Deputy Director Education India

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 British Council, as the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, advances mutual understanding and fosters long‑term partnerships between the UK and countries worldwide. In India the British Council’s work is framed by the India UK Vision 2035 Education Pillar, enabled by the National Education Policy (India), and the International Education Strategy (UK), with a particular emphasis on internationalisation and transnational education. This role will hold primary responsibility for leading the UK Education Hub and associated initiatives, to strengthen system‑level engagement, support policy alignment, and facilitate institutional collaboration between UK and Indian stakeholders. The successful candidate will play a high profile and critical role in realising the opportunities opened up by the shared vision across the education sector, through coordinated, compliant, reputation-enhancing engagement resulting in mutual growth and improved bilateral relations.

Accountabilities:

The role provides strategic leadership and technical oversight across a diverse education portfolio, ensuring high‑quality programme design, delivery and evaluation while maintaining global standards in financial, contract and risk management. It leads planning and implementation aligned with global sector strategies, fosters collaboration across internal teams, and leverages digital tools to enhance efficiency and impact. The position builds and manages critical relationships with senior government, institutional and sector stakeholders in the UK and India, representing the British Council and supporting opportunities for partnership, mobility and knowledge exchange. Drawing on deep sector expertise, it contributes thought leadership, insights and analysis to strengthen policy engagement and inform organisational positioning, while ensuring the UK sector’s value proposition is clearly articulated and its reputation maintained. The role leads business development activities, manages pipelines, oversees bid and proposal development, and ensures rigorous compliance across all operational, legal, financial and procurement processes. It also provides leadership in budgeting, resource planning and commercial decision‑making to support sustainable delivery. Across all responsibilities, the role actively advances an inclusive, anti‑racist organisational culture by embedding equality, diversity and inclusion principles into programmes, teams and ways of working, and by modelling the British Council’s values, behaviours and Code of Conduct.

Requirements of the role:

• Qualified to postgraduate level or equivalent by experience and relevant qualifications.
• In depth understanding of international/India and UK education policy in the context of bilateral relations and engagements.  
• Demonstrable expertise in medium to large scale programme management in the relevant Education sector (minimum 10 years’ experience) 
• Extensive knowledge of UK and international policy in the education sector and approaches to internationalisation and TNE. 
• Active and up-to-date network of senior level sector contacts  
• Previous experience of building effective networks across organisations 
• Confident user of information technology
• Ability to analyse relevant equality issues and identify opportunities to address these in the portfolio
• Experience of leading diverse and dispersed teams and championing learning and development (experience of matrix working and influencing through others more important as a sector lead, may not have direct reports) 

Closing Date:   Applications will close at 23:59 on 15th April 2025 UK Time.

You must have the legal right to work in India at the time of application.

Important Information:

Department: Education and Society

Contract type: Indefinite
Pay band: 8

Location: Delhi (India)

Requirements:
Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in India

Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. 
 
Unsocial/long hours are likely to be required from time to time as role is required to work with the UK.

The role will include occasional travel within the country, region or internationally.

A minimum of 4 days working from the Delhi office a week, with some requirements for 5 days a week depending on calendar of events.  Working from home only with agreement of Director Education and Country Director India.

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