Executive Assistant to Directors Cultural Engagement and Arts (39946)

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.

Purpose of Role:

To provide excellent executive assistance to Director Cultural Engagement (50%) and Director Arts (50%) and to work closely with the Directors and their global management teams to ensure Cultural Engagement delivers work to the highest standard.

This is a key role within Cultural Engagement; a primary point of contact for both directors, holding relationships with external stakeholders and colleagues globally and across the British Council.

Main Accountabilities:

Relationship and Stakeholder management

• Manages the Directors’ participation in meetings and events, providing input into agendas and structure, and liaising with stakeholders and working with internal colleagues for briefing content to ensure Directors are properly prepared for the meeting/event and have all relevant material.
• Liaises with senior managers, internal stakeholders and external contacts. In the case of Director Arts this role works closely with Arts External Relations team (which manages Arts external contacts) on behalf of the Directors. Providing a representational role for the Directors and ensuring that any visitors are treated in an appropriate manner.
• Liaises within and beyond CE to manage engagements carried out by the Directors, particularly in relation to shared agendas with other senior British Council staff, and ensuring consistency of messages. Taking swift and concise meeting minutes where necessary
• Writes and co-ordinates responses to correspondence as appropriate, ensuring that confidential matters are managed appropriately.

Consultancy, analysis and problem solving

• Prioritises and makes decisions on the Directors’ behalf. Makes sure that any matters are dealt with appropriately or directed to the appropriate colleague; actions are followed up to completion; and responses are prepared and forwarded to Director Cultural Engagement / Director Arts for sign-off, where appropriate.
• Ensures confidential matters are handled appropriately and correspondence filed or destroyed accordingly.

Strategy and Planning

• Takes responsibility for complex diary management and meeting prioritisation for internal and external contacts
• Makes travel arrangements with and on the behalf of the directors including multi-stop itineraries requiring strategic forward planning
• In the case of Director Arts, all external programme visits are arranged and managed by Arts External Relations (AER) team.  
• Supports the work of the Directors in relation to line management and to HR related activities, for instance annual performance review of direct reports; induction plans for new direct reports etc.

Commercial and/or financial management

• Manages the Directors’ travel and expenses claims and completes expenses reports for public record. Manages expenses accounts effectively and accurately in accordance with travel and expenses policy.   

Leadership & management

• Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure effective delivery of diverse responsibilities and internal deliverables
• Provides project oversight to relevant departmental projects, ensuring delays are highlighted and appropriate re-planning is undertaken, and that Directors are kept up to date.
• Acts as both facilitator and gatekeeper on behalf of the Directors.
• Actively contributes to an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of own biases, and taking action to mitigate against these. Ensures people feel valued and are treated equitably, with support for people’s well-being and mental health.
• Understands the British Council’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and how it applies to role, and makes time for learning and development relating to EDI and anti-racism.

Service improvement

• Builds an in-depth understanding of the Cultural Engagement operational context, opportunities and challenges facing Cultural Engagement colleagues to ensure the provision of advice and support based on informed business insight
• Proactively seeks feedback from colleagues and other stakeholders to monitor satisfaction with the standard of support provided, enabling improvements to be made where issues are identified

 Professional services expertise

• Proactively maintains a sound working knowledge of major issues and stakeholders within the Directors’ and the team’s sphere of work to build professional credibility and confidence

Role specific knowledge and experience

Minimum/essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills demonstrating assertiveness, confidence and approachability
• Experience of detailed and complex diary management and executive support to one or more senior people,
• Experience of meeting preparation and virtual conferencing including concise minute taking
• Experience of complex travel arrangements and reconciliation of financial claims.
• Knowledge of best practice of managing emails efficiently and effectively
• Ability to work pro-actively and without supervision.
• Experience of SAP or a comparable financial system
• Experience of organization of conferences to function/job family skills framework where applicable
• Motivation and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism, demonstrated through an understanding of the British Council’s approach and of equality considerations relevant to the role, and examples of behaviours and decisions or actions that contribute to a more inclusive organisational culture or to a more inclusive programme, product or services.

Further Information

Pay Band  –  7 / F

Contract Type  –  Indefinite

Location – London, United Kingdom

Requirements – Candidates must have the legal right to work in United Kingdom.

Please note that the role will be London office based.

Role Benefits

•             Up to £30,800 yearly gross plus £3,300 London Market Allowance yearly gross

•             32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays

•    6 days volunteering leave

•             Career average defined benefit pension scheme

And an unrivalled Opportunity for you to get to use all the experience you’ve built up working in leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world!

Closing Date – 6th of March 2024

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

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, 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

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 CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.