View Vacancy - CPK - Prosperity Programme Manager (China Skills Development), C4(L)

In November 2015 the UK Government announced a £1.3bn Prosperity Fund over the next 5 years to promote the economic reform and development needed for growth in partner countries. Priorities will include improving the business climate, competitiveness and operation of markets, energy and financial sector reform. As well as contributing to a reduction in poverty in recipient countries, we expect these reforms to create opportunities for international business including UK companies.

The China Prosperity Fund portfolio, if approved, will consist of a number of sector-focused programmes.  One of these is the China Skills Programme, recently approved at outline strategic business case stage. 

As China seeks to transition to a new economic growth model, one of the main challenges the country faces is the size and scale of its skills gap. The mismatch between the skills Chinese employers’ need and those that workers actually possess represents a huge opportunity cost, estimated to be US$250 billion or 2.3 percent of GDP in 2020.  

The Prosperity Fund China Skills Programme will focus on supporting China to develop high level technical and vocational skills, where the greatest needs exist.  The programme will draw on UK expertise to support China, addressing some of its current key constraints and create a more enabling environment for the international, including the UK, business and skills sector players to access China’s skills market.

The Programme Manager will play a key role in managing and delivering existing projects in the Prosperity Fund China Skills programme, maximising its impacts.  S/he will be responsible for stakeholder management (UK and Chinese private sector, Chinese government, think-tanks and academics), support business case development and implementation of scoping projects.

As such the successful candidate will need to demonstrate strong programme and budget management, communicating, collaborating and influencing skills.

To deliver an impactful Skills Programme, you will work in collaboration with:

• Embassy colleagues in the Prosperity Fund, British Council, DIT, Science and Innovation Network (SIN), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and DFID;
• Department for Education, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and DFID in London;
• Relevant Chinese ministries, government authorities, think-tanks, universities and colleges
• International Organisations such as UNDP, ILO, World Bank, European Union Delegation;
• The UK Education and Skills industry.

The successful candidate will have experience of working in a programme environment with a working knowledge of programme development, budget management, monitoring, evaluating and reporting, preferably in the education and skills sector.

In your role as programme manager you will support gender equality act compliance and support the Prosperity Fund’s policy and guidance on gender equality, economic empowerment and inclusive growth for all.

The job holder will work with the British Council in supporting the development of business case. This will include helping to refine the potential delivery models and building the evidence base for the strategic case. S/he will play a supporting role in identifying and undertaking discreet scoping activities, which help develop the business case. This will involve identifying and commissioning external providers to deliver this work. S/he will also be responsible for ensuring programme impact are captured and reported.

Lead programme planning and delivery

Designing and leading on the implementation of quality projects which deliver high impact and value for money against prosperity criteria.  This will include leading on procurement of external suppliers to implement various strands of the programme and management of external suppliers and contracts, liaising with the Prosperity Fund Central Team ensuring that budgets are well-managed, performance is maintained and projects monitored and evaluated over the lifetime of the programme.

Strategic stakeholder engagement and management

The job holder will develop and manage a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including at a senior level to advance the aims of the Skills Prosperity Fund programme, including UK and Chinese government departments and ministries, research organisations, academia, international business groups and British Embassy policy and programme teams.

Policy support for the Skills programme

The job holder will be expected to conduct desk research, provide regular policy briefing and sector intelligence on China’s skills development, including input into the design and development of the overall programme to ensure programme coherence, alignment with key priorities and achievement of substantive outcomes.  The job holder will also be expected to autonomously lead and develop expertise on certain policy areas to support the team.

• University graduate
• Strong specialist knowledge and network in education and skills sector
• Minimum of five years programme management experience preferably in education and skills, familiar with programme management cycle and have hands-on experience in programme design, implementation, M&E and risk management
• Excellent budget management skills
• Experience working with external stakeholders in both commercial sectors and government institutions
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft excel and word
• Strong communications skills