British Council Fresh Recruitment (Graduate and Experienced) [5 Positions]

The British Council is the world’s leading cultural relations organization and creates opportunities for people in the UK and worldwide to understand each other, to work together and learn from one another. We see this as crucial to building secure, more prosperous and sustainable futures for us all. We build trust and understanding between different countries and cultures and develop strong international links that are of benefit to people in Britain and the rest of the world.

We are recruiting to fill the following graduate and experienced positions below:

Job Title: Examinations Officer
Location: Lagos
Reports to: Operations Manager
Pay Band: Country Appointed PB4
Directorate or Region: SSA
Department/Country: Exams, Nigeria

Purpose of Job

• To support Examination Services in Nigeria in delivering exams and tests and to maintain them at the highest professional standards as set out in the British Council’s EQCA (Examination Quality & Compliance Standards), examinations boards and partner standards.

Accountability and Responsibilities:
(including people management and finance)

• As Exams Officer, the post holder will be line managed by an Operations Manager or IELTS Administrator in Lagos.
• This role will support delivery of all examinations administered from the Lagos office. This role will ensure that assigned tests are delivered in a timely manner
• All administrative procedures are in full compliance with examination boards, partners and EQCA standards.
• Reliability: to ensure examinations are delivered securely according to board requirements
• Quality and Compliance: to deliver a high standard of customer service to our schools and their candidates. As measured by our own Exams Quality Standards, Customer Service Standards, and inspection visits from Cambridge International Exams, IELTS and other examination boards as required.
• Finance: all British Council standards for managing finances are met with relation to income reconciliations, cash handling, managing purchase orders, managing contracts and procurement.

Main Duties
Administration of examinations (pre-test):

• Overseeing the taking delivery of examinations materials and checking them prior to exams commencing, packing and returning scripts, maintaining logs appropriately.
• Answering inquiries about exams.
• Exam registration procedures including receiving and collating registration forms, entering and retrieving data on exam board registration portals, payments and exams correspondence including dispatch of results.
• Assist with recruitment and management of venue staff (invigilators, examiners and inspectors).
• Assist with evaluation of new associate schools, agents and other educational institutions.
• Assist with searching for and evaluation new venues.

Exam delivery:

• Delivering Examinations on test days which includes:
• Supervision of venue staff
• Ensuring adherence examination day procedures
• Delivering speaking tests
• Overseeing practical examinations

Post-Examination administration

• Secure and accurate dispatch of test answers and materials to the examination board. Maintaining accurate logs of examination paper movements.
• Effective delegation of duties when absent on leave or through illness etc.

Venue Staff:

• Venue staff creation, scheduling and payment.
• Assist with monitoring and training of invigilators.
• To be part of the recruitment, training and monitoring team for venue staff.
• To act as liaison between examiners and the relevant operations managers and trainers.

Client support:

• To assist in planning agent briefing events, and to support agents in the registration and preparing candidates for exams.
• To assist schools with becoming associate centers, as necessary.
• To assist Exam/Grant Funded Services (GFS) project managers in delivery of Education/Skills-specific events, including assisting with managing relationships with stakeholders.
• To assist with managing administration of exams with professional bodies partners, as necessary.

Marketing & Customer Service:

• To assist in providing data for marketing action plan and business planning.
• Seeking and using customer feedback to improve service delivery.
• To assist the Regional Sales Manager in appropriate marketing of examinations in Nigeria.
• To follow a program of visits to schools/educational institutions/training providers to build relationships with existing and potential clients to expand the business.
• To assist in customer service, delivery of other examinations and other duties as required in this small office, especially in times of staff absences.
• Finance
• To assist with preparation and submission of income reconciliations to agreed timescales.
• To record income correctly on the FABS (Finance and Business Support) system and in a timely manner.
• To comply with Contract and Procurement standards.

Continuing professional development:

• To ensure that elective and mandatory training is completed. To contribute to center and national meetings and working groups.

