Recruitment Information

Job title

Examinations
Venue
Personnel
Manager

Department/location

Examiantions

Job type
(full time; part time
etc)

Full time

Pay band

Grade G
Min salary LE 9812
Max. 16028LE

Head of Exams
Operations,
Egypt

Post-related
allowances

Line manager

Start date

August 2013

Contact

Human Resources Officer Reham Magdy

Applications to

Venue.Officer@britishcouncil.org.eg

Open To

Internal and External candidates

Start receiving
application

27 June 2013

Deadline

13 July 2013 at 5 pm

Short listing will take place: Week of 14 July

Interview will take place: Week of 28 July
Results of the recruitment will take place 1 August
Extra Information

Candidates will be tested for their English level to

assess core grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing,
speaking using several tests.

British Council policy is to offer candidates the minimum salary range.

Internal applicants
A successful internal applicant would be offered the job based on his/ her
current contractual terms.

Page 1 of 7

Job Description

Role Profil
Job title
Examinations Venue Personnel Manager
Region

MENA

Country

Egypt

Location

Cairo

Pay band

Reports to

Head of Exams Operations,

Egypt

Duration of job

2 year fixed term contract (12

months in the first instance)

Purpose of job
To plan and deliver examiner, venue manager, invigilator and support staff needs for all British
Council Examinations in Egypt, meeting or exceeding Exams Quality Standards, IELTS Audit and
UK Board standards. To manage recruitment, assignment of work and payments process with the
transparency and control required by audit and to the satisfaction of the venue staff and all
internal stakeholders.
Through continual induction and training, to develop the professionalism, compliance and
customer service orientation of all venue personnel, ensuring they deliver an experience for the
customer that is in line with British Council Egypts brand and exceeds the expectations of
candidates, their parents and UK Boards.
Context and environment
British Council Egypt has one of the largest Exams operations in the world, expecting to deliver
100,000 exams and tests in 2013-14. At peak times, the business can employ 800 venue staff
and even in the quietest months employs 150.
British Council Egypt delivers higher than average impact because of the volume of School
Exams and the context in which we administer them. Through a protocol agreement between the
UK Boards and the Egyptian Education Ministry, we have a measure of accountability to the
authorities for maintaining the quality and integrity of the private school system delivering CIE and
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Edexcel syllabuses. Furthermore, we are fully accountable for the quality of the examination
experience which comes with very high expectations from the Boards, the Egyptian Education
Ministry and parents and candidates locally.
IELTS has been growing at or above global averages, although the days of operating without IDP
competition are over and we now need to focus more than ever on the quality of candidate
experience. Research shows that the majority of candidates still come to us through word of
mouth and that the experience- shaped by the people they come in to contact with- is what they
talk about most along with the user-friendliness of the exam itself.
In this context, the quality of our venue staff, their motivation and behaviour is of great
importance. It can make or break the experience of the individual candidate, thereby seriously
influencing the reputation of the British Council, Cambridge and IELTS brands. Similarly, how we
engage with venue staff and manage them also affects the reputation of the Council. Our venue
staff colleagues need to feel that they are part of the team, that work is assigned in a way they
understand and that they are paid fairly and in a timely manner.
This is a new post and a challenging role because it will involve a major change in the way we
work and there will be a period of transition and hand over. It will report to a new Head of Exams
Operations and manage a number of temporary staff at peak times. The post holder will work with
new software systems and will be expected to play a role in reviewing the processes and tools we
use.
Accountabilities, responsibilities and main duties
Venue Personnel Planning

Produce venue staffing plans for IELTS, Schools and PRFX Exams to an appropriate
timeframe

Ensure venue personnel plans are updated against latest exam timetables

Ensure venue personnel plans make adequate provision for examiners, markers, venue
managers, invigilators and support staff

Ensure staffing of vacation periods and remote venues is planned well in advance

Research and advise on pay rates for staff according to local market needs, competitor
activity and regional practice

