Senior Relationship Manager Digital Innovation

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.

Senior Relationship Manager Digital Innovation

Location: United Kingdom - (London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester (Home-working Contract) or Belfast) 
Contract Type:  Fixed Term Contract lapsing on 31 March 2027

Pay Grade: 8

Closing date: 31 March 2026 at 20:59 UK Time 

Requirements: You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.  We are unable to support with visa sponsorship and relocation.

Role Context - About The Team:

This role sits within the Cultural Engagement (CE) Strategic Business Unit (SBU), which brings together the British Council’s portfolio of work in Arts, Education, English, and Research. The UK Arts team works closely with the arts and culture sector across the UK and with the British Council’s global network of offices to achieve significant impact and change, finding new ways of connecting and seeing each other through the arts.

To ensure sustainability for the future, we need to bring imagination and entrepreneurship to the implementation of a refreshed funding model that supports our programmes. The British Council’s core funding model is changing, with a greater proportion of our work focused on the developing world and on supporting the UK’s overall aid mission. This shift requires us to develop new skills that build on our existing arts sector expertise.

To ensure we can continue to showcase the UK’s creativity in developed markets, including the EU, Japan and the Gulf States, we will need to develop new sources of income. This includes growing income from private sources, trusts and foundations, and contracts, supported by the organisation’s charitable status and corporate fundraising capability. These changes will enable us to respond more effectively to the major themes and issues that matter for cultural relations worldwide, forming integrated responses that reach beyond existing teams.

Within Arts, the Digital Innovation team places particular emphasis on artist-led innovation as a vital resource in the development of more culturally diverse, human‑centric technologies. By supporting international collaboration between artists and organisations experimenting with technology, the British Council encourages inclusive innovation that is grounded in cultural nuance, community, and imagination.

This role will be part of a small team, working closely with colleagues across the global network to shape and ensure the high‑quality delivery of programmes

Role Purpose - The Job:

To provide specialist expertise and partnership management to support the Digital Innovation work within Arts portfolio and across its global programmes and Core Digital Offers.

To work across the whole of British Council Arts portfolio and identify and pursue significant partners to develop high quality, innovative co-production opportunities that align with strategic objectives to achieve targets, meet global and local requirements as appropriate and support the British Council’s cultural relations objectives.

To manage and build the relationships that support the digital innovation work. To ensure that the programmes and projects showcase the core values of the area of work through representation of diversity and inclusion of women, disabled people and marginalised groups.

• This role supports the development and delivery of digital innovation across the British Council's Arts work, spanning programme design, product development, relationship management, research, and policy. The role works closely with the Director, Digital Innovation (Arts), to support embedding digital innovation internally across art forms, regional teams, and global programmes.
• The role will also support external positioning of the British Council within innovation agendas, through platforming and connecting current innovation programme in Arts, and aligning this work with external policy and partners.

Main Accountabilities:

Portfolio Management

• Maintains and regularly updates a portfolio of digital programme and product initiatives across Arts in collaboration with the Director, Digital Innovation (Arts).
• Supports the work of the Global Programmes and informs the content within them relevant to digital innovation
• Leads on regular updates on digital programme and product.
• Supports strategic briefings on digital programme and product to senior leadership (GALM, SALT, CEET, SLT).
• Acts as a key liaison with innovation and technology stakeholders across Cultural Engagement, and works to support and advise colleagues on integrating technology and innovation into their work.

Programme Management

• Provides specialist consultation on integrating technology and innovation into programme design and delivery across regions and art forms. This includes the integration of technology in strategic planning processes such as theory of change development, M&E frameworks, and innovation-focused policy initiatives.
• Collaborates on project briefs and contributes to:
  • Market scoping and supplier engagement.
  • Writing and reviewing project briefs.
  • Evaluation of outputs and supplier performance.
• Where appropriate, supports delivery of critical digital programme and product initiatives, including:
  • Coordination with the Programme Management Hub (due diligence, payment processes).
  • Development of project workplans, milestones, and staff engagement strategies.
  • Monitoring of delivery against scope, risk, timelines, and resources.
  • Procurement, contract management, PO generation, and payment processing.
  • Evaluation and refinement of project processes and tools.
• Develops frameworks for integration of best practice in programme and grant giving, when working with technologies (including but not limited to AI)

Product Management

• Works closely with Marketing and Digital & Technology team, with Director Digital Innovation (Arts) to support digital product strategy for Arts
• Works with art form and regional teams to identify 3-5 core initiatives that can be piloted as Arts digital products, including scoping cost, timeline, and deliverables of these products

Internal Engagement and Upskilling

• Leads internal knowledge-sharing and upskilling through:
  • Monthly Digital Innovation Speaker Sessions.
  • Bi-weekly drop-in sessions.
• Applies knowledge of corporate standards, accessibility, security, and analytics to consult with teams leading digital innovation projects, and ensure digital projects meet compliance and best practice.
• Provides specialist input into creative technology projects and funding opportunities, specifically those associated with AI policy and research.

Business Development

• Supports market research to identify opportunities for innovation-led business development.
• Works with the Director, Digital Innovation (Arts), to support concept notes and funding proposals in collaboration with BSPP.

Research & Insights

• Supports and contributes to British Council’s thought leadership in arts and technology.
• Collaborates with research partners on data collection, roundtables, and project delivery.
• Conducts literature reviews and helps shape research briefs for new digital innovation studies in partnership with the Research and Insights team.

Requirements Of The Role:

Minimum/essential

• Experience working with artists, cultural organisations, and/or creative studios  

Desirable:

• Experience researching and/or developing policy proposals associated with technology
• Experience working directly with technology, either through research or technical development
• Experience of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) research
• Experience programming events that cover topics associated with art and technology

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