Key Relationships

• Internal: Country Exams Manager, Deputy Country Exams Manager, Examination Officers elsewhere in Nigeria and globally, Customer Service Staff Nigeria, Finance Manager Nigeria, Regional Exams Team, IELTS team, Professional Exams Team, Schools Team
• External: Vocational and higher education training providers in Nigeria and the UK. IELTS Regional Team.  School Principals, Educational Agents, AISEN, APEN, ELTAN and other professional teaching associations; venue staff, enquirers, candidates

Person Specification

Behaviors

• Working together (essential): Establishing a genuinely common goal with others.
• Making it happen (essential):
• Being Accountable (more demanding)

Assessment stage:

• Interview

Creating Shared Purpose (essential):

• Shaping the future (essential)
• Look for ways in which we can do things better.
• Connecting with others (essential): Making regular opportunities to understand others better.

Assessment Stage:

• These behaviors will be needed to successfully carry out the role, but will not be assessed for recruitment purposes

Skills and Knowledge (See The Generic Skills Dictionary for details)
Essential:

• Developing Business Level 1
• Applies a range of standard analytical techniques to support business development – e.g. pricing tools, revenue tracking, monitoring sales prospects, audience figures or profit margin.

(Analytical skills)

• Using Technology Level 1:
• Able, with adjustments if necessary, to use office software and British Council systems to do the job and manage documents or processes.
• English Language proficiency to IELTS band 8.0, CEF C2 in all areas (or equivalent)
• Strong Attention to Detail.
• Customer Service Focus.
• Strong Organization Skills.
• Teamwork.
• Ability to deal with conflict.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in the UK and Nigeria

Assessment Stage:

• Short listing & Interview

Experience
Essential:

• Providing and monitoring service within quality standards.
• Working quickly and accurately to tight deadlines.
• Experience of handling and reporting on payments from customers.
• Training and managing a team to deliver to quality standards.
• Arranging meetings with stakeholders.

Desirable:

• Experience of delivering examinations in a timely and secure manner.

Assessment Stage:

• Short listing and Interview

Qualifications
Essential:

• A first degree or equivalent (including via work experience).

Desirable:

• A qualification in examinations management.

Assessment stage:

• Short listing

Application Deadline: 12th August, 2016.

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here to download job details (MS Word)

Click here to download BC Core Skills (pdf)

Job Title: Exam Manager
Location: Abuja
Department: English &Exams
Pay Band: PB6

Purpose of Job

• To support Examination Services in Nigeria in delivering examinations on behalf of UK examination boards.
• To provide high quality customer experience for our clients and to maintain these relationships at the high professional standards as set out by the British Council’s Quality and Compliance Standards (QCA), examinations boards and partner requirements.
• To manage day to operations of assigned product service portfolio and associated financial budgets.
• To line manage product team and monitor venue staff.

Accountability and Responsibilities (including people management and finance)

• Financial control, monitoring and reporting: to manage assigned exams services business to target by monitoring and reporting income and costs on a monthly basis
• Business growth: to support business growth through capacity enhancements and assist with setting country business strategy with Assistant Country Exams Manager, Country Exams Manager and Deputy Country Exams Manager.
• Reliability: to ensure examinations are delivered securely according to board requirements
• Quality: to deliver a high standard of customer service to our candidates as measured by our own Exams Quality Standards (EQS) and inspection visits from exams boards.
• Leadership: to manage and motivate assigned exams team to achieve challenging objectives
• Establish and maintain positive relations with current and future stakeholders and partners in order to meet business targets.

Main Duties
Examination delivery:

• Responsibility for the full cycle of operations of relevant examinations.
• To ensure that these examinations are delivered to examination board, partners’ and QCA/EQS standards.
• Compliance: To manage inspection visits from examination boards as well as for carrying out regular inspections of examination venues/schools, monitoring security processes against standards set by the examination board and QCA.
• To conduct spot checks of venues/schools and venue staff where necessary. Good record keeping is essential of all visits made.
• To respond to and implement appropriately recommendations from exam boards, partners and QCA/EQS reviewers.
• To identify areas for increased efficiency and security in examination delivery and prepare plans to implement these. Oversee implementation of these plans across Nigeria.
• To keep a database of malpractice cases, to monitor these nationally and investigate cases further where necessary.
• To work towards minimizing cases of suspected malpractice.

