About

• Department: English and Exams
• Contract type: I2 months FTC
• Closing Date: January 5th, 2026 (23:59 GMT)
• Location: UK (and anyone on pre-existing homeworking contracts in the UK), Argentina, Bahrain, Kuwait, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Serbia, Spain
• You must have the legal right to work in the stated location. We will not be providing Visa sponsorship and relocation assistance is not provided.
• Role Purpose
• This role provides strategic leadership to embed Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) across English and Exams (E&E), ensuring alignment with the organisation’s EDI vision and objectives. It involves deploying EDI planning tools to bring consistency and integration within business processes, embedding EDI risk considerations into planning, and leading E&E’s social value strategy. Acting as an authoritative voice internally and externally, the role partners with E&E leaders to strengthen accountability and inclusive leadership practices, while driving capability building through tailored EDI learning and development initiatives. A key responsibility is to develop and monitor KPIs and measures to track EDI progress, with a particular focus on addressing under-representation and barriers to advancement. The role promotes evidence-based decision-making through robust data analysis and reporting, supports leaders to ensure programmes positively impact diverse communities, and fosters relationships that build trust and mutual benefit between the UK and global stakeholders.
• Role Context
• The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, committed to building trust and understanding between the UK and countries worldwide. Equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to our values and embedded through our Equality Policy and EDI Strategy. Our aim is to create sustainable, strategic change internally and externally, ensuring inclusivity in all interactions. Measuring impact is critical to demonstrate value to communities and colleagues, and while many colleagues contribute to EDI, specialist expertise is essential to maintain focus, legality, and strategic alignment. Global expectations around EDI have grown significantly, requiring clear direction to avoid reputational and legal risks. The Global EDI team provides professional leadership and guidance across the organisation, and our global footprint demands sensitivity to cultural diversity and compliance with varied legislation. This role ensures EDI efforts remain proportionate, targeted, and effective in a rapidly evolving environment.
• Main Accountabilities
• The role leads the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic EDI initiatives to foster an inclusive culture within E&E, while building capability across teams to embed inclusion as a core organisational value. It provides effective line management, prioritising development and wellbeing, and acts as a trusted EDI authority internally and externally, particularly in teaching and assessment contexts. Responsibilities include leading research and benchmarking to align EDI practices with global standards and trends, advising teams on embedding EDI in business and people plans, and translating complex insights into persuasive business cases for senior decision-makers. The role generates and analyses data to identify gaps and track progress using frameworks and dashboards, championing evidence-based approaches to inform strategic decisions. It collaborates with leaders, regional directors, and external partners to deliver impactful EDI outcomes, assesses and manages risks within programme delivery, ensures robust contingency planning, and investigates non-compliance issues, escalating appropriately to safeguard organisational integrity.

Role Specific Skills

• Ability to deliver change and improvement in the area of EDI
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills, with ability to objectively analyse and balance EDI and business considerations in informing business decisions and present insight clearly
• Confident communicator with good facilitation and coaching skills and the ability to calm and diffuse emotive discussions
• Ability to relate to, engage with and respond to needs and issues of diverse groups and individuals, drawing on intercultural awareness.

Role specific Knowledge and Experience

• Wide and in-depth knowledge of international equality and diversity issues, practices, models and approaches
• Strong understanding of UK equality and diversity practices and legislation
• Experience of developing interventions that support embedding EDI within an international or culturally diverse setting
• Experience and credibility in speaking externally as an authority on EDI issues
• Desirable
• Understanding of the opportunities, issues and challenges facing those working in the area of English and Exams, whether as customers, candidates, colleagues or partners.

Language Requirements

• The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required”