HE Programme Manager at British Council

Role Purpose

• The British Council is seeking an experienced and strategic HE Programme Manager to contribute to the development, planning and delivery of the Higher Education portfolio in South Africa.
• The role will support the successful delivery of programmes across student mobility and internationalisation, tertiary education partnerships, science collaborations and non-formal education initiatives. The postholder will play a key role in programme delivery, stakeholder engagement, business development and income generation while ensuring projects achieve their intended impact and align with British Council strategic objectives.
• In South Africa, the role requires a strong understanding of the higher education landscape and the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with government stakeholders, higher education institutions, donors, researchers, alumni and other sector partners. The successful candidate will help position the British Council as a trusted partner and thought leader in the education sector while championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) throughout programme delivery.

Role Accountabilities

Strategy and Planning

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the country Higher Education strategy and annual business plan.
• Ensure alignment between country priorities, global Education strategy and wider Cultural Engagement objectives.
• Contribute to impact measurement, evidence generation and reporting across the portfolio.

Leadership and Programme Management

• Lead and coordinate the delivery of Higher Education programmes and projects in South Africa.
• Ensure compliance with British Council programme management standards, policies and procedures.
• Monitor project performance, risks, budgets and impact indicators.
• Embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles into programme design and delivery.

Business Development

• Support income generation and business development activities.
• Identify funding opportunities and maintain relationships with donors, partners and clients.
• Contribute to proposal development, contract negotiations and bid writing.

Stakeholder Management and Market Positioning

• Build and maintain strong relationships with government departments, universities, educational institutions, multilateral agencies, researchers, alumni and sector partners.
• Represent the British Council at events, forums and stakeholder meetings.
• Promote UK-South Africa education partnerships and sector collaboration.

Financial and Commercial Management

• Manage programme budgets and ensure effective financial oversight.
• Monitor expenditure, income and performance against agreed targets.
• Support planning, forecasting and reporting processes.

Market Insight and Research

• Develop and share insights on the South African higher education landscape.
• Support research and thought leadership activities that strengthen the British Council's position in the sector.

Essential Requirements

Education

• Degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Project management qualification or equivalent experience.

Experience

• Experience delivering externally funded projects or programmes.
• Experience pursuing and managing client-funded contracts.
• Experience overseeing monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) activities.
• Strong stakeholder management experience across government, higher education institutions, donors and partner organisations.
• Experience embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles into programmes.
• Strong programme and project management capabilities.
• Excellent written communication, reporting and presentation skills.
• Ability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders.

Desirable

• Knowledge of international student mobility trends.
• Understanding of transnational education and international partnerships.
• Ability to analyse equality issues and identify opportunities to promote inclusion across programmes.