English and School Education Programme Lead Ukraine

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.

The Role

The English and School Education Lead provides specialist support and advice to country teams to design and deliver English and School Education programmes and projects. The role brings expertise in teacher development, programme delivery and inclusive education, supporting in-country strategy, project implementation and, where required, business development through proposal writing, coordination and collaboration with global teams.

The role supports monitoring, evaluation and learning, reporting and impact measurement across School Systems and Empowerment projects, while promoting knowledge sharing and capacity building among country colleagues. It ensures that programme delivery is technically sound, compliant and aligned with agreed standards and frameworks.

Within Cultural Engagement, the role supports the global English and School Education portfolio, covering English Connects, School Systems and Empowerment across more than 50 countries. Delivery involves policy advice, research and insight, and grant, co-funded and full-cost-recovery programmes, working with ministries of education, UK and international partners, education organisations and donor agencies.

Main responsibilities

Strategy, Leadership and Stakeholder Management

Contribute to business planning, quarterly reviews, performance against financial and non-financial targets, and development of impact narratives for the English and School Education (ESE) portfolio. Mentor and manage the ESE team, line manage relevant roles, support wider departmental strategy, and ensure compliance with performance management, HR, mandatory training and EDI standards. Build strong relationships with UK and local education stakeholders, particularly government partners, while supporting strategic clients and partners.

Business Development, Commercial and Programme Management

Support business development by identifying and assessing opportunities, conducting partner due diligence, developing evidence-based and EDI-focused proposals, managing consultants/partners, supporting contract negotiations, and ensuring timely reporting and compliance with funder requirements. Manage programme income and expenditure, business performance reporting, monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance, risk escalation and lesson learning, while acting as SRO/Project Director/Manager for selected ESE projects.

Sector Expertise and Content Development

Provide specialist expertise in English language teaching and teacher development, ensuring evidence-informed approaches are embedded in programme design. Develop teacher education strategies and programmes, contribute to research, publications, conferences and thought leadership, and build sector intelligence on education trends, partners and competitors. Develop reusable content and resources, advise teams on delivery models, and ensure EDI and anti-racism principles are consistently embedded across programmes and organisational practice.

Role specific skills

• Able to manage the development and implementation of quality standards for English / education
• Able to plan and manage dissemination of global thought leadership outputs, such as publications
• Able to manage relationships with UK sector 

Role specific knowledge and experience

Minimum/essential

• Experience of managing English language-focused teacher education projects
• Experience of delivering externally funded projects or programmes
• Experience of implementing monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) within projects and incorporating lessons learned from MEL into programmes and strategy
• Experience of engaging with diverse stakeholders including multilateral agencies, donors, government officials, academics
• Experience of contributing to research projects, conference presentations and publications in the field of English language teaching

Desirable

• Direct experience of supporting client funded contract pursuit
• ▪ Experience of managing online teacher education projects

 Language Requirements

• The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.

Education

• Postgraduate qualification in related field (e.g. education and/or English language teaching related such as Diploma ELT / TEFL-Q)

Professional Qualification and Certification

Minimum

▪ English language teaching qualification

Desirable

▪ Project management or equivalent qualification

British Council | Pay Band 7

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Department: Cultural Engagement

Contract: Indefinite Contract 

Apply by: Sunday, September 27th (23:59 local time)
Interview Date TBD

Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in Ukraine at the time application.  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 interview.

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