Director Programmes Jobs – British Council

Job Title: Director Programmes

Organisation: British Council

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About Organisation:

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK.

Job Summary: This role supports the pursuit, design, delivery and evaluation of projects and programmes within the British Council’s Non-Formal Education (NFE) portfolio through high-quality technical input and advice, developing and sustaining a portfolio of internally and externally funded projects and programmes, and researching and analysing sector trends and opportunities. It contributes to the overall success of the NFE portfolio by leading a mixed portfolio of British Council and externally funded NFE projects in a high-priority geography, ensuring strategic alignment, high-quality delivery, and the achievement of financial and non-financial targets.

This role leads on the design and delivery of the NFE strategy for Uganda, contributing to the success of the global NFE portfolio and leading a mixed-income portfolio of projects and programmes that contribute to NFE and Education strategic priorities.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strategy and Planning
• Supports delivery of the strategic ambition and framework for the non-formal education portfolio, spanning grant-funded Global Programme and global contracts business, ensuring alignment with wider British Council strategies and funder/partner demand. Leads the design and implementation of the NFE strategy for Uganda, ensuring alignment with the global NFE strategy and British Council and Cultural Engagement strategies and plans, including the CE business plan.
• Leadership and Management
• Provides operational management and leadership across the in-country NFE team, driving successful development, delivery, impact (including MEL) and financial sustainability of a mixed portfolio of Non-Formal Education partnerships, programmes and contracts. Provides technical direction of the NFE portfolio in Uganda, ensures resource planning responds to portfolio needs, and ensures high-quality, consistent monitoring, evaluation and learning across the portfolio, fostering coherent systems, shared practice and a strong culture of evidence-based delivery and learning. Supports internal capacity building, ensuring teams can access appropriate, cost-effective learning and development opportunities to grow their sector knowledge and skills.
• Business Development
• Leads business development for NFE in Uganda, maintaining a mixed, sustainable pipeline of high-quality, well-resourced opportunities. Leads and account-manages strategic client and partner relationships, identifying and securing new income-generating opportunities that contribute to agreed financial and impact targets, and owns and builds the country pipeline, leading, writing or quality assuring new proposals. Delivers financial and non-financial targets for Youth Connect in Uganda, fosters an outcome-focused, accountable culture aligned with British Council values and EDI, and leads the negotiation and structuring of local partnerships to protect the British Council’s interests.
• Stakeholder Management and Market Positioning
• Contributes to the visibility, reputation and brand of the British Council and the UK with clients, partners and governments, developing opportunities for new business.
• Market Knowledge, Research and Insight
• Uses sector expertise to provide insight and content for corporate responses to public consultations, representing the British Council’s perspective and demonstrating thought leadership in relevant external forums. Demonstrates expertise on behalf of the British Council and the UK in the sector, positioning the organisation with clients, partners, researchers and other technical experts, and supports internal capacity building by ensuring teams can access timely sector advice and cost-effective learning and development opportunities.
• Commercial and/or Financial Management
• Ensures effective financial management and compliance, managing and delivering to target on budgets, profitability, timelines and corporate quality standards. Within agreed corporate procedures and schedules of delegated authority, manages and reports on variances to plan, controlling the principal local levers affecting cost and service, such as people, processes, resources and suppliers.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Drives and embeds a culture of corporate compliance, ensuring policies and procedures — including HR, Finance, Legal, EDI, anti-racism, safeguarding, data privacy and cyber security — are implemented and maintained across non-formal education work globally, so organisational risks are managed effectively. Actively contributes to an inclusive and anti-racist organisational culture, being aware of personal bias and taking action to mitigate it, and supporting colleagues’ wellbeing and mental health. Understands and applies the British Council’s approach to EDI and anti-racism, making time for related learning and development.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

Essential

• Master’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Project Management qualification (recognised PPM qualification)

Experience

Essential:

• Deep technical knowledge of non-formal education and the ability to develop proposals in response to client/partner need
• Strong programme and project management skills, including compliance

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and Interested applicants should apply online at the link below.

Opens the employer’s application page Apply Now →

Deadline: 3 ^rd September 2026

NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline

Level of Education: postgraduate degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 24