Director Global Business Services London, England
British Council
Full Time
London, England
10 GBP HOURLY Today
Job description
Director Global Business Services
Date: 16 Aug 2023
Location: London, UKM, GB
Company: British Council
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.
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 the Role :
Like many organisations around the world, the British Council suffered large financial losses due to the pandemic. The British Council must become more cost efficient and sustainable in the medium to long term. Equally essential is the transformation of Professional Services functions (Finance, HR, Procurement, Digital & Technology, Estates & Facilities Management), which enable and support delivery of our key activities. Pre-pandemic there were significant opportunities for performance and cost improvement of these functions and if left unaddressed they will be a factor in limiting profitable business growth opportunities and agility. Our aspiration is Professional Services functions:
- whose cost is a much lower percentage of British Council revenue
- provide better user experience
- greater flexibility to support changing service scope and reach according to need and
- deliver on loan and sustainability targets.
Both, Shared Services and Outsourcing are key enablers to our delivery of streamlined efficient and effective operations globally, especially areas of Professional Services as these are not our core competency. As we prepare to onboard a managed services provider to support some parts of Professional Services, it is important to put both areas of Shared Services and Outsourcing delivery under a single umbrella. In the industry, this is often referred as Global Business Services Function.
The purpose of this role is to establish and lead a Global Business Services (GBS) function for the British Council that manages Shared Services and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). This role includes management of our captive Shared Service Centre at Noida (c.750 FTE) and successful implementation and delivery of the first-generation outsourcing managed service provider (MSP) contract valued at £70-100mn per annum. This role should ensure we deliver transformative performance and must enable the Council to meet >£50mn of Professional Services Transformation savings.
This role will play a critical role in the future success and modernisation of the British Council professional services portfolio, providing commercial insight and cost transformation expertise, drive the simplification and standardisation of structures, systems, and processes globally and manage our operating costs as effectively and efficiently as possible. Ensure the effective design, implementation, and management of our corporate and operational shared services to support this. Leverage relationship with the partner to advance organisation thinking and innovation that impacts the overall value chain and not limited only to Professional Services.
To lead smooth delivery of Professional Services operations delivery, and operational running in the to-be transformed state, ensuring the operations are aligned with British Council strategic priorities and meet agreed performance. To strategically grow GBS towards a single centrally accountable function to manage, troubleshoot and escalate operational issues for effective and efficient delivery of scope for GBS. To deputise for the Chief Operating Officer as required. Director Global Business Services (GBS) will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and will be based in the UK.
Main Accountabilities:
Leadership and management
- Provide strategic leadership, drive, oversight, and assurance of implementation of strategies for organisational design, cost savings, increased effectiveness, delivery of CSR and Strategy 2025
- Provide leadership, engage senior stakeholders, and encourage corporate decision making, delivering change that increases effectiveness and efficiency, customer focus and staff engagement.
- Provide visible and energised championing of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Shared
Services, working closely with the Director Shared Services ensuring that there is clear and effective governance, agree or revise existing Service Agreements, set targets and KPIs to ensure that the organisation is obtaining value for money
- Oversee GBS governance, including leading cross-functional governance forums, as appropriate
- Manage and drive to resolution critical and complex cross-functional issues and escalations for professional services functions in scope of GBS
- Deputise for the Chief Operating Officer, as required.
Strategy and Planning
- Develop and hold the GBS vision of being a centre of excellence, valuable and trusted business partner providing insight into professional services and broader business operations
- Identify and provide solutions to remove blocks to implementation of strategic decisions across the organisation
- Support development and implementation of delivery strategy for GBS Organisation
- Design and deliver a cost transformation strategy for a sustainable operating model. Ensure that there is a clear roadmap to show how corporate and operational services will be delivered to meet the needs of the Comprehensive Spending Review, corporate strategy, and loan covenant obligations.
Relationships and Stakeholder Management
- Support the COO to ensure appropriate stakeholder, client & partner relationship management arrangements are in place to enable effective delivery of agreed impact and commercial objectives
- Work with HM Government on the shared services strategy for Arm’s Length Bodies
- Represent the British Council at external events/in external fora, as required
- Serve as the key interface between the Board of Trustees, SLT, Professional Services functions, PS customers (English & Exams / Cultural Engagement / International Operations etc.) and the GBS team.
Service Improvement
- Drive the GBS organisation to improve customer experience, operational excellence and deliver on efficiencies for professional services in-line with the agreed organisational strategy
- Drive and monitor GBS performance cross-functionally, including balanced metrics, benefit realisation and reporting frameworks
- Lead the design and implementation of commercial strategies and cost transformation plans to ensure that our corporate and operational services deliver increased efficiency and effectiveness, thus driving a demonstrable increase in value for money.
Operational Delivery
- Be the single point of accountability for delivery of operations for functions in scope of GBS
- Maintain high degree of control to manage and govern operations across outsourced, retained and captive operations
- Manage the overall GBS cost of operation.
Minimum Essential:
- Experience in leading a large team or major function
- Continuous Improvement implementation, both methodology and culture change. Significant experience in the leadership and management of complex transformation programmes across a substantial, geographically dispersed organisation to deliver defined business benefits
- Experience of developing relationships, coaching and management of senior stakeholders at the highest levels inside an organisation
- Experience of working with and supporting senior level boards. Experience of working in enterprise-wide Boards
- Ability to influence a diverse cross-functional senior leadership team
- Ability and passion to build and empower effective teams
- Experience of achieving outcomes and exceptional results through others, in particular virtual teams and those not in direct reporting lines
- Comfortable with leading those with complementary skills/expertise in different areas of business change
- Comfortable with interpreting and presenting financial and risk reports across a portfolio of different programmes.
Desirable:
- Prior experience of leading a shared services unit
- Prior experience of vendor management for large contracts (>£20mn per annum).
Further Information:
Contract Type – Indefinite
Pay Band- 10
Salary Range is upto £95,357 plus 3,300 London Market allowance ( if based in London).
Location – UK Wide (London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast)
Benefits:
- 3 days volunteering leave
- 32 days annual vacation days
- An attractive Civil service pension scheme
Requirements –Candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) right to work in location. Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. If you are currently sponsored by the British Council, in a country or regional role, please check with your local/regional HR colleagues if you are able to remain in your current location for this global role.
Closing date: 6th September 2023
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 [email protected]
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.
British Council
www.britishcouncil.org
London, United Kingdom
Ciarán Devane
$500 million to $1 billion (USD)
5001 to 10000 Employees
Non-profit Organisation
Civic, Welfare & Social Services
1934