Business Development, Marketing & Customer Service:

• Planning for Growth: support senior management in development and implementation of Marketing Action Plan (MAP) and other annual planning documents, as required
• To develop and manage a program of visits to schools’/tuition providers or professional bodies to build relationships with existing and potential clients to meet business targets.
• To issue a quarterly newsletter to all attached centers.
• To collect and analyze qualitative/quantitative marketing data in order to development activities
• Seek and use customer feedback to improve service delivery

Stakeholder Management, Training & Educational Projects:

• To support development and management of relevant stakeholders on assigned portfolio.
• This will encompass either a network of teacher/schools, or portfolio of professional bodies
• To plan teacher training and school’s coordinator development events for attached and potential attached schools, if required
• To work with exams and other British Council colleagues across Arts and Programs teams in the planning and delivery of schools/partner-specific events

Venue Staff:

• To oversee the recruitment, training and monitoring team for exams venue staff for Nigeria.
• To ensure appropriate training of venue staff in Nigeria for relevant examinations is done and takes into account feedback from partners and quality checks.

Budget Management:

• To assist Assistant Country Exams Manager/Heads of product services in planning activity and then to assist on monitoring and managing income and expenditure to agreed targets.
• To report on these targets monthly.
• To identify areas for budget savings while retaining value for money.
• Line Management:
• To line manage assigned staff according to essential HR standards.
• To proactively manage staff performance to ensure targets are met and delivered according to British Council behaviors

General Management:

• To contribute to Nigeria Exams team objectives by attending and contributing to staff meetings.
• To substitute for management team members.

Key relationships:

• Internal: Exams Officers, Customer Service Officers, Assistant Country Exams Manager, Country Exams Manager, Deputy Country Exams Manager, Operations Manager Port Harcourt; Facilities Manager and Assistants; Country Director; Programs Team – Education, Arts Team. Regional Exams colleagues. UK based global exam colleagues.
• External: Exams Board representatives in the UK and SSA region; venue staff, enquirers, CIE, UK Professional Qualification Bodies, Partners School Global Network (PSGN), Teachers/Principals, test candidates.

Other important features or requirements of the job (e.g. travel, unsocial/evening hours, restrictions on employment etc)

• Travel to administer/monitor/promote examinations and training events in centers outside of Abuja is required, as are overnight and weekend stays. Examination delivery deadlines are absolute; therefore, out of hours working may be required in order to meet these deadlines.
• Assisting across all exams services as required during peak times.

Person Specification
Behaviors:

• Working together (essential): Establishing a genuinely common goal with others.
• Making it happen (more demanding):
• Being Accountable (more demanding)
• Creating shared purpose (essential)
• Connecting with others (essential)
• Shaping the future (essential)

Assessment Stage:

• Interview only

Skills and Knowledge

• Developing Business – Level 2
• Using Technology – Level 1
• Planning and Organizing – Level 2
• Managing Accounts and Partnerships – Level 1
• Managing Finance and Resources – Level 2
• Communicating and Influencing – Level 2
• Managing People – Level 2
• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in the UK and Nigeria.
• English Language proficiency to IELTS band 8.0 in all areas (or equivalent).

Assessment Stage:

• Short-listing and interview

Experience
Essential:

• Two year’s line management and/or leading a team.
• Demonstrated experience managing relationships with external partners and stakeholders
• Monitoring service to quality standards and implementing improvements.

Desirable:

• Three year’s work experience in a related field – exams delivery and/or customer service.
• Developing or managing IT solutions for distance learning and testing.
• Organizing and delivering training events.

Assessment Stage:

• Short listing and Interview

Qualifications
Essential:

• Education to degree level or equivalent.

Desirable:

• A business-related degree.
• A qualification in examination delivery.

