Call for applications – Team Leader (Consultant) – “Strengthening Social Cohesion and Dispute Resolution” (SSCDR) in Sri Lanka

Team Leader Role Purpose

To lead, in accordance with British Council and funder standards, the successful delivery of SSCDR in line with the programme’s stated objectives, directing SSCDR’s collaborative approach across government, implementing partners and civil society actors. The Team Leader will serve as SSCDR’s representative and key point of technical contact for the British Council, the client (European Union) in Sri Lanka, all programme partners and other relevant stakeholders across the government and civil society sectors. This appointment is subject to final signature of the relevant financing agreement between the British Council and the client.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities

 The Team Leader is accountable for:

a)    Delivery of the programme’s technical outputs across all four result areas to the satisfaction of the British Council and the client.

b)    Presenting the programme and British Council effectively to external audiences and stakeholders, including but not limited to the Government of Sri Lanka, the client and civil society.

c)    The financial management of the programme to British Council corporate standards, working closely with the Senior Project Manager and Finance Manager.

The Team Leader is responsible for:

Strategic and Technical leadership 

• Providing overall strategic direction to the programme in close liaison with the British Council, the European Union and Government of Sri Lanka.
• Leading technical design, methods, and approaches for all outcomes, ensuring coherence across the project.
• Adapting strategy and delivery according to changes in context and/or client and government requirements.

Representation 

• Representing programme decisions agreed through SRO–TL–SPM governance. 
• Leading continuous technical engagement and relationship management with the EU Delegation, Government (national and local) and other key stakeholders (for example, World Bank, beneficiary institutions, non-state actors and international development partners). 
• Presenting programme progress and decisions in governance forums. 

Technical Management of Delivery 

• Leading and coordinating the implementation, quality assurance, monitoring and reporting (both technical and financial reports) of all programme activities as foreseen in the Description of Action and logical framework, including inception and annual reports.
• Providing technical oversight and guidance to Outcome Leads and Key Experts. 

• Coordinating technical input into workplans, MEL, learning, and reporting. 

• Ensuring technical quality assurance systems are applied. 
• Developing, maintaining and regularly updating the programme risk register and risk management strategy from a technical perspective, in coordination with the Senior Project Manager.
• Financial and Human Resource management, to ensure effective delivery and the application of value-for-money principles.

Consortium Technical Coordination 

• Managing the relationship with delivery partners responsible for delivery of key activities across all Result Areas.
• Aligning technical workstreams of implementing partners with programme strategy. 
• Ensuring consistency of technical standards across British Council, GIZ and TAF inputs. 

• Facilitating technical issue resolution across partners. 

Project Monitoring, Reporting and Governance

• Oversight of programme monitoring and evaluation systems and processes, in collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) colleagues.
• Approving technical deliverables and reports, ensuring a consistently high quality of output. 
• Preparing technical papers, decisions notes and risk escalations for SRO and governance fora, including Project Steering Committee and Project Monthly Board, in which the Team Leader will participate fully as technical lead.
• Ensuring the capture and dissemination of lessons/stories/case studies, as part of the wider monitoring, communications and visibility effort.

Team Management and Oversight 

• Supporting the recruitment of team members in collaboration with the British Council and other project team members.
• Leadership and supervision of the programme delivery team, both technically and managerially across result areas.
• Line-management of the Senior Project Manager, including supporting the SPM to coordinate delivery teams.
• Line-management of the Finance Manager, ensuring financial transactions and practices are conducted according to British Council standards.
• Providing day-to-day guidance to technical specialists and advisors.
• Overseeing the performance management of staff and consultants, management of the programme office and all its resources, in collaboration with the Senior Project Manager.
• Ensuring effective skills transfer and capacity building through mentoring and coaching of programme staff.

Business Development and Delivery

•  Building relationships with strategic clients/partners within area of influence.

•  Using insights to understand current and prospective business development opportunities for the British Council.

•  Overseeing internal and client compliance including legal finance, procurement, contract management and reporting.

•  Contributing to the development of internal and external communications materials to highlight impact and support positioning for new opportunities.

Interested eligible applicants can submit (i) their CVs (in no more than 2 pages), and (ii) a one-page covering letter (indicating per day rate) to SABD@britishcouncil.org by 23.59 Central European Time on Friday 8th May 2026. Please mention “Application for Team Leader/ SSCDR” in the subject of the e-mail.

Note: The confirmation of this role is contingent upon the approval of funding by the client.