Sector Senior Consultant Schools
Date: 27 Oct 2026
Location: London, UKM, GB Belfast, UKM, GB Cardiff, UKM, GB Edinburgh, UKM, GB
Company: British Council
We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For over 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.
We work with people in over 150 countries and reach over 700 million people.
We connect. We inspire.
The Department for Education has announced that the British Council is set to take on the role of National Agency for Erasmus+.
In December the UK and EU arrived at a political agreement that the UK would rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027. That agreement has now been legally formalised under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The British Council has a longstanding commitment to supporting international exchange. It was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency from 2014-20, where Erasmus+ made a significant contribution to the UK's cultural relations activities, funding 8,091 projects, engaging 583,757 UK participants, and awarding around €1.1 billion to UK organisations.
Job Title: Sector Senior Consultant Schools
Pay Band: 8
Salary: £40,179 gross per annum
Contract Duration: 2 Year Fixed Term Contract with possibility of extension
Location: London, Belfast, Cardiff or Edinburgh, or home-based within the UK.
Right to Work Requirements: Current right to work in the UK. The British Council is not able to support or sponsor work visa applications.
Closing Date: Applications will close on 10 November at 22:59 UK Time
We are operating on the basis that any offer is made pending client confirmation of funds.
Role Purpose
The Sector Senior Consultant- Schools will be responsible for supporting the development and delivery of sector engagement, guidance, training and support activities that encourage high-quality participation in Erasmus+ across the sector.
This role plays a key part in increasing participation, supporting quality implementation, promoting inclusion, and ensuring that sector needs are reflected in National Agency activities.
Main accountabilities
- Developing and maintaining effective relationships with key sector stakeholders and partners.
- Supporting the delivery of sector engagement plans aligned with National Agency priorities.
- Promoting Erasmus+ opportunities and increasing sector awareness and participation.
- Representing the National Agency at sector events, conferences, webinars and stakeholder meetings.
- Providing specialist advice and guidance to applicants and beneficiaries throughout the project lifecycle.
- Designing and delivering information sessions, workshops, webinars and training activities.
- Developing guidance materials, toolkits and best-practice resources to improve project quality and impact.
- Gathering and analysing sector intelligence, stakeholder feedback and programme data to inform decision-making.
- Promoting inclusion, diversity, sustainability and digital transformation, while widening participation among underrepresented organisations.
- Managing assigned projects and workstreams, collaborating across teams, and supporting programme quality assurance, reporting and continuous improvement.
Role Specific Knowledge and Experience:
Minimum/essential
- Experience of working in the schools sector.
- Experience of designing and delivering stakeholder engagement activities.
- Experience of developing and delivering training, workshops or guidance materials.
- Experience of managing projects and delivering against objectives and deadlines.
- Experience of building productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Desirable
- Experience of Erasmus+ or other international education programmes.
- Experience of grant-funded programmes and meeting donor requirements.
- Experience of working with government departments or public-sector stakeholders.
- Knowledge of UK School policy and practice.
- Project management qualification or equivalent experience desirable.
Education
- Degree or equivalent work experience.
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.
#LI-Hybrid
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 we 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 and 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