Assessment Stage:

• Short listing

Remuneration
Starting Salary per annum: NGN 4,946,060.00 Gross. (Negotiable)

Application Deadline: 19th August, 2016.

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here to download job details MS Word

Click here to download BC Core Skills (pdf)

Job Title: Examinations Officer
Location: Port Harcourt
Reports to: Operations Manager
Pay Band: Country Appointed PB4
Directorate or Region: SSA
Department/Country: Exams, Nigeria

Purpose of Job

• To support Examination Services in Nigeria in delivering exams and tests and to maintain them at the highest professional standards as set out in the British Council’s EQCA (Examination Quality & Compliance Standards), examinations boards and partner standards.

Accountability and Responsibilities:
(including people management and finance)

• As Exams Officer, the post holder will be line managed by an Operations Manager or IELTS Administrator in Lagos.
• This role will support delivery of all examinations administered from the Lagos office. This role will ensure that assigned tests are delivered in a timely manner
• All administrative procedures are in full compliance with examination boards, partners and EQCA standards.
• Reliability: to ensure examinations are delivered securely according to board requirements
• Quality and Compliance: to deliver a high standard of customer service to our schools and their candidates. As measured by our own Exams Quality Standards, Customer Service Standards, and inspection visits from Cambridge International Exams, IELTS and other examination boards as required.
• Finance: all British Council standards for managing finances are met with relation to income reconciliations, cash handling, managing purchase orders, managing contracts and procurement.

Main Duties
Administration of examinations (pre-test):

• Overseeing the taking delivery of examinations materials and checking them prior to exams commencing, packing and returning scripts, maintaining logs appropriately.
• Answering inquiries about exams.
• Exam registration procedures including receiving and collating registration forms, entering and retrieving data on exam board registration portals, payments and exams correspondence including dispatch of results.
• Assist with recruitment and management of venue staff (invigilators, examiners and inspectors).
• Assist with evaluation of new associate schools, agents and other educational institutions.
• Assist with searching for and evaluation new venues.

Exam delivery:

• Delivering Examinations on test days which includes:
• Supervision of venue staff
• Ensuring adherence examination day procedures
• Delivering speaking tests
• Overseeing practical examinations

Post-Examination administration

• Secure and accurate dispatch of test answers and materials to the examination board. Maintaining accurate logs of examination paper movements.
• Effective delegation of duties when absent on leave or through illness etc.

Venue Staff:

• Venue staff creation, scheduling and payment.
• Assist with monitoring and training of invigilators.
• To be part of the recruitment, training and monitoring team for venue staff.
• To act as liaison between examiners and the relevant operations managers and trainers.

Client support:

• To assist in planning agent briefing events, and to support agents in the registration and preparing candidates for exams.
• To assist schools with becoming associate centers, as necessary.
• To assist Exam/Grant Funded Services (GFS) project managers in delivery of Education/Skills-specific events, including assisting with managing relationships with stakeholders.
• To assist with managing administration of exams with professional bodies partners, as necessary.

Marketing & Customer Service:

• To assist in providing data for marketing action plan and business planning.
• Seeking and using customer feedback to improve service delivery.
• To assist the Regional Sales Manager in appropriate marketing of examinations in Nigeria.
• To follow a program of visits to schools/educational institutions/training providers to build relationships with existing and potential clients to expand the business.
• To assist in customer service, delivery of other examinations and other duties as required in this small office, especially in times of staff absences.
• Finance
• To assist with preparation and submission of income reconciliations to agreed timescales.
• To record income correctly on the FABS (Finance and Business Support) system and in a timely manner.
• To comply with Contract and Procurement standards.

Continuing professional development:

• To ensure that elective and mandatory training is completed. To contribute to center and national meetings and working groups.

