E+ Senior Accreditation Manager

Hybrid (Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom) British Council 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.

The Department for Education has announced that the British Council is set to take on the role of National Agency for Erasmus+.

In December the UK and EU arrived at a political agreement that the UK would rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027. That agreement has now been legally formalised under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The British Council has a longstanding commitment to supporting international exchange. It was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency from 2014-20, where Erasmus+ made a significant contribution to the UK's cultural relations activities, funding 8,091 projects, engaging 583,757 UK participants, and awarding around €1.1 billion to UK organisations.

Job Title: E+ Senior Accreditation Manager

Pay Band: 8
Salary: £38,820 per annum
Contract Duration: 2 Year Fixed Term Contract with possibility of extension
Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Right to Work Requirements: Current right to work in the UK. The British Council is not able to support or sponsor work visa applications.
Closing Date: Applications will close on Wednesday 26 July at 22:59 UK Time

We are operating on the basis that any offer is made pending client confirmation of funds.

Role Purpose

This role will lead the strategic design and delivery of Erasmus+ accreditation, ensuring fair, transparent, and effective access to the programme through a robust accreditation framework. The role is responsible for shaping and managing the portfolio of accredited organisations, ensuring it is balanced, inclusive, and aligned with programme priorities and policy objectives.

Overseeing the full accreditation lifecycle - from application and assessment through to renewal, suspension, or revocation - the postholder ensures that organisations entering and remaining within the accreditation system demonstrate the capacity, capability and commitment to deliver high-quality Erasmus plansin accordance with Programme requirements.

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following:

Accreditation Strategy & Portfolio Development

• Lead the development and implementation of the Erasmus+ accreditation strategy that supports programme priorities including inclusion, sustainability, participation and impact.
• Shape and actively manage a balanced portfolio of accredited organisations across sectors.

Accreditation Design & Delivery

• Oversee the design and delivery of accreditation calls, ensuring clarity, accessibility, and alignment with Programme requirements and National Agency requirements.
• Lead end-to-end accreditation processes including:

• Application guidance and applicant support
• Assessment and selection coordination
• Decision-making and feedback

Assessment & Decision-Making Oversight

• Lead robust and proportionate assessment methodologies, including use of external experts where appropriate.
• Ensure consistency and defensibility of decisions through moderation and calibration approaches.

Accreditation Lifecycle Management

• Oversee the ongoing management of accredited organisations, including:

• Renewal and continuation decisions
• Changes to accreditation status
• Exit from the system where required

• Ensure the accreditation system remains dynamic, credible, and responsive to performance and strategic needs.

Insight, Data & Continuous Improvement

• Analyse accreditation and participation data to:

• Monitor portfolio health and sector coverage
• Identify barriers to access and participation trends
• Inform strategic improvements to accreditation processes

• Use evidence and stakeholder insight to continuously refine approaches and guidance.

Stakeholder Engagement & Sector Development

• Build and maintain relationships with applicants, accredited organisations, and sector stakeholders.
• Promote understanding of accreditation as a long-term partnership model.

Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure accreditation is delivered in accordance with European Commission Programme rules, the National Agency Guide, contractual obligations and internal governance requirements.
• Maintain clear documentation and decision-making records.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the accreditation function, ensuring effective strategic and operational delivery.
• Provide leadership, coaching and professional development for accreditation staff and external assessors where applicable.

Planning & Performance

• Monitor performance against any accreditation KPIs, service standards and Programme targets.
• Report on accreditation performance, risks and emerging issues to senior management.

Requirements of the role

Role Specific Skills:

• Proven ability to design and manage complex, multi-stage accreditation and selection processes, ensuring robust assessment, moderation, and evidence based decision-making.

• Strong analytical capability, using data, evidence and insight to inform strategic decisions, manage accreditation performance and shape a balanced, inclusive accreditation portfolio.

• Highly developed judgement in assessing organisational capacity, strategic intent, and readiness, with the ability to apply criteria consistently while allowing for proportionate, context-sensitive decisions.

• Ability to identify participation gaps, underserved sectors, and emerging opportunities, and translate these into targeted portfolio and access strategies.

• Ability to lead and justify complex accreditation recommendations and oversee high-impact decisions, ensuring robust evidence, clear audit trails and defensible outcomes.

• Understanding of how to actively manage and evolve an accreditation system, ensuring it remains dynamic and responsive.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, building constructive relationships with applicants, accredited organisations, senior leaders and external stakeholders while maintaining independence and impartiality.

• Skilled in communicating complex or challenging decisions clearly and constructively, and influencing senior stakeholders on accreditation outcomes.

• Proven leadership capability, with experience managing teams and driving high performance.

• Comprehensive understanding of governance, assurance and risk management, with the ability to ensure accreditation processes comply with European Commission Programme rules, National Agency guidance and internal controls.

Role Specific Knowledge and Experience:

Minimum/essential

• Sound understanding of Erasmus+ (or comparable international funding programmes) and accreditation-based delivery models

• Knowledge of competitive selection and assessment processes, including principles of fairness, transparency, and proportionality and good governance.