Programme Officer - International

The Secretariat is responsible for the majority of the administrative services to deliver a successful scholarship programme. This includes promotion of the programme, the scholar selection process, supporting scholars with placement and then supporting them while studying in the UK, as well as delivering alumni engagement programmes. We coordinate closely with the FCDO Scholarships Unit and FCDO Posts overseas who also take a leading role in promotion, scholar selection and alumni engagement., As Programme Officer - International ("POI") you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the successful delivery of the Chevening and Marshall scholarship programmes. This position is responsible for providing administrative support and guidance to British embassies and high commissions (referred to as "Posts") on various aspects of the scholarship programmes. POIs serve as the primary Secretariat contact for a portfolio of Posts within specific regions, typically covering 15-35 countries. They build, maintain, and enhance relationships with Posts, developing a deep understanding of local contexts to deliver high-quality support.,

• Liaison and Support: Serve as the primary contact for Posts, delivering timely administrative support and guidance through each programme milestone.
• Programme Planning: Collaborate with Secretariat management team and Posts to agree on annual programme budget, marketing, partnerships and alumni plans.
• Customer-Facing Work: Monitor multiple country mailboxes and respond to enquiries from prospective Chevening applicants within 24 hours to 3 working days, ensuring timely and accurate support.
• Scholarship Selection Process: Participate in the annual scholarship selection process, including reading committees, and lead the administration of sifting and long-listing applications. Guide Posts during the long and short-listing periods and the interview phase.
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• Administrative Support: Assist the Senior Programme Manager and Senior Programme Officers with information requests and queries, and project delivery. Collaborate with various teams at the Chevening Secretariat, including the UK Team, Welfare and Immigration Team, Communications Team, Alumni Team, and Partnerships Team, knowing when to escalate issues appropriately., Partnership and Alumni Engagement: Support local partnership development and alumni engagement in collaboration with the Secretariat Partnership and Alumni teams.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with Posts, applicants, partners, and key stakeholders such as FCDO contacts and foreign embassies or high commissions in the UK to enhance the global Chevening programme.
• Collaborate with Posts to develop annual programme and marketing plans, aligning with their local marketing efforts. Work closely with the Secretariat Marketing and Communications team in the UK to ensure synergy and effectiveness in promotional activities.
• Manage multiple country mailboxes, ensuring timely responses to enquiries from prospective Chevening applicants within 24 hours to 3 working days.
• Provide extensive and annually administrative support for the Reading Committee recruitment of over 250 assessors, including guidance, training delivery, and finance management.
• Offer ongoing administrative support and guidance to Posts throughout the application process via the online application system (OAS) and other communication channels: virtual meetings, email and phone.
  
  Good organisational skills with the ability to deliver to deadlines on time and prioritise a busy workload with conflicting demands.
• High accuracy and strong attention to detail to process complex paperwork and situations.
• Basic knowledge and understanding of post-graduate higher education in the UK.
• An understanding and commitment to providing excellent customer care.
• Ability to work independently, as well as working collaboratively and as part of a team, both within the immediate team but also more widely across all Chevening/Marshall functions.
• Good communication skills and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to interact with a range of stakeholders, including some at senior levels.
  
  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., 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.

Salary: £25,520 plus £3,300 London Market Allowance for those in the London area. Benefits Include, but are not limited to:
• 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
• 3 days volunteering leave
• Career average defined benefit pension scheme
• An unrivalled opportunity for you to get to use all the experience you've built up working in and/or leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world.
Closing date: Wednesday 6th November 2024 at 23:59 UK Time. Requirements: You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. We are unable to support with visa sponsership and relocation. Role Context - About The Team: The British Council has been selected as the Secretariat for the prestigious Chevening and Marshall Scholarship programmes funded by the UK government via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Together through these programmes, around 1,500 scholars are selected to study at post-graduate level in the UK from over 160 countries and territories worldwide.