Key Relationships

• Internal: Country Exams Manager, Deputy Country Exams Manager, Examination Officers elsewhere in Nigeria and globally, Customer Service Staff Nigeria, Finance Manager Nigeria, Regional Exams Team, IELTS team, Professional Exams Team, Schools Team
• External: Vocational and higher education training providers in Nigeria and the UK. IELTS Regional Team.  School Principals, Educational Agents, AISEN, APEN, ELTAN and other professional teaching associations; venue staff, enquirers, candidates

Person Specification

Behaviors

• Working together (essential): Establishing a genuinely common goal with others.
• Making it happen (essential):
• Being Accountable (more demanding)

Assessment stage:

• Interview

Creating Shared Purpose (essential):

• Shaping the future (essential)
• Look for ways in which we can do things better.
• Connecting with others (essential): Making regular opportunities to understand others better.

Assessment Stage:

• These behaviors will be needed to successfully carry out the role, but will not be assessed for recruitment purposes

Skills and Knowledge (See The Generic Skills Dictionary for details)
Essential:

• Developing Business Level 1
• Applies a range of standard analytical techniques to support business development – e.g. pricing tools, revenue tracking, monitoring sales prospects, audience figures or profit margin.

(Analytical skills)

• Using Technology Level 1:
• Able, with adjustments if necessary, to use office software and British Council systems to do the job and manage documents or processes.
• English Language proficiency to IELTS band 8.0, CEF C2 in all areas (or equivalent)
• Strong Attention to Detail.
• Customer Service Focus.
• Strong Organization Skills.
• Teamwork.
• Ability to deal with conflict.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in the UK and Nigeria

Assessment Stage:

• Short listing & Interview

Experience
Essential:

• Providing and monitoring service within quality standards.
• Working quickly and accurately to tight deadlines.
• Experience of handling and reporting on payments from customers.
• Training and managing a team to deliver to quality standards.
• Arranging meetings with stakeholders.

Desirable:

• Experience of delivering examinations in a timely and secure manner.

Assessment Stage:

• Short listing and Interview

Qualifications
Essential:

• A first degree or equivalent (including via work experience).

Desirable:

• A qualification in examinations management.

Assessment stage:

• Short listing

Application Deadline: 12th August, 2016.

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here to download job details (MS Word)

Click here to download BC Core Skills (pdf)

Job Title: Marketing Manager
Location: Lagos
Reports to: Head of Communications Nigeria
Pay Band: PB7
Directorate or Region: Sub Saharan Africa
Department/Country: Business Services

British Council Operating Context

• Nigeria is now officially the largest economy in Africa. It is also the most populous country with over 180 million citizens. The UK is its largest trading partner. Nigeria holds significant political power in the region and internationally and its society retains a positive attitude to the UK. Therefore, there continue to be major opportunities for the UK and British Council to build on our strong existing relationships with the Nigerian government, institutions and customers/audiences. However, there are complex and substantial risks to this work i.e. security and compliance.
• Nigeria is the British Council’s largest operation in sub-Saharan Africa with offices in 4 cities – Port Harcourt in the south, Kano in the north, Abuja the Federal capital and Lagos the commercial center. We also have a number of project offices across the country. Our 200 staff work across a range of states delivering large scale contracts, partnership program, examinations, projects as well as services in Arts, Education & Society and English & Exams.
• We are already achieving substantial impact and income (current annual income is £27.2 million) and have plans to grow and develop our impact further. Partners and clients include government, public and private institutions, foundations, private sector organizations and civil society. We work closely with the wider UK mission including DFID and UKTI.

Future:

• 42% of Nigeria’s population is under 14. The government has recognized that its Vision 2020 must address the aspirations of this young population as part of its drive to achieve peace and prosperity. This has led to unprecedented interest and investment in Education, the Arts and good governance.
• This alignment with the UK’s priorities creates a growth environment for the British Council. To be successful in this, we need to build understanding with our UK stakeholders of Nigeria as an emerging economy with substantial commercial and development opportunities as well as the challenges they may be more familiar with. In this we will seek to integrate our approach with that of the wider UK mission.
• We intend to expand and scale up our existing program, contracts and services in the Arts, Education & Society, English & Examinations and develop offers to fill important gaps such as in Skills. We also intend to ensure that we have a good balance of partnership, customer services and client funded work across all these sectors. To do all this we need to create the right enabling environment. In addition to developing the professional and technical expertise of our staff, we need to support them to build their relationships within Nigeria, the region and the wider global network.
• This will ensure we develop as well as adopt and use best practice. We also need rigorous and compliant frameworks to support our work in areas such as finance, tax & status, security, procurement, compliance and quality management. We have new premises in Kano and have a major premises project under development in Abuja. However, there is still more work to be done, especially in Lagos and Port Harcourt to ensure our premises and technology support our brand reputation for integrity, innovation and professionalism.

