Content Production Manager

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.

Contract Type: Indefinite   |   Pay Band: 7/F   |   Location: Tokyo Kenkyusha Bldg, Tokyo, Japan 
Local Direct Hire: Applications are welcomed from candidates who have a natural right to work in Japan without sponsorship from British Council.

Role Purpose

The role purpose of Content Production Manager in the British Council Japan is responsible for the production of British Council Japan assessment items, tasks, and tests with the objective of meeting item quality and cost effectiveness expectations in all aspects of the test production process.
The role holder’s main tasks are to plan, commission (items and illustrations), arrange (recording studio bookings for audio files) and monitor progress on item production for the new Speaking Assessment Suite.
The role holder will also monitor quality assurance checks and ensure that there is sufficient resource available to complete Quality Assurance checks at all stages of test production. When these stages are complete, the role holder will sign off on the test build as completed by our tech partner and then forward the test build to the client for final sign off).

Although reporting to the Global Assessments Team you will work closely with English and Exams colleagues involved in test development, production, and delivery work in Japan, and with colleagues in similar roles across the Global Assessments group. In addition to these internal contacts, the role entails working with external platform partners on aspects of test production and delivery.
 

Main Accountabilities:
Leadership/management
•    Plans and prioritises own work activities, and those of a wider Item Writer and Item Editor team to ensure sufficient supply of appropriate content for British Council

     Japan’s assessment products.
•    Leads on the commissioning of review, revision, and editing of assessment items work to ensure adherence to test specifications and support the creation of high

     quality tests.
•    Leads on the scheduling of Quality Assurance activities to ensure that test builds are completed by British Council partners to high quality standards

Relationship & stakeholder management
•    Maintains excellent relationships with internal and external partners while working to ambitious targets and timelines to ensure successful delivery of products and

     programmes. 
•    Supports the wider project team to maintain excellent relationships with JHS teachers and students, by sharing experience and expertise of working with these 

     stakeholder groups.

Product development
•    Monitors all production workstreams, identifies where cost / time resource could be saved.
•    Builds and maintains systems to ensure test production and quality assurance is easily monitored.
•    Supports creation of material and resources which support teachers and test takers. 

Commercial & resource management
•    Using agreed corporate systems and processes, adheres to budget to process monthly invoices, confirm completion of contracted work, and manage financial aspects

     of production.
•    Plan budgets
•    Manages item pipeline, item commissions and production processes (including illustration commissions and audio recordings of test content) 
 

Role specific skill, knowledge and experiences:
Demonstrable experience, in large complex international organisation of: 
•    Strong understanding of English language teaching in Junior and Senior High Schools in Japan.
•    Educational content or product development for an online environment.
•    Evidence of managing small scale projects and relationships remotely and in-person
•    Project management: Demonstrable experience of successful project delivery to time, quality, and budget
•    Experience of managing a production schedule and budget for multiple projects / workstreams
•    Experience of developing online products
•    Demonstrable experience of successfully managing a team to deliver a product or service to defined criteria.
•    Experience of translating documents (English to Japanese, Japanese to English) for a variety of audiences
•    Technical understanding/academic grounding in English language testing theory, including test development. (desirable)
•    Technical understanding / academic grounding in online teaching and assessment (desirable)

Person Specification
•    First degree in a relevant field (English, Education)
•    Post-graduate qualification in languages or linguistic studies, language assessment, or teaching
•    Project management certification (desirable)
•    Japanese (C2), English is the working language of the British Council. The role holder may be required to support translation and new document development where

     the content is specialised and related to language assessment (Japanese to English, or English to Japanese).

Further Information
•    Occasional travel on the job will be required.
•    Record of working in test development and experience in project management.
•    Experience of managing stakeholders on test development projects.

Role Benefits
•    14month Salary
•    Performance bonus
•    21days AL per calendar year
•    Statutory Insurance
•    Travel allowance
•    Retirement allowance

Closing Date for Application. Thursday, 20th June 2024 23:59 Tokyo time (GMT+09)
 

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.

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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.