Job Description

Location: UK or Poland

(residents only – relocation and sponsorship not provided)

Role purpose

Standards and Performance Manager will architect the global gold standard for ethical and regulatory excellence by leading and managing the development, implementation, and monitoring of standards, ethics, and performance across English Language learning and assessment products. This includes ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks (e.g., Ofqual, UKVI), safeguarding, EDI, AI ethics, curriculum integrity, cyber security, and data standards. The role also drives product health and performance analytics to support strategic decision-making, continuous improvement and business growth.

Main accountabilities

Standards, data, and performance

• Lead the development and implementation of ethical standards across AI, EDI, curriculum, and safeguarding.

• Oversee cyber-security compliance for digital platforms in collaboration with IT and cyber teams.

• Define and maintain data standards for product development and performance tracking.

• Monitor product health and performance using analytics and reporting tools.

• Ensure data is used to support business and income growth.

• Drive a 'Security by Design’ culture, ensuring automated governance is embedded into the product lifecycle to eliminate manual bottlenecks

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to embed standards into product lifecycle processes.

Risk & compliance

• Ensure compliance with Ofqual, UKVI, GDPR, and other relevant regulatory bodies.

• Contingency planning and risk management for the E&E Product unit.

• Set standards and performance for E&E security and compliance including highlighting any issues of non-compliance

• Serves as point of escalation on significant issues

• Uses standardised processes to monitor compliance with agreed corporate risk

management procedures relevant to service delivery (e.g. child protection, security policies, financial protocols, anti-fraud measures)

• Works with suppliers to address compliance issues and ensures British Council is compliant with its contractual obligations.

• Support audits, inspections, and reviews by regulatory bodies

• Identify through risk frameworks opportunities to improve efficiencies and working practices to support business growth

Leadership & management

• Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure effective delivery of diverse responsibilities and internal customer deliverables over a monthly to quarterly time horizon

• May be formal line manager to a small team

• Shares intelligence and ideas to support senior managers in identifying/ developing new business development strategies and plans.

• Act as a subject matter expert on compliance and standards in internal and external forums.

• Provide training and guidance to teams on standards, ethics, and compliance.

Certification and Professional Qualifications

Desirable: Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT

Role specific knowledge and experience

Minimum / essential

• Experience in managing compliance within education, assessment, or digital product environments.

• Knowledge of UK regulatory frameworks (e.g., Ofqual, UKVI).

• Understanding of safeguarding, EDI, and ethical standards in education.

• Experience with cyber security and data governance in digital platforms.

• Proven track record in performance analytics and reporting.

• Experience working in cross-functional teams.

• Fluency in English.

• Current residency either in the UK or Poland with unlimited right to work.

Desirable

• Experience in English Language learning and assessment.

• Familiarity with AI ethics and responsible technology use.

• Experience with curriculum design and quality assurance.

• Knowledge of international education standards and frameworks.

• Experience with ISO standards or similar quality frameworks.

Role specific skills

• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.

• Project management and organisational skills.

• Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into actionable processes.

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving.

• Familiarity with digital product development and lifecycle management.

British Council values and behaviours

British council values and behaviours are applicable across our organisation, in all roles and at all levels. They are important because they say what we stand for at the British Council and help us to deliver our strategy. We use them to guide our decision making, as well as guiding how we treat one another and the people we work with. These will be assessed in the selection process. Our values are: Open and Committed; Expert and Inclusive; Optimistic and Bold.

Unit: English & Exams / Product / Delivery and Governance

Work style: hybrid

Pay band: 8

Annual salary range:

PLN 192,000 - 252,000 (Poland)

£38,000 - £46,000 (UK)