Job Description

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

What's it like to work at the British Council as a Teacher?

Teacher's Success Story

The British Council’s Teaching Centres in Sri Lanka serve over 6,000 students each term across Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna, and Matara, offering a range of English language courses for young learners, secondary students, adults, and corporate clients. While the British Council enjoys a strong reputation in Colombo and Kandy, it continues to strengthen its presence in Jaffna and Matara.

Committed to delivering high-quality English language teaching, the British Council focuses on providing an excellent learning experience, supporting teacher development, and continuously improving its courses and services. Through maintaining high ELT standards and sharing best practices, it aims to strengthen its position as the preferred English language provider in Sri Lanka and support its broader cultural relations mission.

Role Purpose

• To promote and ensure high-quality teaching and effective learning of English.
• To support the wider aims of the British Council and its cultural relations mission.

Main Accountabilities

• Ensuring teaching meets learners' needs and expectations.
• Ensuring teaching meets Teaching Quality standards and organisational expectations.
• Maintaining positive relationships with customers and colleagues.
• Supporting the teaching centre's activities and British Council plans.
• Enhancing the British Council's reputation as a world authority in ELT.
• Undertaking continuous professional development and sharing best practices.

Responsibilities & Main Duties

• Plan and deliver high-quality English language lessons that meet the needs of different customer groups, taking into account individual learning styles, up to the number of contracted teaching hours.
• Monitor progress and provide regular feedback to support students' performance throughout their courses, while actively promoting learner autonomy and a sense of achievement.
• Contribute to the development, evaluation, and improvement of English language courses, materials, and related services to meet students' needs by actively participating as a member of the teaching team.
• Complete teaching-related administrative tasks to specified standards.
• Actively engage in professional development and performance management to ensure quality and high standards in teaching and learning, and to maintain the British Council's position at the forefront of ELT best practices.
• Contribute to the development of lasting, mutually beneficial relationships by enhancing students' understanding of contemporary UK culture and society.
• Assist the teaching centre team in delivering excellent customer service and upholding the British Council Values and Behaviours.
• Ensure safeguarding guidelines and policies are applied and upheld in line with standards for the following areas:
• • Safeguarding and Child Protection
  • Equal Opportunity and Diversity
  • Health and Safety

Qualifications

Essentials

• University degree
• Cambridge CELTA or Trinity Cert TESOL

Desirable

• Recognised diploma in EFL i.e., Cambridge DELTA/Trinity Dip TESOL
• CELT-YL extension/TYLEC

Language requirements

• Proficiency in English i.e., full mastery of English across all 4 skills equivalent to user (CEFR C2) IELTS Band 8/9 in each of 4 sections of the academic module.
  
  

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience

Essentials

• 2 years post-certificate (i.e., CELTA/Trinity cert TESOL) experience
• Experience in teaching relevant age groups:
• • Primary aged 6 to 10 (800+ hours)
  • Lower Secondary aged 11 to 14 (800+ hours)
  • Upper Secondary aged 15 to 17 (800+ hours)

Salary & Benefits

Salary: Basic monthly salary: LKR 210,000 - LKR 250,000, depending on qualifications and relevant work experience.

Annual Leave: 35 days of paid annual leave.

Medical Benefits: Group medical insurance with inpatient coverage of up to LKR 850,000 per family unit.

Settling-in Allowance (If recruited from outside Sri Lanka) Equivalent to three weeks' salary for accompanied employees and two weeks' salary for unaccompanied employees. Separate rental loans are available for expatriate and overseas-recruited teachers, with repayments deducted from salary. Assistance with securing accommodation is provided through referrals to property brokers. The cost of permanent accommodation is the responsibility of the employee.

Statutory Pension Fund: The British Council contributes 12% of the employee's salary to this fund, which may be withdrawn at the end of the contract or upon departure from Sri Lanka (applicable to employees recruited from outside Sri Lanka).

Baggage Allowance (If recruited from outside Sri Lanka) A one-time accountable baggage allowance of £1,200 for single employees and £2,000 for accompanied employees.

Other Allowances:

• LKR 29,000 per month for employees recruited within Sri Lanka.
• LKR 100,000 per month for employees recruited from outside Sri Lanka.
• LKR 100,000 per month as a temporary allowance for employees recruited from outside Sri Lanka, subject to regular review (the next review is scheduled for December 2026).

Additional Information

• Locations: Sri Lanka – Gampaha and Matara
• No. of vacancies: 2
• Contract Duration: Two-year fixed-term contract
• Contract Hours: 37.5 hours per week
• Contract Teaching Hours: Up to 25 hours per week
• Tentative Start Date: September 2026
• Work Schedule: The working week is defined as any five consecutive days, with a two-day weekend (Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday), and includes up to 25 hours of teaching per week. Morning teaching sessions usually begin at 7:45 a.m., while evening sessions may finish as late as 8:00 p.m. All teachers teach a combination of Young Learner, Secondary, and Adult classes. Teachers may indicate preferences for timetables and specific courses; however, student demand and operational requirements will ultimately determine work schedules. All teachers are expected to attend termly meetings and regular INSETT sessions. Teachers without a formal Young Learner teaching qualification are expected to complete the in-house Trinity TYLEC training course during their first year of employment. This programme is currently fully funded by the British Council.
• Local Restrictions on Employment: Applicants must have the right to work in Sri Lanka. Candidates are expected to have researched whether they have the legal right to live and work in the country where the role is based. As our offices have different legal statuses depending on the nature of our work in each country, we recommend contacting the local HR team for further information regarding visa eligibility and requirements. The British Council may provide visa support at its discretion; therefore, applicants should confirm in advance whether such support is available.
• Closing Date and Time: Monday, 17 August 2026, 23:59 Philippine Standard Time.

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

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

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 in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org