Purpose of Job

• To directly contribute to growing British Council Nigeria’s operation, building positive perceptions of the British Council and the UK, with the British Council as a leading global Cultural Relations organization.
• As an effective member of the MarComms team and an efficient individual, the Marketing Manager will be responsible for developing and delivering high quality promotional material and campaigns across a range of channels, supporting the British Council Nigeria’s strategy and offer.
• The post holder will be required to operate across a spectrum – taking a holistic approach to promoting the British Council brand and our position a global leader in cultural relations through to specific campaigns supporting the offer across each of the business units: Exams; Education; Society; Arts. S/he will demonstrate  a deep understanding of the organization’s aims, stakeholders and target audiences, the Nigeria operating context and the ability to connect with operational colleagues.
• The post holder will also be the British Council Nigeria’s Brand Champion and custodian of standards.

Accountabilities, Responsibilities and Main Duties
Strategy Development and Implementation:

• Develop, plan, deliver and evaluate the Nigeria Marketing strategy and plan, working with the Nigeria Executive and Senior Leadership Teams, the regional Comms and Digital team and relevant corporate teams. The Marketing strategy and plan will include agreed targets and reflect the strategic focus of the Nigeria operation.
• As an ‘internal consultant’ to the business areas, provide support and direction on the creation, planning, delivery and evaluation of business specific marketing strategies and campaigns, which include market sizing, financial data, targets, customer segmentation, competitor analysis and market data

Management and Delivery of the Marketing Function:

• Manage the day-to-day activities associated with all marketing efforts, including: project management; commissioning content; content creation; creative development; campaign tracking and reporting as necessary.
• Closely collaborate with business and project leads to develop an integrated and sustainable marketing approach, capitalizing on common customer base, promoting synergies and economies of scale, and delivering maximum impact and business returns.
• Track performance of marketing campaigns through measurement and analysis to understand effectiveness and ROI
• Conduct quarterly reviews of market-specific strategies and action plans and develop initiatives that support country-specific marketing activities.
• Working with the Digital and Social Media Manager, drive the content and creative strategy for business areas on all digital platforms, including but not limited to websites and social media, e-mail marketing and digital campaigns.
• Across all activities, manage brand guidelines to ensure all vendors and internal customers follow corporate standards.

Sourcing of Good and Services, Supplier Management:

• Working with business managers, lead on the commissioning (procurement) of MarComms services from external suppliers supporting projects, programs and events, defining Terms of Reference to provide a clear brief to suppliers. Services include: PR; Events Management; Marketing; Communications; Media coverage. Ensure all campaigns are based on sound briefs that support business and brand objectives, are customer-focused, closely adhere to brand guidelines and are produced to British Council standards
• Proactively manage the relationship with key suppliers and specifically the quality of service / value for money from suppliers engaged on specific activities
• Lead on and manage the procurement of MarComms ‘collateral’ including but not limited to brochures; banners etc
• Commission high quality and creative photography and videography which captures the essence and impact of our work.

Brand Champion:

• To lead as the Country’s Brand Champion and custodian of brand standards across all channels of engagement, including digital and print.

