Technical Lead/ Senior Project Manager, Project Based Consultancy Contract

The Senior Project Manager is a critical role for the programme and sits as part of the project’s Senior Management Team. They will oversee the delivery and management of the project with the SRO through all stages of the project cycle and across results areas, ensuring delivery meets donor and British Council standards. They will help to motivate and create a dynamic and productive environment for colleagues across the team.

Project Management

• Leads on work planning and scheduling of the programme activities, securing and contracting inputs from partners and short-term experts in line with the work plan

• Monitors the implementation of the British Council’s Project Management Framework and project management tools, to ensure contract compliance and efficient and successful delivery.

• Leads on internal planning and reporting including; risk and issue management, impact reporting and ensuring regional management information requests are met.

• Ensures that effective governance arrangements are in place and operating effectively for the project, including coordinating inputs into the project board meetings, client meetings and internal planning and reporting and management information requests

• Contributes to financial /risk management reporting

• Ensures British Council’s anti–fraud and corruption policy is embedded in project systems. Maintains and tracks budgets and ensures compliance with donor compliance requirements

• Accountability for project office management and ensuring effective and compliant systems in place, including procurement management, management of services, IT solutions, and information management, ensuring overall office functionality and meeting audit and business quality assurance requirements.

• Updates information on all British Council online systems

• Provides a support role to the SRO and the wider project team on strategic approach and project planning

• Responsible for drafting and maintaining all relevant project management documentation, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and standards.

Technical Lead

• Provides technical guidance on the multilingual and disability education components of the project

• Monitors and assesses the technical progress of the project, identifying opportunities for improvement and making necessary adjustments

• Provides technical inputs and insights for the development of the multi-lingual policy, teacher training curriculum, Trainers’ Guide, Trainee Resource Manual, and guidelines for local governments on the use of languages for teaching and learning

• Collaborates with external technical consultants as required to achieve project outcomes

• Guides the team in resolving technical challenges and provides innovative solutions.

Contract Management

• Client Contract Management: ensures all contractual and financial requirements are met, coordinating/inputting on client reporting, ensuring inputs from the project team are timely, quality-assured, and submission deadlines met.

• Responsible for identifying consultants, negotiating fees with them and drafting and issuing contracts

• Leads on effective and compliant sub-contract and consultancy management procedures and ensures accurate record keeping is maintained.

• Manages the relationship on behalf of the project with all the relevant key internal and external stakeholders as agreed with the SRO.

• Leads on day-to-day client management for the project, meeting donor requirements and the British Council’s standards

• Maintains quality of delivery and adheres to Safeguarding, Equal Opportunity, Environmental Framework Tool (EFT), and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policies

People management

• Accountable for Human Resource Management of project staff in liaison with the HR team including recruitment of Programme Management Team (PMT) staff, and ensuring appropriate training and effective performance and personnel management of the PMT; including monthly timesheet management

• Attend to employee grievance matters and liaise with local HR as appropriate

• Line-manages Project Officer and Admin and Finance Manager and Provincial Coordinators

• Lead on project technical resource analysis in terms of input working days and the timely reallocation of resources

• Ensure high levels of professionalism are demonstrated in the delivery team and embedded into day-to-day practice

• Actively support equality and diversity and work to the British Council’s EDI policy at all times

Office Management

• Accountability for project management and effective and compliant systems in place, including procurement management, IT solutions, information management, ensuring overall project functionality and meeting audit and ISO requirements.

• Ensures that the project office(s) is properly resourced in terms of equipment, furniture and supplies.

Brand and market positioning

• Commission the design and management of the production of marketing/communications collateral including impact stories in line with the British Council’s and the client’s brand standards in consultation with the marketing and communication teams.

Relationship & Stakeholders

• Lead relationships at the project level.

Role-specific knowledge and experience

You should bring along:

• Legal right to work in Nepal

• English at CEFR B1/B2 level

• A University Degree in Education or a relevant field with significant project management experience

• Evidence of continuous professional development

• Relevant degree in a sector area relevant to development contracts

• Extensive experience (a minimum of 3 years) in managing large complex projects

• Knowledge and experience in contract management for at least two types of funding sources

• Experience in managing diverse stakeholders, including multilateral agencies, donors, government officials, academics

• Experience in effective risk management

• Understanding of monitoring and evaluation principles

• Experience in conducting lessons learned reviews/action reviews to inform future programme design and management

• Record of effective team management in a variety of contexts

• 3 – 5 years of experience managing education-related projects, particularly related to foundational literacy and numeracy, multilingual approaches and/or integrating children with disabilities is an advantage

• Experience in managing dispersed teams is desired

• In-depth understanding of the school education system in Nepal

• Ability to establish and manage relationships with all three tiers of government in Nepal

• Coaching approach to management, with an emphasis on staff development

• Demonstrable commitment and respect for equality, diversity and inclusion

Additional role requirements

The staff in this role may be required to travel domestically or internationally on certain occasions depending upon the business need in a year. The organisation ensures staff safety during travel and provides good and safe travel and accommodation arrangements. The travelling requirements are decided or communicated well before time to the staff, so they can manage their travel accordingly. Our travel and accommodation policies are robust and developed to facilitate employees during their work, out of station.

The staff may also be required to work out of hours, in the evenings or the weekends occasionally. However, staff is facilitated for their working weekends in the other days of the week through an agreement with their line managers. There are policies in place to compensate staff working extra hours or on weekends/holidays.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under-representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

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, and identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children. If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ‘ASK HR’ email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CVs/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.

Fill in the attached application form and email to hr@britishcouncil.org.np

Please ensure that you mention the role title in the subject of your email.

To be considered for this job, you must already have the right to live and work in Kathmandu. Please be aware that for this role, we are not able to sponsor working visa. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world