Exams Change Manager

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 British Council is seeking an experienced Change Manager to drive and embed a wide range of transformation initiatives across its global English and Exams business. This role sits within a flexible, internationally focused implementation team that partners with colleagues across 100+ countries, fostering trust, engagement, and momentum for change throughout a diverse global network.

About the Role

The Change Manager leads the implementation and embedding of business, process, and system changes, ensuring initiatives are robust, aligned to strategy, and fully adopted across the organisation. Working in a complex, matrixed environment, the role guides teams through every stage of change—from readiness and transition to stabilisation and benefits realisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure major change and implementation plans are well‑designed, documented, and quality‑assured, delivering maximum value against strategic objectives.
• Manage business transition activities to embed change effectively, ensuring teams are informed, supported, and ready.
• Act as a trusted advisor on process, systems, and people‑related impacts of business change.
• Contribute to a professional community of practice, strengthening change management capability across English & Exams globally.
• Develop and deliver briefings and knowledge‑sharing activities to build readiness and capability.
• Coordinate and influence globally dispersed stakeholders to ensure customer and business needs remain central.
• Work closely with subject‑matter experts (People Function, Finance, Legal, Tax, Estates) to analyse risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Monitor implementation progress, report on outcomes, and take proactive steps to ensure successful adoption and benefit realisation.
• Identify, escalate, and manage change‑related risks and issues in line with corporate governance standards.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience delivering business, people, operational and technology change in complex environments.
• Demonstrable experience leading business readiness and implementation across multiple countries.
• Experience working with global stakeholders within a matrix structure.
• Strong evidence of influencing and holding others to account.
• Practical experience managing change initiatives from early pilots to full-scale implementation.
• Strong skills in facilitating change readiness briefings, workshops and business readiness activities.
• Working knowledge of established change management approaches and tools.
• Excellent organisational skills, agility, and strong interpersonal skills.
• English language proficiency.
• Candidates must have the right to live and work in the country where the role is based.
• The role involves collaboration with colleagues worldwide and may require occasional out‑of‑hours work.

Desirable

• Experience delivering change through a global network.
• Familiarity with project management or Agile methodologies.
• Knowledge of process simplification, standardisation, and mapping.

Additional Information

Location: United Kingdom
Job type: Home working, hybrid or office work
Pay Grade: 8/E
Number of openings: 2
Gross Salary: from 38 820 to 46 100 GBP
Contract: Fixed term - 2 years
Closing Date: Monday, 6th of April 2026

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