Regional operating context – Sub Saharan Africa (SSA):By 2050 the population of Sub Saharan Africa will be 2 billion people, with the majority living in an urban environment. The region is predicted to have a middle class the size of Europe. 70% of the population is under the age of 25, and this demographic will grow at 15% year on year for the next 10 years. Generally the region is becoming more politically stable. There are on average 50 elections each year, many of which are more open and transparent than before. The majority of countries in SSA are developing economies. Gender inequality remains and life for women and girls on the continent remains challenging.
Ethiopia is the only indigenous state in Africa to have retained its independence through the colonial era and to the present day. It is a major regional power, the seat of the African Union (AU), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and a leading contributor of personnel to UN peace-keeping operations of a total population of c. 97million (2014 figures), 43% are under the age of 14 years. As of mid-2017, Ethiopia hosts close to one million refugees, the second highest refugee population in Africa, after Uganda.
The economy has seen average year on year growth of 10.8% since the mid-2000s. UK investment has more than doubled in recent years, and the government’s ambitious five year national development and transformation plan presents many opportunities for UK organisations. Access to basic education and health services have improved over recent years, the number of public universities has increased from 10 in the mid-2000s to 35 now, with a further 11 planned to open.
The opportunity:
The Deputy Country director will be responsible for taking the lead in actively securing and managing key partnerships, exploring business development opportunities and income generation aligned to the British Council’s strategy and vision. The post holder will also support the Country Director in the effective running of the Ethiopia directorate, deputising in her/his absence.
The role includes contributing to the design, implementation and evaluation of the country strategy and plans, and ensuring that ambitious plans (including operational, governance, financial and non-financial plans and targets) are met, ensuring full compliance with relevant standards and policies in so doing. See highlights of what we require of the successful candidate:
Supporting the Country Director to
- Develop and deliver the country strategy, business plans and targets
- Manage financial and non-financial risk
- Delivery of change programmes (as agreed with CD and in alignment with regional/corporate plans)
Compliance & risk management
- Ensure the British Council Ethiopia meets all relevant internal and external compliance requirements, so that the organisation and its entities operate legally, with integrity, and in a way that manages risk effectively.
- Responsible for operational delivery (with the exception of the Teaching Centre, exams operations and large-scale programmes with separate reporting lines), especially resourcing and finances, making sure expenditure/costs do not exceed income
- Leading on any efficiency programmes, new delivery models
- Support non-Teaching and Exams business development and pursuit, working with SBU colleagues
- Line-management of grant-funded programme teams and client/co-funded programme managers as appropriate in line with British Council brand and values. Line management will in particular be in Connecting Classrooms, Arts, Social Enterprise, Higher Education and WV.
- Coaching and supporting individuals and teams involved in delivering outcomes
- Modelling appropriate leadership styles and behaviours, ensuring all staff work in alignment with the British Council mission and values
- Actively supporting equality, diversity and inclusion, working to the British Council’s diversity policy at all times.
Managing Change
- Identifying what changes in processes, procedures and practices are needed to achieve change and deliver the planned benefits and ensuring that managers have the necessary information to communicate changes and the impact to staff.
- Working on the ground to meet staff and user groups to discuss change, and encourage and motivate them to embrace the change to realise the benefits.
If you would like to see full details and understand more about this post then please see the documents below:
Deputy Director, Ethiopia.docx
BC Behaviour.pdf
BC Core Skills.pdf
Further details:
If you are interested in the post and feel that you are suitable for the role, then we would really like to hear from you. Please apply by 10th August 2017 (23:59 UK Time)
Our Equality Commitment:
Valuing diversity is essential to the British Council’s work. We aim to abide by and promote equality legislation by following both the letter and the spirit of it to avoid unjustified discrimination, recognising discrimination as a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights. All staff worldwide are required to ensure their behaviour is consistent with our policies, and finance as a function is absolutely committed to this.
The British Council is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and is keen to reflect the diversity of UK society at every level within the organisation. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. In line with the British Council’s Child Protection policy, any appointment is contingent on thorough checks. In the UK, and in other countries where appropriate systems exist, these include criminal records checks.
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