Collaborative Working:

• Proactively engage with business leads and their teams to understand in depth the nature of the British Council’s operation and ambition, supporting effective marketing activities and credibility in the role
• Coach and support individuals and teams – the internal customer.
• Actively support equality and diversity and work to the British Council’s EDI policy at all times
• As required, provide support to the wider MarComms Team and cover in the absence of the Director Communications

Continuous Professional Development:

• Engage in professional networks and continuous professional development to ensure that knowledge, networks and expertise are kept updated

Key Relationships

• Director Communications and Digital and Social Media Manager
• Country Director, the Nigeria Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team
• Regional Communications & Digital teams
• UK based Marketing, Brand and Communications teams
• Key colleagues in Strategic Business Units (SBUs)
• Suppliers including marketing, communications, PR and events management
• Key partners and customer groups

Other Important Features or Requirements of the Job

• The post holder will be expected to travel within Nigeria. As with any business that experiences peaks and troughs of activity, there is likely to be a need to work outside office hours from time to time. Occasional attendance at events at weekends and evenings.

Person Specification

Behaviors
Behaviors assessed during interview stage of recruitment process:

• Making it Happen – Most demanding level
• Connecting with Others – Most demanding level
• Working Together – Most demanding level

Behaviors not assessed during recruitment process:

• Creating Shared Purpose – More demanding level
• Shaping the Future – More demanding level
• Being Accountable – More demanding level

Assessment stage

• The position holder will be required to demonstrate all six behaviors, on the job. These will be assessed during year end performance evaluations.
• Behaviors to be assessed during the interview stage of recruitment are referenced.

Skills and Knowledge (See The Generic Skills Dictionary for details)
Essential:

• Communication and Influencing skills (L3)
• Using Technology (L2)
• Managing Project (L3)
• Analyzing data and problems (L2)
• Managing People (L2)

Desirable:

• Supplier management

Assessment Stage

• Short listing and Interview

Experience
Essential:

• A minimum of 5 years of proven experience in a similar role within the corporate sector, public /NGO sector

Desirable:

• Experience in a similar role in an international organization

Assessment Stage

• Short listing and Interview

Qualifications
Essential:

• Degree level qualification in a relevant field or equivalent experience

Desirable:

• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing (or equivalent)

Assessment stage

• Short listing

Application Deadline: 14th August, 2016.

Start Date: 1st August, 2016.

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here to download job details (MS Word)

Click here to download BC Core Skills (pdf)

Job Title: Head of Customer Service
Location: Lagos
Region: Sub Saharan Africa
Department: English & Exams
Job Category: Customer Services
Pay Band: 7

Purpose of Job

• Ensure the highest quality British Council Customer Experience is delivered consistently across Nigeria.
• Regularly evaluate the quality of service provided through customer feedback, recommend and make improvements accordingly.
• Lead the Customer Services Team, demonstrating the values, behaviors and knowledge required by Customer Service Professionals.

Accountability, Responsibilities and Main Duties
Strategy and Planning:

• Create a culture of continuous improvement in Customer Services through the development, implementation and communication of a clear strategy.
• Assist the English and Exams department in adhering to Exams and Teaching Centre Quality Standards and achieving targets by considering these requirements in the Customer Service Strategy and service improvement decisions.
• Refer to guidance from the SSA Regional Customer Management Lead and the UK Customer Management Team when planning and to report back to the Lagos office and the Customer Management team on progress to these.
• Use the Customer Management Framework self-assessment, the Customer Service Strategy and the Customer Service Management Toolkit to improve service quality.
• Work with Head of Marketing and Communications and Exams management team to agree an annual promotional plan and contribute to the development and delivery of the annual Marketing Action Plan.
• Manage data collection for the purpose of understanding our customers and competitors and to provide an evidential basis for critical business decisions.

Team Leadership and Management:

• Lead the Customer Service and the cross-SBU Customer Service project team.
• Effectively lead, engage and line manage Customer Service Officers and Customer Service Assistants by providing regular and timely feedback on performance in compliance with all aspects of British Council performance management as set out by HR policies.
• Recruit for excellence in accordance with corporate recruitment standards and employment law.
• To contribute to Nigeria Exams team objectives by attending and contributing to staff meetings.
• To substitute for management team members.

