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.
Principle Delivery Lead
Location:
Noida, India, Warsaw or Kraków, Poland, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast or Manchester Homeworking contract, United KingdomContract Type: Indefinite Contract
Pay Grade:
SMP
Closing date
:
11 January 2026 at 20:59 UK Time
Requirements:
You must have the legal right to work in one of the listed countries at the time of application. We are unable to support with visa sponsorship and relocation.
Role Context - About The Team
The Digital and Technology (D&T) team collaborate with other parts of the British Council to foster a digitally enabled, customer centric organisation. As a digitally inclusive team, we strive to ensure our people, and those we work with, are enabled to feel digitally confident. We do this by empowering our people with digital skills and support to help them rise to important challenges, regardless of role or location. Our people steer our ambition, drive our successes and manage us through periods of great change. Together, we strive to build an inclusive environment that upholds our values and supports us in our work.
We Are
- Open and committed - We share the right information, with the right people, at the right time.
- Optimistic and bold - We define and validate value to empower our experts to make high-impact decisions.
- Expert and inclusive - We reduce digital inequalities and reduce the impact of digital disadvantage for our people, our stakeholders, and our customers.
The Engineering division brings together Engineering, QA, Architecture and Delivery expertise to ensure excellence in the development of our global products and services. Encompassing Reuse, Buy and Build strategies, it champions communities of practices, defining solutions and core-capabilities to create amazing products. The division ensures, through architecture, delivery of strategic, enterprise- wide solutions to business problems, proactive management of technology risks, setting practices, standards and guidance to the wider organisation for flexible approaches to technology adoption to meet business objectives, and enable strategic delivery.
Role Purpose - The Job
As a Principal Delivery Lead within the Engineering pillar in Digital and Technology, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and driving the delivery of our digital products and technology solutions. In this senior position, you will be accountable for the creation and implementation of products and projects, managing a team of Delivery Leads, and fostering a community of practice around delivery excellence. Your responsibilities extend to directly managing deliveries yourself, ensuring not only the successful execution of specific projects but also providing guidance to a team of Delivery Leads. This comprehensive approach underscores your instrumental role in navigating the intricate landscape of digital initiatives, aligning individual project successes with broader organizational objectives within the dynamic digital realm.
Main Accountabilities
Consultancy, analysis & problem solving:
- Effectively communicate complex technical details to non-technical stakeholders, ensuring a shared understanding of project goals and progress.
- Identify and address issues and blockers collaboratively, working with all relevant parties to ensure successful resolutions and project continuity.
- Champion and facilitate continuous improvement initiatives within the community of Delivery Leads, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.
- Demonstrate a self-starting attitude and a discovery mindset, setting the tone for proactive problem-solving and strategic exploration.
Functional Expertise
- Own the delivery of digital projects and products assigned to this role, acting as either a servant or project leader where appropriate.
- Coach and mentor both team members and others to apply the most appropriate Agile and Lean tools and techniques, whilst also being sympathetic to traditional project management approaches.
- Effectively translate complex technical details ensuring they are accurately communicated to non-technical stakeholders.
Service Delivery And Improvement
- Take ownership of managing and tracking delivery artefacts, including project plans, risk and issue logs, and sprint backlogs, providing guidance and support to your team.
- Provide regular, comprehensive project reporting to various stakeholders, offering insights into the collective progress of the delivery teams.
- Manage and maintain the delivery pace across the teams, ensuring alignment with timelines and expectations while providing guidance and support to Delivery Leads in achieving their respective objectives.
- Create a delivery ethos amongst your team.
Relationship & stakeholder management
- Initiate, cultivate, and sustain effective relationships and engagement with product owners and stakeholders globally, ensuring alignment with overarching delivery goals.
- Lead, build and maintain successful delivery teams, ensuring they are motivated, collaborating, and working well, ensuring focus is on what is most important to the delivery of products and services.
- Oversee the delivery of the team of Delivery Leads you manage.
- Build and foster a cohesive community of practice for Delivery Leads, providing guidance, support, and creating an environment for knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
- Coach and mentor Delivery Leads and development team members in the application of Agile and Lean tools and techniques, promoting best practices across the community.
Commercial And Financial Management
- Manage and maintain accurate project budgets and financial records
- Manage relationships with third-party integrators, ensuring seamless collaboration and integration with the overall delivery strategy.
- Provide regular project reporting to agreed templates to stakeholders, working closely with Product Owners and other key leads.
- Ability to maintain delivery pace within own delivery and those in their team.
Minimum/essential
Requirements Of The Role:
- Varied Knowledge and Demonstrable Experience: Possess diverse experience in delivering projects within an Agile environment.
- Stakeholder Engagement Skills: Demonstrate effective communication and collaboration with senior management, business users, PMO Programme-level colleagues, and third-party suppliers.
- Understanding of Agile Fundamentals: Exhibit a solid grasp of Agile principles and practices, including iterative development with incremental delivery.
- Proficiency in Project Planning Tools: Utilize MS Project and/or other formal planning tools to create comprehensive project plans.
- Communication Skills: Display excellent verbal and written communication proficiency using various tools, including Word, Excel templates, and PowerPoint presentations.
- Building Community of Practices: Establish and foster a community of practices around delivery excellence, encouraging knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
Desirable
- Remote Team Leadership and Coordination: Showcase experience leading and coordinating remote teams within a collaborative environment.
- Adaptability and Prioritization: Demonstrate the ability to adapt quickly to changes and prioritize effectively.
- Experience in Infrastructure and Product-led Projects: Preferably, possess experience in both infrastructure and product led projects, with additional consideration for rollout experience.
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
