Global Account Manager

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.

Role purpose

Provide excellent Key Account Management for designated global clients by nurturing stakeholder relationships, proactively identifying growth opportunities, and managing risk. Develop and implement KAM plans aligned with Global Exams Services’ strategy across school, professional, university, and English exams, delivering income and surplus growth against ambitious global targets through co-creating value with key clients.

Role context

The British Council supports peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding, and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We help individuals gain skills, confidence, and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK-through networks, creative ideas, learning English, high-quality education, and internationally recognised qualifications. Working in over 200 countries and territories, with a presence in more than 100 countries, we reached 650 million people in 2021-22. Global Exams Services delivers innovative, flexible solutions enabling exam boards and testing institutions to help learners achieve their full potential. As the world’s most trusted exams services partner, we deliver over 4.5 million exams annually for schools, universities, and professional bodies, with over 25,000 staff across 100+ countries, at test centres, schools, or via secure online delivery.

Customer success and client relationships are central to Global Exams Services. The Global Account Manager provides key account management for designated global clients, building and enhancing long-term relationships, identifying growth and value-creation opportunities, and managing risk. The role develops and implements KAM plans aligned to Global Exams Services strategy across school, professional, university, and English exams, delivering income and surplus growth against ambitious global targets through co-creating value with key clients. This role reports to the Director, Global Exams Services Partnership and may include line management responsibilities.

Main accountabilities

Account & stakeholder management: Develops and maintains strong relationships with School, Professional, University, and English exams clients through proactive engagement to understand needs and align services. Plans and delivers KAM plans to achieve commercial and impact targets, conducts regular reviews, handles escalations, and acts as the client voice within the British Council. Collaborates with Heads and account managers to deliver coordinated strategies for strategically important relationships.

Winning business: Identifies growth, cross-selling, and upselling opportunities within key accounts. Manages development and submission of high-quality, market-responsive proposals with internal stakeholders, ensuring governance compliance. Handles contract negotiations, renewals, amendments, and represents the British Council in client presentations and negotiations.

Market & customer intelligence: Monitors and evaluates client feedback to identify development opportunities and respond to risks in line with corporate priorities. Participates in internal and external events, networks, and knowledge systems to share timely market and customer intelligence. Supports product development and effective commercial planning.

Brand/product knowledge & promotion: Maintains strong understanding of current and prospective products/services through working groups and peer networks to support business development. Identifies promotional, marketing, PR, and outreach opportunities and makes evidence-based recommendations, including ROI analysis. Applies industry standards, best practices, tools, and resources for professional key account management.

Commercial planning: Negotiates global contracts within agreed commercial frameworks, standards, pricing, and governance, ensuring appropriate resource commitment and investment for growth. Collaborates with senior management to develop systems for commercial data collation, analysis, forecasting, and planning. Monitors performance against targets and investigates variances.

Leadership & management: Sets and oversees delivery of workplans to achieve account objectives, coordinating across account management, functional, regional, and country teams to meet KPIs (quarterly to annual). May provide line management to a small, potentially dispersed team. Prioritises continuous learning and recommends training to strengthen key account management capability.

Qualification and Experience

Essentials

• Minimum with a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or with a professional qualification.
• Demonstrable experience in successful key account management for global products or complex services, including delivering complex services and solution-sales in education or other large sectors (e.g., financial services, medical, government).
• Proven ability to proactively develop creative client-focused solutions, analyse markets, identify opportunities, respond to external changes, and deliver tangible business results.
• Demonstrable strategic thinking with the ability to translate strategy into delivery plans, and experience developing, negotiating, monitoring, and enforcing high-value, complex contracts.

Desirables

• Having degrees in Business and/or Marketing & Sales area or equivalent qualification is desirable.
• Knowledge of the global education sector and assessment industry, including Cambridge English Qualifications and UK qualifications/international schools/assessment technology markets.
• Experience using Salesforce CRM or equivalent systems, and managing exam administration, operations delivery, and new technology deployment or change projects.
• Demonstrated ability to add value to established propositions while supporting operational and service delivery improvements.

Important information

• British Council Pay band: 8
• Contract type: Indefinite Contract
• Working Module: Hybrid
• Location: UK - This role is open to candidates based in all UK locations
• Proof of Identity requirements & right to work in the country: You must have the legal right to work in the stated location. Visa sponsorship and relocation assistance are not provided.

Application closing date: Monday, 26 October 2026 at 19:29 UK time (23:59 IST)

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 [email protected]