Venue Personnel Recruitment

Advertise for venue staff on appropriate channels to an appropriate timeframe

Screen candidate applications

Produce a list of approved interviewers for venue staff selection

Arrange interviewers and supervise selection of candidates

Ensure documentation of interviews completed and filed

Inform candidates of the outcome

Contracting and payment system set up

Gather Venue Personnel bank details and other documents and maintain Master Records

Inform Finance Team of pay rate for entry onto Master Payroll Record
Page 3 of 7

Add VPs to Shift Planning system with pay rates as per Payroll Master Record

Induction, briefing and training

Plan induction of new staff and training for all staff who have not taken BC online VS
training or Examiner training

Arrange BC online training package for each examiner and monitor completion

Arrange dummy exam sessions for new invigilation staff

Monitoring examiners base data and recertification schedules and alerting examiners to
upcoming recertification

Work Assignment and test day attendance management

Use Shift Planning software and exam timetable to create session calendars based on
exam timetables provided by Exam Officers

Assign shifts to venue personnel directly or oversee assignment by venue managers and
Exams Officers

Ensure absences are covered

Prepare weekly reports on venue personnel costs and other KPIs for each venue

Venue Personnel Performance Management

Manage a team of up to 20 Venue Managers

Monitor and record VP related incidents and retrain or terminate agreements as

appropriate

Report to CEM and Head of Operations on KPIs set for customer satisfaction relating to
venue staff and efficiency and performance KPIs

Preparation for payroll

Generate monthly claim sheets for individual staff and consolidated payroll data for
Finance

Ensure claim forms are signed off by Venue Managers

Check and countersign venue staff claims

Reconcile forecast venue costs against actuals and provide explanations

Check pay rates for venue personnel on individual claims are as per Payroll Master Record

Key relationships

Head of Operations

Head of HR

School Exams and IELTS Managers

Venue Managers

Finance Staff , particularly Payroll and Financial Planning and Analysis

Exams Officers

Page 4 of 7

Venue Staff

IELTS Examiner Trainers and CESOL Team leaders

UK Boards

Child Protection Focal Point

Other important features or requirements of the job

Frequent travel between Alexandria and Cairo. Regular attendance at weekend exam sessions.
Long hours for two six week periods in May/June and October/November.
Please specify any passport/visa
and/or nationality requirement.

Eligible to work in Egypt

Please indicate if any security or

legal checks are required for this role.

Criminal back ground check

Page 5 of 7

Person Specification
Essential
Behaviours

Desirable

Assessment
Interview

Working together
at the essential level

Establishing a genuinely common goal with

others

Being accountable
at the more demanding level
Putting the needs of the team or British
Council ahead of my own
Connecting with others
at the essential level
Making regular opportunities to
understand others better
Making it happen
at the more demanding level
Challenging myself and others to deliver
and measure better results
Creating Shared Purpose
at the essential level

Required for
role but will
not be
assessed at
interview

Communicating an engaging picture of how

we can work together

Shaping the Future

at the essential level

Looking for ways in which we can do

things better

Skills and
Knowledge

Knowledge of British Council Exam

Products
Shift planning: ability to plan complex
schedules of work and staff plans
Payroll preparation: ability to
systematically prepare payments for
large numbers of vendors or temporary
staff.

Detailed knowledge
of UK Board
regulations relating
to Examiners,
markers and
Invigilators
Project Management

English will be
tested

English level B2
Experience

Application
and Interview

One year experience in working with

temporary staff; assigning work ,
induction, etc..

Recruitment
advertising and
interviewing
Issuing employment

Page 6 of 7

Application
and Interview

Using software systems requiring high

degree of data input precision

contracts or
equivalent
Strong supervisory
role and experience
of holding others
accountable

Submitted by

Tim Hood
Country Exams Manager Egypt

Page 7 of 7

Date

27 June 2013