanding of data protection, consent management and responsible data handling principles.
  • Ability to work effectively in international or multicultural environments.

 

Desirable:

 

  • Experience supporting alumni engagement, higher education or international mobility activity.
  • Experience supporting the delivery of online or hybrid engagement events.
  • Understanding of audience segmentation and digital engagement approaches.
  • Ability to identify equality, accessibility or inclusion considerations within engagement activity and support appropriate responses.
  • Experience contributing to storytelling, ambassador engagement or audience participation initiatives.

 

Role Specific Skills:

 

  • Event and programme coordination
  • Stakeholder engagement and relationship management
  • Audience engagement and community development
  • Digital engagement and online community support
  • CRM and audience data management
  • Audience communications and engagement journeys
  • Monitoring, reporting and insight collection
  • Cross-team collaboration and matrix working
  • Intercultural communication skills
  • Operational coordination across digital and in-person engagement activity

 

 

Requirements

 

Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in Saudi Arabia.

Mobility/relocation/visa sponsoring support will not be provided.

British Council supports working in new ways, such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service.  This may not be appropriate for all roles, but can be explored at the interview.