Role Profile

The aim of this role is to lead and coordinate business development and business delivery within the Levant Cluster and to support country staff within in these areas. This is crucial in order to effectively position the British Council to win and maintain new commercial (full cost recovery) and non-commercial (partnership) programming in Levant (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, OPT, Syria, Yemen). The role will focus on:

• Identifying and monitoring market and client trends;
• Building effective partnerships and networks of professionals in priority areas to support pursuit and delivery;
• Identifying and actively tracking individual opportunities which match our strategic objectives and overseeing the regional Partnership and Contract Approval Process (PCAP);
• Leading and managing the proposal management process for a portfolio of pursuit opportunities;
• Building capacity and capability of country teams in pursuit and project delivery;
• Providing management oversight of E&S projects across the Levant region, ensuring corporate best practice is embedded across the pursuit and delivery functions and attendance at business review meetings; and
• Acting as relationship manager for key regional clients where agreed appropriate.

There are deep historical ties between the Middle East and North Africa and the region remains critically important for UK security and prosperity as well as a high priority for the British Council.

The cluster is currently blighted by conflict and instability, rooted in the geopolitical struggle between regional powers and weakening of the social contract between governments and their populations. The Iran-Saudi and Shia-Sunni conflict is playing out in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and is having a huge impact more widely in the region. It shows no sign of abating.  The breakdown in the social contract that drove the 2011 anti-government uprisings has occurred due to a number of longstanding barriers to political, economic and social progress.

Dominance of ruling monarchies, authoritarian regimes, and limited democratic institutions

Exclusion of young people from political processes and few opportunities for them to express themselves freely

A very young demographic and mounting youth unemployment at 30%, twice the global average

Poorly performing education systems and low learning outcomes against international benchmarks

Inequality of opportunity for women; most development indicators show that women have an increasing participation in education but are under-represented in economic and political life:

• An under-developed sense of citizenship and weak civil society
• An economic model heavily dependent on oil. Lower oil prices are already having an impact on the social contract in the Gulf

The majority of young people are finding their path to economic independence and self-fulfilment blocked and given the limited legitimate outlets available to express their grievances and create change, radical thinking and radical action has powerful appeal.

The region is now at a crossroads in its transition, with huge generational shifts taking place in politics, society, geopolitics and the economy. As well as creating conflict as different parties contest the direction of this transition, it is also generating significant opportunities – the new generation is more connected, more educated, more entrepreneurial, innovative and expressive than previous generations. They have the potential to drive sustainable economic growth and stability. Moreover, governments have greater impetus to engage with youth due to their rising numbers and the end of the oil boom, which has increased their need to diversify their economies away from oil and towards a model based around harnessing the region’s human capital.

• Greater stability in priority countries in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and countries affected by the Syrian refugee crisis
• International opportunities and connections for young people and institutions in the UK

Our regional vision in the Levant and across MENA is:

Changing young people’s lives, inspiring hope, connecting opportunity

• Improving education and English outcomes and quality of education at all levels in order to contribute to increased employment and HE options
• Building the resilience of young people and enabling them to create alternative pathways for themselves, thereby contributing to the development of diversified and stronger economies
• HE partnerships benefiting the economies of the UK and Levant/MENA

• Governance and Civil Society
• Stability, Security, and Peace Building
• Young People and Women and Girls both as a cross-cutting theme as well as through targeted programmes

Role Profile

British Council Core Skills

British Council Behaviours

 

Additional Information:

• If you are interested in this vacancy, kindly submit your application by 10 February 2020
  
• This is an International Direct Assignment post, relocation benefits will be provided to selected candidates.

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.