Head of MEL Corporate and Strategic

As a valued employee of the British Council, you already help us deliver our mission to 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.

You are part of our organisation in over 200 countries and territories and where we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Role Purpose:

Lead the British Council’s cross-cutting and strategic evaluation portfolio, ensuring evidence is high-quality, strategically aligned and used to strengthen impact, learning and decision-making. The role will shape the annual strategic evaluation plan, oversee commissioned studies and their budgets, engage senior leaders and external stakeholders, and drive the implementation and dissemination of evaluation findings.

The postholder will also champion professional evaluation standards across the organisation, covering methods, commissioning, procurement, quality assurance, engagement, knowledge management and learning. The role will lead and support key members of the Evidence, Evaluation and Learning team and work closely with Research & Insight, Strategy and Policy & External Affairs colleagues.

Role Accountabilities:

Strategic Evidence Generation

• Collaborate with senior British Council leaders to develop an annual strategic evidence plan aligned to organisational strategy, corporate outcomes and indicators.
• Alongside the Director of Evidence, Evaluation and Learning, oversee the annual strategic evaluation budget and commissioning of independent studies.
• Line manage the Strategic MEL Manager and support their leadership of strategic MEL studies.
• Lead a portfolio of strategic evaluation studies and chair steering committees to guide and appraise their progress.
• Implement findings and learning from strategic MEL studies, particularly evaluation recommendations.
• Generate insight and evidence collateral to support engagement with FCDO, other HMG departments, funders and partners.
• Work closely with Research & Insight colleagues, including the Economist, on strategic research and evidence generation.
• Liaise regularly with the Strategy Team and Policy & External Affairs Team to inform evaluation development and engagement.

Upholding Professional Evaluation Standards

• Line manage the Commissioning and Engagement Lead and provide second-line management support to the Evaluation Team Coordinator; deputise for the Director of Evidence, Evaluation and Learning as required.
• Set an annual plan for Evaluation Team activities covering communication, engagement, curation, dissemination, knowledge management, capacity building, and the development of tools, guidance and standards.
• Support line reports to deliver annual engagement priorities, taking ownership of specific delivery areas where required.
• Guide commissioning and engagement activity to foster strong supplier relationships, maintain the quality and integrity of commissioned evaluations, and ensure mandatory requirements are met.
• Lead dissemination and learning through internal and external webinars, events, meetings and relevant conferences.
• Work closely with insight and knowledge management colleagues in the Research & Insight Team.

Qualifications:

Essential

• Degree and/or equivalent experience

Desirable

• First degree or Master’s degree in social science or a related subject.

Experience:

Essential

• Experience designing and delivering independent evaluations within a programme delivery organisation and/or an agency delivering for clients.
• Experience applying a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to generate evidence for programmes and selecting appropriate approaches.
• Effective line management experience, or equivalent experience managing colleagues through projects.
• Operational experience assessing data quality and resolving quality challenges.
• Good understanding of MEL standards and requirements of major British Council funders, particularly FCDO and the EU.
• Experience contributing to the design of MEL strategies for new business proposals.
• Experience procuring and managing evaluation consultants and agencies.

Desirable

• Experience delivering work across different international contexts and through diverse international teams.
• Experience developing results engagement and dissemination strategies.
• Competence in data management/analysis software such as Excel, SPSS or Power Apps.
• Operational experience using digital survey platforms and digital data collection.

Language:

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

Important Information:

Location: UK (Open to employees in all UK offices including employees already on homeworking contracts)

Contract type: Indefinite Contract (IDC)

Pay band: PB9

Starting Annual Gross Salary: £56,813

Benefits for the UK include, but are not limited to:

• 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
• 3 days of volunteering leave
• Career average defined benefit pension scheme 

Background Check: Employment with the British Council is subject to satisfactory background checks, both before appointment and periodically during employment, as required. The nature and level of checks will depend on the role and applicable local laws.

Proof of Identity & Right to Work: Applicants must have the legal right to work in the country where the role is based at the time of application and for the duration of employment. Visa sponsorship, immigration support and relocation assistance are not provided for this role. Applications are welcome from candidates currently based in the recruiting country and other British Council country offices, provided they meet the right-to-work requirement.

Closing Date & Time for Applications:

1 September 2026 11:59 IST (Indian Standard Time)

1 September 2026 11:59 BST (British Summer Time)

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