Service Delivery and Improvement:

• Lead on the implementation of a customer service improvement plan for the Nigeria Directorate.
• Manage internal stakeholder relations including implementation of Service Level Agreements with key departments, review and revision of these as appropriate. Agreed standards are met and stakeholders are kept up to date through regular reports and/or meetings.
• Day to day running of British Council Customer Services but responsible directly for the Lagos hub.
• Manage the team to ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained at all times in line with customer needs.
• Act as a central contact point for departments within the office to ensure British Council objectives are delivered effectively through the CS team and regularly update the Service Level Agreement accordingly.
• Ensure the CS team deliver the British Council branded Customer Experience consistently and in accordance with British Council Corporate Customer Services Standards and Policies.
• Map the Customer Journey, measuring the Customer Experience regularly to make improvements.
• Communicate the branded Customer Experience to British Council Nigeria as a whole. Evaluating service performance and continuous service improvement.
• Regularly evaluate the level of customer service being provided and use the results to implement improvements for British Council customers. Evaluate through: Scorecard, customer satisfaction questionnaires, Customer Comments, Net Promoter questionnaires, Mystery Shopping results, customer focus groups EQS and TQS results and conversations with customers.
• Continuously improve the level of service by monitoring the quantity and quality of calls, face to face and email enquiries, registrations and conversion to sales rates and missed calls. Use this data to inform ambitious targets in the Customer Services Strategy and CS staff development initiatives.
• Communicate improvements and success stories to customers and all staff.
• To feedback customer insights and comments into the Exams, MARCOMMS and other commercial services groups customer and advise on channels for maintaining and reaching new markets.

Continuous Professional Development and Performance Management:

• Recognize learning gaps and address these with training, coaching or shadowing and address performance issues quickly, effectively and in line with HR policy.
• Ensure the continual professional development of Customer Service Officers and Assistants by putting development plans in place and offering quality and CS specific induction, training and coaching required allowing them to fulfil their duties to the highest standards.
• Ensure that own professional development and training is continued
• Line manage up to 6 members of staff according to essential HR standards.
• Manage overtime, time in lieu and annual leave in line with financial control standards and in order to minimize cost.

Staff Management

• Direct: Customer Services Team
• Indirect: Customer Service Improvement Project team and other relevant working groups

Key Relationships
This list is not exclusive but demonstrates that the range of internal relationships reflects the range of external ones.

Key Internal Relationships include:

• Nigeria Senior Leadership Team
• Examinations Managers
• SBU leads
• Examinations Services staff
• Marketing and Communications Manager
• The UK Customer Management Team and the Regional Customer Management Lead.

Key External relationships include:

• Exams Board representatives in the UK and SSA region;
• Staff from DFID, FCO
• Senior staff from educational institutions
• Venue staff
• Enquirers
• Candidates
• Global and regional SBU external stakeholders
• CS peers in analogous organizations in Nigeria and worldwide
• ICS.

Person Specification
Behaviors
Essential:

• Working together (more demanding)
• Making it happen (more demanding)
• Shaping the future (more demanding)
• Creating shared purpose (more demanding)
• Connecting with others (more demanding)
• Being Accountable (more demanding)

Skills and Knowledge
Essential:

• Business Management and Development – Level 1
• Computer Skills – Level 1
• Marketing and Customer Service – Level 2
• English Language proficiency to IELTS band 8.0 in all areas (or equivalent).
• Good presentation skills.
• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in the UK and Nigeria.
• Analyzing data and formulating recommendations.
• Presentation skills.
• Strong Attention to Detail.
• Strong Organization Skills.
• Dealing with Conflict.
• Stakeholder Management
• Change Management.

Experience
Essential:

• Line management and leading a customer service team to meet challenging targets.
• Monitoring service to quality standards; devising and implementing improvements to these.
• Three years’ work experience in a customer service management role.
• Track record of working across departments to drive customer service improvements

Desirable:

• Experience of managing a call center.

Qualifications
Essential:

• Education to Degree level or equivalent.

Desirable:

• A business-related Degree.
• A qualification in Customer Service.

Application Deadline: 19th August, 2016.

Start Date: As Soon As Possible (ASAP).

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here to download job details (MS Word)

Click here to download BC Behavior (pdf)