Job Description

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.

Job Title:

Communications Manager, South East Asia

Role Purpose:

The Communications Manager will be responsible for external communications planning and delivery, including press, digital and social media, crisis communications, events, internal and change communications, and stakeholder communications within the country and wider South East Asia cluster. They will also work closely with internal and external key stakeholders to execute plans that strengthen and integrate marketing communications initiatives to continue to engage current audiences, identify and attract new ones, create greater awareness of the British Council and protect our brand reputation.

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following:

Strategy and Planning

• Manages implementation of country communications strategy and plan, ensuring alignment to the South East Asia regional communications strategy and plan, and effective impact.

• Manages the delivery of internal and external communications campaigns and activities for the country/cluster, ensuring that messages are consistent and support the regional communications strategies.

• Oversees country/cluster interactions with the public by implementing social media content strategies and managing web pages

• Manages communication of the British Council\'s profile to internal and external stakeholders working closely with the wider regional Communications team.

• Manages media relations activities in the country.

• Ensures that all communications maintain and strengthen the reputation of the British Council.

• Plans and co-ordinates country/cluster internal and change communications activities to improve effectiveness and audience impact.

• Ensures that internal, change, media and stakeholder communications risks and issues are effectively managed and mitigated with support from the wider Communications team.

• Ensures that communications messages are consistent, are aligned to regional communications strategy and support the British Council brand.

Consultancy, analysis & problem-solving

• Applies communications expertise to provide advice to colleagues and business leads and deliver agreed programmes of work.

• Applies analytical approaches to identify and assess current state of communications, define opportunities for improvement, implement agreed projects and initiatives, ensuring consistency with regional communications plans and approaches.

• Delivers appropriate communications initiatives and interventions to support business needs, aligned to regional communications strategies, plans and approaches.

• Presents complex information clearly, producing tailored presentations, which convincingly influence decision-makers about the case for country and cluster communications initiatives.

• Builds an in-depth understanding of the operational context, opportunities and challenges for communications.

• Makes appropriate linkages to issues across the broader organisation and region, to ensure that the delivery of communications projects and initiatives is based on informed business insight and joined-up thinking.

• Proactively seeks internal customer and other stakeholder feedback to monitor satisfaction with the standard of communications advice and business support provided, enabling improvements to be made where issued are identified.

Business Development

• Ensures joined up delivery of communications projects and initiatives.

• Consistently apply the agreed global communications and brand standards, templates and processes.

• Supports the reviews of impact and effectiveness of country and cluster communications projects and initiatives and identifies opportunities for improvement.

• Provides expert advice, support and challenge on communications to colleagues and other stakeholders.

• Delivers high quality and effective communications plans and solutions using established processes, tools and systems to ensure consistency.

• Proactively pursues an annual cycle of formally recognised Continuing Professional Development framework to maintain and deepen their professional expertise.

Commercial and financial management.

• Conducts monthly and year-end reporting on progress against plan and deliverables and management of issues and risks.

• Shows an understanding of value for money/cost effectiveness in the advice, recommendations or service support provided across the remit of cluster communications.

• Relationship and stakeholder management

• Ensures solid and beneficial relationships with marketing and communications professionals regionally.

• Develops peer/personal networks within and outside function to enhance own knowledge and expertise.

• Proactively builds and maintains excellent relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.

Leadership and management

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

• Determines work plans and coordinates input from others (who may be outside the direct management line) to meet specific objectives.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

• Demonstrable experience in managing communications within a large and complex organisation or agency.

• Experience in providing expert advice and guidance on internal and external communications.

• Experience in managing and mitigating internal and external communications risks and issues.

• Experience in planning and delivering social media strategy and reporting on performance.

• Proven record of editorial experience (i.e., proofreading, translation, knowledge of different content types, etc.)

• Creative approach to implementing and evaluating communication activities.

Further Information

• Pay Band: 6
• Contract Type: Indefinite
• Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Requirements:

• Relevant degree (e.g., Communications, Marketing) or equivalent level of experience.
• Significant years of experience in planning and delivering communications.
• Good background in communications, and digital and social media management.
• Knowledge and experience in managing data or data analytics tools.
• The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.
• Conditions of Employment: Local Direct Hire

• Applications are welcomed from candidates currently in this location with a natural right to work.
• Applications are also welcomed from candidates currently based in other British Council country offices. However, please note candidates must have a natural right to work in the country, on a permanent basis, as immigration clearance and/or on-going visa support is not provided by the British Council for this role. Relocation support is also not provided.
• Closing Date: Wednesday, August 09, 2023, 11:59 PM PH Time (GMT+8)

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.

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