Opportunity Announcement
British Council Scotland Advisory Committee Members
Location: Scotland, UK
Renumeration: This role is unremunerated but reasonable UK travel and expenses are reimbursed.
Closing date: 7 October 2026, 23:59
The opportunity
We are seeking individuals with experience in the Scottish formal and non-formal education and cultural sectors to join our Scotland Advisory Committee (SAC), to contribute in a non-executive capacity and help inform how British Council Scotland’s vision and strategy are developed.
In this recruitment round we are seeking members who bring expertise from across the whole geographic breadth of Scotland in:
- Tertiary education – Higher Education and Further Education
- Youth work
- Local government and schools
- Digital technology with a focus on ethical digital and AI
The main duties of members are:
- Participating in meetings of the Scotland Advisory Committee (SAC), normally 3 meetings + one away day a year
- Contributing to the Committee’s purpose and objectives, as outlined in the Terms of Reference of the Scotland Advisory Committee
- Acting as advocates for the British Council’s work in Scotland and in the UK as a whole
- Providing advice on British Council strategy, particularly opportunities and implications for Scotland as a devolved nation
- Advising the British Council Scotland on major developments in the public, educational, cultural, community and economic life of Scotland
- Serving as a source of professional advice within their own area of expertise, and identifying new opportunities
- Providing access to communities, networks and stakeholders within Scotland relevant to the British Council’s work
- Attending, if requested and when able, British Council or partner events, conferences, and receptions
More information about the role of the Scotland Advisory Committee: Role of the committee | British Council and current members: Meet the committee members | British Council
About us
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.
To help us with the quality and independence of our thinking, we draw on the expert advice of both our sector advisory groups and our three UK country advisory committees in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scotland Advisory Committee advises the Director, British Council Scotland and in turn influences how the British Council’s vision and strategy are developed.
In Scotland, we focus primarily on education and arts. Working closely with Scottish partners and across the British Council network and we aim to:
- Ensure key stakeholders and potential beneficiaries in Scotland are aware of and supported to fully engage with the British Council’s education and arts offers.
- Support the Scottish government and education and arts sectors’ international ambitions
- Contribute positively and visibly to the national debate on internationalising education and the arts in Scotland.
- Ensure that the British Council’s global work is informed by a distinctive Scottish voice and Scotland is well represented in our UK offer.
Our equality diversity and inclusion commitment
The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We are actively working to improve diversity across all our governance structures so that they reflect the societies in which we work. We support all ofour teams to make sure behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to actively address underrepresentation and we encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
Terms and conditions
- Scotland Advisory Committee members are appointed for a three-year period, renewable for a second three-year term.
- The role is not remunerated but reasonable UK travel and expenses will be reimbursed at standard British Council rates.
- Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.
Please also refer to the:
- Scotland Advisory Committee Terms of Reference
Application process
If you are interested and feel that you are suitable for the role, then we would really like to hear from you. Please apply by sending a letter of motivation and a copy of your CV (max 3 pages) and/or linkedin profile to Parna Nath, British Council Scotland Project Coordinator: Parna.Nath@britishcouncil.org by Wednesday 7 October 2026 23:59
For any further questions, please contact Claire De Braekeleer, Director, British Council Scotland: Claire.DeBraekeleer@britishcouncil.org
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview with Louise Macdonald, Chair Scotland Advisory Committee and Claire de Braekeleer, Director British Council Scotland. These conversations will be scheduled to take place online between 20 October to 6 November 2026.
Successful applicants will be invited to join the British Council Scotland Advisory Committee meeting scheduled in person in Edinburgh on 9 December 2026.