General Manager

Salary: Competitive

Location: UK based. London-based with regular travel to Cambridge.

Job Type: Permanent, Part time (3 days a week on a flexible basis)

The Company

We have an exciting opportunity for an General Manager to join our client who are the world’s most popular high-stakes English language proficiency test for study, work and migration with almost four million tests taken in the past year. Ithas been trusted by organisations all over the world for more than 30 years.

Our client is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge University Press and Assessment. As internationally focused organisations, they are committed to academic excellence and cultural understanding - ideal providers of international English testing.

The Role

As the General Manager, you will have the unique opportunity to be at the forefront of change as our client embarks on its journey towards developing the next generation of International English Language Testing System.

You will oversee the efficient and effective delivery of a portfolio of core shared services, shaping the capabilities required to enable IELTS’ growth ambitions. In this dynamic role, you will line manage a team of domain experts to lead the service lines and oversee the provision of key enabling capabilities, such as HR, legal, finance, IT support and procurement.

You will be a key player in ensuring that the governance of the wider IELTS organisation is operating effectively, communications is improving and be an active, non-decision making, member of the IELTS Board and IELTS Executive Committee.

Key responsibilities of the General Manager include:

• Report to and act as the main liaison between UK entity and the Executive Committee.
• Manage a portfolio of core service lines, including Product Development, Brand Management and Programme and Portfolio Management, ensuring that service delivery meets high-quality standards and contributes effectively to the consortium's strategic aims and business plan.
• As a member of the Executive Committee and an attendee at the Board, facilitate the partnership’s strategic and business planning process, leveraging the domain expertise within each of the capabilities.
• Ensure that the governance structure is working effectively and provide support and guidance to the Chairs of the Governance groups.
• Ensure that our client is focused on delivery of the Business Plan and facilitates delivery across the partnership.
• Build strong relationships with the our client’s partner organisations including their respective operations and marketing teams to build trust and confidence and to enable our client to operate and deliver successfully in a partnership and consensus-based decision-making context.
• Provide leadership to foster the right culture and ways of working to facilitate the delivery of the Business Plan goals and to establish and maintain effective businesses processes.
• Maintain the financial health of the service company, ensuring that services are charged appropriately to the consortium, financial budgets are adhered to and that margin expectations are maintained
• Approve out client’s expenditure in line with agreed delegated limits.
• Ensure legal compliance, mitigating legal risks to support the organisation's objectives whilst upholding ethical standards.

What you’ll need to succeed:

• Extensive proven business management experience at a senior level and in a complex (essential) and preferably international organisation.
• A degree in a relevant field (desirable).
• Knowledge of the English language proficiency testing market (desirable).
• Proven comparative experience and a successful track record in business management including overseeing human resources, finance, and communications.
• Successful implementation of organisational change programmes.
• Leading dispersed teams and leading through influence.
• Building and maintaining stakeholder relationships.
• Budget management.
• Contract management.
• Possesses advanced management, communication, and interpersonal skills in interactions with colleagues, partners, clients, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrates a track record of establishing valuable relationships both internally and externally.
• Has the ability to motivate and lead employees, and hold them accountable.
• Exhibits excellent negotiation and influencing abilities.
• Possesses strong numerical skills.
• Resourceful and adept at problem-solving to secure positive outcomes.
• Displays proactive and strategic thinking skills.
• Demonstrates a solid understanding of business operations.
• Takes initiative in discovering innovative solutions to meet and surpass objectives.
• Comfortable working with uncertainty.
• Comfortable working in a highly matrixed environment, building strong relationships and leveraging negotiation and influencing skills.

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all qualified candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law. Our recruitment process is based solely on merit, skills, and qualifications, ensuring equal opportunity for all. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.