British Council Hiring for Cluster SBU Marketing Manager at Dubai Full Time

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.

Role Purpose:

To support the Senior Marketing Manager, English in the development and implementation of the cluster/country marketing strategy and plans for English, ensuring alignment to the regional and global marketing strategy and brand, and to work in partnership with the English SBU to ensure that marketing programmes enable required business targets.

Main Accountabilities:

Strategy and Planning

• Supports the Senior Marketing Manager, English to develop and execute marketing plans for English in the cluster/country, ensuring they drive and support the regional strategic objectives for the British Council in a flexible, cost-effective way.
• Plans and executes go to market plans for English across the cluster/country, agreeing the programmes, delivery mechanisms, budgets and resources.
• Develops and executes campaigns to support a variety of routes to market and maximise impact and share of voice.
• Deploys the British Council brand architecture in line with brand management standards across the cluster.
• Ensures that clear and consistent marketing processes are deployed for English aligned to agreed global marketing processes.
• Monitors and reports on agreed marketing KPIs for English in the cluster.

Consultancy, analysis & problem-solving

• Applies professional marketing expertise to develop and enhance English marketing strategies, plans and approaches.
• Applies core technical and professional knowledge to identify and assess current state of English marketing, suggests opportunities for improvement and design and supports the development of new or improved practice to drive business growth and reduce duplication of activities and expenditure.
• Presents information clearly supported as needed to tailor the presentation of findings to meet the differing needs of stakeholders in the cluster.
• Supports others in understanding of the cluster context, opportunities and challenges for English marketing functions and teams.
• Makes appropriate linkages to issues in the cluster, English and region, to help ensure that the development of cluster English marketing strategies and plans is based on informed business insight and joined-up thinking.
• Proactively seeks internal customer and other feedback to monitor satisfaction with the provision of marketing services for English in the cluster and specialist advice and support, enabling improvements to be made where issues are identified.

Business Development

• Supports the implementation of new English marketing approaches and/or techniques which enhance efficiency and wider business impact, ensuring alignment across the cluster and to the regional English marketing strategy.
• Drives a clear focus on audiences and market segmentation.
• Explains to customers and colleagues the need for compliance with agreed marketing policies and processes and produces reports at country level to demonstrate compliance as needed.
• Champions the deployment of the British Council brand architecture, monitors compliance, and manages interventions to address and resolve non-compliance.

Subject/Sector expertise

• Provides proactive professional advice and support to colleagues to ensure local English specific requirements are compliant with marketing policy, process and governance.
• Ensure the development of high quality and effective English marketing plans and solutions using and sharing their marketing expertise.
• Proactively pursues an annual cycle of formally recognised Continuing Professional Development to maintain and deepen their professional expertise.

Commercial and financial management

• Using agreed corporate systems and processes, supports budget management for the regarding English marketing plans and programmes.
• Conducts monthly and year-end reporting on progress against plan and deliverables, budget, and management of issues and risks.
• Shows an understanding of value for money/cost effectiveness in the advice, recommendations and support they provide to colleagues in the business teams supporting them to achieve the best results from their projects, products and services.

Relationship and stakeholder management

• Proactively participates in the Marketing Community of Practice and network of marketing professionals developing good working relationships with colleagues across the organisation and the business & operational teams across the cluster they support.
• Develops peer/personal networks within and outside Marketing to enhance own knowledge and expertise.
• Proactively builds and maintains excellent relationships with internal partners and stakeholders to ensure integrated, joined up and future-proofed approaches.

Leadership and management

• Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure effective delivery of marketing activities for the country over a quarterly to annual time horizon.
• Shares intelligence, experience and ideas to support Senior Marketing Manager in identifying/developing new ways in which marketing could positively impact upon the British Council’s operational efficiency and effectiveness.

About You (essential requirements for the role):

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree in marketing, or equivalent level of experience
• Language requirements: B2 written and spoken English
• 2 to 3 years of experience in marketing.
• Experience in a marketing position at a national level within a medium to large organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of developing marketing strategies and plans
• Demonstrable experience in managing supplier relationships
• Stakeholder engagement and management

Desirable requirements for the role

• Fluency in Arabic language
• Relevant external professional organisations e.g. CIM, Melcrum, GCN, CIPR, WOMMA etc. (or equivalent experience in relevant discipline).
• Experience in a global organisation
• Experience in a relevant sector or industry e.g. education, English teaching

Further Information

• Role: Cluster SBU Marketing Manager (37563)
• Number of positions: 1
• Pay Band: Grade 6 / G
• Location: Kuwait or KSA
• Contract type: Fixed term local contract 1 year renewable.
• Closing date: 22nd June 2023 (23:59 Gulf Standard Time)
• Other: This role is open to candidates who have the legal right to work and are located/based in Kuwait or KSA.

*Please note that all applications should be submitted only in English.

*It is advisable to apply in advance to avoid any technical issues at the last moment

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.