The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK. These connections lead to an understanding of each other’s strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained. We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

Head of (Programmes) Business Development and Partnerships, Nigeria and West Africa

Pay band: 8

Post Location: Lagos or Abuja

Department: Cultural Engagement

Contract type: Locally Engaged

Duration: 2-Year Fixed Term Contract (with possibility of extension based on business needs)

Role Purpose

This role will lead the identification, positioning and pursuit of donors, trusts, foundations, and corporate funding for British Council Nigeria in line with Regional, Country and Business Unit priorities.

Main Opportunities / Challenges For This Role

The Head of (Programmes) Business Development and Partnerships will:

• Gather market intelligence across West African Cluster countries in liaison with country-based colleagues
• Be connected to and engage consistently with the donor, trusts and foundations and corporate sectors to ensure they have their finger on the pulse of funding and business development opportunities
• Provide an opportunity to engage with the themes of the Nigeria and West African cluster programmes including livelihood strengthening, social inclusion and connections and internal exchange with the UK.
• Lead on and coordinate the production of high-quality proposals and bids that are competitive and representative of the British Council’s value, brand and profile, and when needed, to provide support on provision and delivery of specific content for pitches/presentations made to target clients by the in-country teams.
• Develop a business development strategy and plan for the cluster

Essential

Requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken English (Shortlisted candidates will either demonstrate they have met the required standard through presentation of an agreed English language certificate or will be required to take the APTIS test and demonstrate a B2 level of English proficiency).
• Bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution or five years’ relevant experience in lieu
• 7 – 10 years recent, relevant, professional experience working with or within the development sector with an international donor, trust, or foundation in Nigeria
• Demonstrable experience of pursuing and winning funding from donors and trusts or foundations using strong project management discipline
• Strong understanding of development funding landscape and good knowledge of funding approaches by a range of international donors particularly in education, skills, and livelihoods for youth
• Proven experience working in a compliant and regulated environment

Desirable

• Formal Business development or fundraising qualification
• Marketing or Business Development – Related Academic Background
• Project management certification
• Business development experience outside Nigeria, ideally in another African context.
• Access to existing donor networks or community of practice
• Experience developing or managing network of consultants or technical experts for the purpose of proposal development and management.

Additional Information: All applicants should have a pre-existing legal status to live and work in Nigeria.

Closing Date:1 September 2021 applications will close 23:59 South Africa time

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality Statement

The British Council is committed to a policy of equality and to valuing diversity and is keen to reflect the diversity of the societies in which we work at every level within the organisation. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. We aim to abide by and promote equality legislation by following both the letter and the spirit of it to avoid unjustified discrimination, recognising discrimination as a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights. All staff worldwide are required to ensure their behaviour is consistent with our policies.

The British Council has Disability Confident Employer Status. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. Applicants are encouraged to highlight any specific requirements or adjustments needed to enable participation in the recruitment process.

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; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org

Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ‘ASK HR’ email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.

Source: Linkedin