Role Profile

Job Title Directorate or Region Location of post Reports to Education Manager Serbia Wider Europe Belgrade Director Western Balkans Country Pay Band Duration of job Serbia 6 (G) 1 year with intention to extend

Purpose of Job: 1. Lead our work in education in Serbia, develop strong and productive relationships, and contribute to country strategy, planning, programme and team development. 2. Position the UK as the country to go to for international collaboration in education and the British Council as the best facilitator of this. 3. Grow our business in education, such as developing new customer facing services, securing partnership and sponsorship income, and making an important contribution to our contracts targets in Serbia.

Context and Environment: Education reform is a hot topic which has recently led to the replacement of the Minister of Education. Various reforms are being proposed and it is vital to generate some serious and meaningful action. This will require strong leadership in all areas of education, and a greater focus on quality. Now that Serbia has EU candidate status and expects accession talks to begin by January 2014, there will be an increasingly strong focus on provision of the 21st century skills needed for EU accession. A particular need and focus already expressed to us is the effective use of ICT in education. There is much talk about such needs as more focused and effective policy making; education for employment; more effective approaches to vocational education and training; and entrepreneurship. These have to be tied in with realistic funding, from the government, the EU and other donors, in the context of devolution to Ministries of the responsibility for project development and delivery. The Prime Minister, Deputy PM and others have said they want stronger connections with the UK. We have some indications that this includes for young researchers. Main Duties and Responsibilities: Lead the development and delivery of an ambitious education programme in Serbia which is market led and results oriented. Critical to this will be to grow the depth and breadth of audience engagement, including digital. The portfolio currently concentrates on skills, employability and entrepreneurship, with an interest in school education. The postholder will maintain an overview of all areas of education and skills, including school education, in order to identify any further business opportunities in these areas, particularly in conjunction with our work in English.

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Develop British Council education business. The postholder will be responsible for achieving income growth targets and in partnership and sponsorship income across the education programme. He/she will also be expected to contribute to positioning, pursuit and proposal writing for Technical Assistance projects where appropriate and develop new income generating streams of business, particularly in conjunction with our work in English. Build strong relationships with influential individuals in government and institutions in Serbia and UK. The postholder needs to play a leading part in delivering an external relations strategy in Serbia that raises our profile, puts the UK at the forefront of international co-operation and the British Council as the trusted partner to make that happen. The postholder will need to contribute to maintenance of a good relationship with UK government stakeholders and develop strong relationships with UK institutions. Maintain and develop strong understanding of education in Serbia and the UK. Extensive knowledge of the education sector in both UK and Serbia is something that gives us a market edge in an increasingly competitive environment. Build strong co-operative relationships with other programme leads in Wider Europe The postholder is expected to play an active role in transforming our work to a market led approach that puts the needs and interests of audiences at the heart of what we do. Regionally, the postholder will be expected to make an active contribution to the regional education team.

Key Relationships: External Serbia Ministry of Education, Science and Technological development in close co-operation with English Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy / National Employment Service Ministry of Internal and External Trade and Telecommunications National Education Council Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit / Deputy Prime Ministers Office EU Delegation (in consultation with full cost recovery team) / Serbian-European Integration Office Universities state and private; NGOs and skills providers Chambers of commerce and industry, semi-government bodies, NGOs and think tanks Potential partners in projects (in consultation with full cost recovery team) Corporates and Foundations, including Microsoft UK In conjunction with regional Director Education and UK sector teams: British Embassy in Serbia, particularly UKTI / commercial team, and conflict resolution team Higher Education institutions and Further Education colleges

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Department of Business Innovation and Skills Brussels British Council team and relevant Directorates General Internal Wider Europe: Director Education, Education Manager, wider team; strategic leads for English and Arts UK colleagues in education and society, Partnerships, Programmes & Partnerships. Special requirements of the job: Regular travel around the country plus some international travel. Some evening and weekend working. Please specify any passport and/or nationality requirement Please indicate if any security or legal checks are required for this role. Legal right to work in Serbia In accordance with the regional Child protection and HR policy, a statement has to be obtained from the District Court in Belgrade that no criminal charges have been made

Person Specification

Behaviours and Skills Behaviours

Essential Connecting with others (more demanding): Building trust and understanding with people who have very different views Creating Shared Purpose (more demanding): Creating energy and clarity so that people want to work purposefully together. Making it happen (essential): Delivering clear results for the British Council Shaping the future (more demanding): Exploring ways in which we can add more value. Working together (more demanding): Ensuring that others benefit as well as me. Being Accountable (essential): Delivering my best work in order to meet my commitments

Assessment stage Interview

Performance management only

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Skills and Knowledge

Business Management and Development Identifies and understands market segments, applies this knowledge in anticipating and meeting client, customer and partner needs and generates a creative and successful offer in response. Monitors market trends and potential opportunities. Positions the business for now and the future by identifying innovative solutions to achieve impact and revenue targets Knowledge of the education sector in Serbia and in the UK A significant understanding and appreciation of current trends and practice in Serbia and the UK. A well-developed network among Serbian and UK education professionals An understanding of the opportunities for cultural relations through education within an international context

Short listing & Interview

Experience

Qualifications Language Proficiency

Proven experience of delivering complex education programmes Proven experience of developing and managing an education business activity Proven experience of leading a team to deliver challenging targets University degree or equivalent working experience Excellent written and spoken English and Serbian

Short listing & Interview

Short listing Short listing and Interview

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