Regional Business Assurance Lead UK/EU/Americas (multiple locations)

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.

Department: English and Exams

Contract type and duration: Local standard, full time, length depending on the legislation of the country the successful candidate is based in ie Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Portugal or Canada.

Number of positions: 1

Payband: Local PB F/7

Location: the country successful candidate is based in (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Portugal or Canada)

Starting date: as soon as possible

Role purpose: To advocate and advise on corporate and awarding body requirements and risk mitigation measures for all Exams products throughout the regions, resulting in increased levels of compliance and improved risk management.

Main opportunities/challenges:

- Ensure corporate and awarding body compliance standards for all products and risk management measures are advocated and embedded throughout the region in general, and in particular geographies agreed for specific targeted support within region.

- Ensure the exams incident management/response process is embedded in the region and specific countries of focus, so that incidents are managed efficiently, timely and professionally to instil awarding body confidence.

- Directly lead small geographically dispersed team of Business Assurance colleagues and provide professional guidance to in-country compliance/risk focussed colleagues and teams.

Main Accountabilities:

Consultancy, analysis & problem-solving

- Applies core technical and professional knowledge, recognised best practice approaches and insight to resolve non-standard issues which arise in the region.

- Conducts analysis on compliance and risk reporting to provide recommendations and business advice.

- Delivers/undertakes a target number of compliance reviews, site visits and spot checks to ensure corporate and awarding body requirements are met, risks are properly managed.

- Embeds global Business Assurance monitoring processes for all products and internal processes.

Internal customer focus

- Ensures the team appreciates and embeds regional needs at the core of its activities and services based on informed business insight and joined-up thinking. 

- Supports operations and process-related improvements through continuous compliance and risk assessments with the embedded BA Risk Management process.

- Supports Assistant Managers BASR regions in improvement and implementation of global compliance and risk management processes and polices, ensuring that regional perspectives are fully considered.

Service improvement

- Identifies and makes recommendations to Assistant Managers BASR Regions and other senior managers for improvements to ways of working that enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Business Assurance function, as well as the operational effectiveness of their internal customers with measurable impact.

- Identifies and highlights trends of non-compliance and risk for the business through regular review. Make recommendations on improvement or risk mitigation actions. Actively intervenes to address and resolve the reasons for non-compliance and highlights trends for Business Improvement focus.

Functional expertise 

- Support region in managing compliance and risk, ensuring that risk analysis, compliance dashboards and reports are optimal for Exams stakeholders, plus aligned with the broader British Council requirements, and mirror the best practices. 

- Proactively pursues on the annual cycle of formally recognized Continuing Professional Development program to maintain and deepen professional expertise.  Share learning with the relevant team members. Contributes to the CPD of BASR function overall.

- Commits to becoming professionally qualified within the relevant professional accreditation (e.g. Institute of Risk Management)

- Leads and/or supports Exams Integrity related risk management and investigations. Proactively contribute to any major security investigations and ensure appropriate mitigations are in place.

Leadership & management 

- Provides formal line management to a small geographically dispersed team of Assistant Regional Business Assurance Leads, which may be located within and beyond the local office base. 

Relationship & stakeholder management 

- Provides operational management support, professional leadership to country/regional Business Assurance teams in regions, ensuring accountabilities embedded and investigation resolution and compliance targets are met.

- Acts as a key liaison for regional exams business managers, other regional stakeholders and wider BASR team members.

- Acts as British Council representative in IELTS Partner working groups/awarding body groups as needed.

Requirements:

Minimum/Essential: Degree level qualification; English language skills to the CEF C1 level; Successful demonstration of adhering to and promoting compliance to corporate and external compliance frameworks; Knowledge of a wide range of distribution, partnership and British Council Exams products, and their delivery and security needs; Experience of the deployment of strategic business assurance, compliance and/or risk mitigation approaches across a country and/or cluster business; Significant experience in an Exams Management role; Experience of managing a geographically dispersed team (e.g. across a region or large country); History of good relationship and stakeholder management skills; Managing and leading team.

Desirable: Experience of managing compliance and risk across regional or global business; Experience in undertaking quality reviews / consultancies.

Additional Information: Applicants must have a pre-existing right to live and work in the country the position is to be based in. For information re conditions of employment in individual countries please write to hr@britishcouncil.cz.

Closing Date: Thursday 15 June 2023 23:59 CEST

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.