Senior Soft Power Analyst

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.

We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 we reached 650 million people.

Information on the Role:

Pay Band - 8 

Contract - Indefinite

Location - UK Wide with hybrid working pattern (London, Manchester, Edinburg,Cardiff and Belfast) 

Posting - Internal /External 

Salary Range - £36,820 to £46,203 plus 3,300 London allowance if based in London.

Requirements - Applicants must have pre existing and current legal right to work in the UK. There is no relocation and no option for visa sponsorship.

Application Closing Date - 31st May, 2024

 Interviews planned for week beginning 10 June.

Assessment Plan:

• There will be a written exercise for the shortlists before they are invited to interview. 
• Interviews with be virtual over Teams

The Research and Insight Team:
 

The Research and insight Team aims to role model the British Council value of being ‘expert and inclusive’. The team is currently based across in locations across the UK and South Asia. We support a community of practice of more than 200 members across the global network.

We have two core outcomes:

1.    Research to ensure the British Council is a trusted and valued provider of knowledge and soft power insight for the UK and overseas stakeholders in English, Education and Arts

2.     Well evidenced analysis and understanding of how the totality of our work across the sectors generates soft power effects for the UK within priority countries

These are supported by a center of excellence approach providing professional advice and capability, including stakeholder management, technical support and knowledge exchange. We work closely with other knowledge intensive functions, including Evidence, Evaluation and Learning, and Market Research, Analytics and Insight.

Through sharing our understanding of our core areas, we contribute to the organisation’s Strategy 2025 by enabling policymakers, researchers and practitioners to use our knowledge and insight to shape their thinking. We also enable colleagues across the organisation to avail themselves of current research and insight to support better strategy and programming.

We also support the British Council in understanding and objectively evidencing how our cultural relations work contributes to the UK’s soft power and long-term policy goals and has impact on perceptions of the UK in priority countries, as well as to anticipate future global trends in soft power.

The role:

As Senior Soft Power Analyst you will support the Research and Insight team outcome of ensuring the British Council provides well evidenced analysis and understanding of how our cultural relations programming contributes to building peace and supporting international development aims, as well as generating soft power effects for the UK. You will work with other knowledge intensive teams, such as Evidence, Evolution and Learning (EEL) to achieve this outcome.

In part, this will be achieved by providing research, analysis, policy reports, articles, working papers, or commissioning these internally and externally. It will also involve designing and delivering effective engagement of stakeholders on core policy questions through delivery of events and via appropriate communication channels. Collaboration with colleagues across the Cultural Engagement Directorate and the wider global network will be crucial.

You will be a thought leader within the field of soft power, peace building and international development, and able to develop and articulate research projects and outputs across a number of related areas. This includes investigating the role and impact of cultural relations interventions in post-conflict settings and in different approaches to economic, democratic, educational or cultural/inclusive development. In particular, the postholder will be expected to lead work on understanding, evidencing and articulating the impact of cultural relations, and role of soft power approaches, in supporting UK development objectives.

You will also provide advice and support, as required, to the development and delivery of the global programmes contributing to the British Council’s impact areas, in particular identifying areas of interest to development, peace and foreign policy stakeholders externally, and working with global and regional colleagues to generate insight for British Council policy stakeholders with an interest in soft power and development in international relations.

This post will also participate in the development of the Research and Insight team strategy, in the UK and globally, and will contribute to capacity building and collaboration across the network.

Main Accountabilities:

Leadership & management

• Contributes to the Research and Insight team’s strategy and planning
• Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure effective delivery of diverse responsibilities and deliverables over a quarterly to annual time horizon
• Determines work plans and coordinates input from colleagues (who may be outside the direct management line) to meet R&I and corporate objectives
• As an experienced professional, contributes ideas to support the development of the R&I team strategy and planning

Functional expertise

• Provides expert professional advice, support and challenge to internal customers and other stakeholders to support the development of high quality, effective and continuously improving business practices within their area of functional expertise
• Maintain an understanding of the British Council’s wider suite of projects, programmes, and workstreams to identify and communicate how and where knowledge and insight can be generated and/or can contribute
• Proactively pursues learning and development to maintain and deepen their professional expertise
• Actively work with sector and regional teams to support global programmes and, through them, to develop evidence-led initiatives for external engagement. This may include advising on project design and inception, including the development of research questions and methodology, and the quality review of projects as they develop
• Continues to learn and update skills and knowledge in the area related to the Soft Power insight function, particularly around international development and the relationship with cultural relations, through formal and informal learning and development
• Contributes to the development and delivery of training and guidance of other colleagues in the network
• Builds the profile of the British Council’s thought leadership in key areas, by contributing (where appropriate) to external events and publications
• Contributes to the British Council’s reputation in thoughtful engagement externally and internally by participating in webinars and podcasts, and contributing to blogs, drawing on on our research and evidence, analysis, expertise and output across the portfolio

Internal customer focus

• Builds an in-depth understanding of the operational context, opportunities and challenges facing their specific internal customer(s), and of how those relate to wider issues across the broader organisation, to ensure the development of new policies and practices based on informed insight and joined-up thinking
• Consults closely with internal stakeholders to understand current and future needs and plans work activities accordingly to ensure the services and advice they provide meets those demands
• Works with colleagues in R&I and other teams – EEL and Marketing in particular – to raise the profile and demonstrate the value of research, evidence, and insight across the British Council

Service improvement

• Identifies and makes recommendations to more senior managers for improvements to ways of working that enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of R&I
• May provide specialist, functional expertise advice or ideas into the development and implementation of corporate or regional change projects

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Develops peer/personal networks within and outside the British Council to enhance own knowledge and expertise
• Prepares papers and management information for senior managers
• Manages liaison with senior stakeholders and partners involved in projects or initiatives led by the postholder
• Manages and holds to account external suppliers of research, consultancy, and other service

Commercial & financial management

• Using agreed corporate systems and processes, plans and manages the core budget for their area of activity, and for any special initiatives or change projects for which they are responsible; complies with reporting requirements as set out by Research Operations and Networks Lead
• Manages procurement to corporate standards

Consultancy, analysis & problem-solving

• Plans and manages the pipeline of soft power content from R&I for deployment at the right time via the most appropriate channels
• Provides analysis and develops and writes high quality content, including reports, briefings, policy papers, podcasts
• Commissions research, analysis and insight (internally or externally)
• Prepares and brief key internal and external high-level stakeholders involved in R&I’s knowledge exchange and engagement activities

Minimum and essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Qualified to degree level or equivalent by relevant experience in relevant area, such as international relations, international development, or peace and conflict studies
• Detailed knowledge of the role of development in international relations and the role of cultural and educational interventions in supporting peace and prosperity
• Knowledge of British Council and/or its analogues and their practices around the world
• Experience in external representation of organisation at professional conferences or seminars as participant, presenter, or organiser
• Deep understanding of contemporary UK foreign policy priorities and international development objectives
• Knowledge of the workings of Whitehall and UK policymaking
• Experience of managing a research project end to end
• Ability to provide analysis and insight that can be applied by time poor policymakers

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

Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement

The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment.  We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability.  All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

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.