About

• We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.
• Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.
• We connect. We inspire.

The Role

• This role is for a commercial finance partner within Cultural Engagement, providing strategic financial insight and commercial advice to deliver a sustainable, high-performing contracts portfolio. It ensures robust pricing, financial viability, and value for money across contracts while aligning with organisational priorities.
• The role leads the development and governance of pricing models and tools, embedding good practice in commercial proposal development across the organisation.
• It plays a critical role in shaping commercial decision-making through independent commercial challenge and making recommendations to improve governance, profitability and mitigate risk.
• This is a high-visibility role within the Cultural Engagement Strategic Business Unit, requiring strong strategic thinking, analytical capability, and relationship-building skills. Operating in a complex, multi-location international environment, you will need to demonstrate commercial acumen, a forward-looking perspective, and the ability to collaborate effectively with senior leaders, operational teams, and finance colleagues.

Accountabilities

• The role combines financial expertise and commercial insight to act as a trusted business partner, advising and constructively challenging stakeholders while supporting the development of new business. It leads on rigorous financial appraisals of new opportunities, ensures consistent use of pricing and costing models, and maintains the ongoing development of these tools to suit a mixed-economy delivery model. Strategic responsibilities include supporting planning processes through commercial modelling and funder analysis to assess financial implications of different contract types and service models.
• The role provides commercial support across the full contract lifecycle, from pipeline review and risk assessment to pricing, approvals, and reporting and recommends actions to improve governance and profitability. It supports business development through evaluating proposals ensuring alignment to delivery models and funder requirements, drafting financial narratives to strengthen tenders to negotiating balanced terms with funders, partners and suppliers. It also ensures smooth transitions from contract award to delivery, produces timely and accurate reporting, and delivers insights to support effective decision-making and performance improvement. It manages risk and compliance by identifying and communicating material financial risks, liaising with global finance teams, ensuring reporting processes meet funder and corporate requirements, and maintaining key commercial finance policy documents and systems.
• The role champions Cultural Engagement as a centre of excellence in commercial and contract finance, building capability in commercial awareness, value for money and use of pricing and costing models. Leadership responsibilities include deputising for the Head of Commercial Finance when required, maintaining high professional standards and sharing expertise to support continuous improvement.

Requirements of the role

• Operating in international and multi-cultural organisations
• Knowledge of and experience of commercial finance activity in bid pursuit and tendering environments
• Proficiency in financial modelling and analysis.
• Excellent working knowledge of cost & pricing tools and advanced Excel.
• Awareness of tax and treasury implications of contract/partnership work in an international context
• Business partnering experience, (minimum of 5 years), with at least 3 years recently supporting business development teams.
• Qualified accountant with proven experience of successfully managing and delivering similar roles.
• Closing Date: Applications will close at 23:59 on Monday 12th January 2026 UK Time.
• You must have the legal right to work in the mentioned regions, appointed candidate will remain in present country. British Council is not able to support or sponsor work visa applications.

Important Information

• Department: Finance
• Contract type: Fixed Term Contract for 18 months
• Pay band: 8
• Location: United Kingdom, EU, Wider Europe, MENA, Sub Saharan Africa or South Asia. Location approvals will be obtained at the time of application. Progression to the next stage will depend on whether specific approval has been given for your country within these regions. This means if approval has not been given for a specific country, applications from that location will not be progressed.

Requirements

• Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in the mentioned regions, appointed candidate will remain in present country.
• Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided.

• British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.

• A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
• We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
• Safeguarding Statement
• 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 in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
• If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org