E+ Appeals & Complaints Manager
British Council · London · £32,381 (stated in the posting)
We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For over 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.
We work with people in over 150 countries and reach over 700 million people.
We connect. We inspire.
The Department for Education has announced that the British Council is set to take on the role of National Agency for Erasmus+.
In December the UK and EU arrived at a political agreement that the UK would rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027. That agreement has now been legally formalised under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The British Council has a longstanding commitment to supporting international exchange. It was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency from 2014-20, where Erasmus+ made a significant contribution to the UK's cultural relations activities, funding 8,091 projects, engaging 583,757 UK participants, and awarding around €1.1 billion to UK organisations.
Pay Band: Grade 7 / Pay Band F
Salary: £32,381 gross per annum
Contract Duration: 2 Year Fixed Term Contract with possibility of extension
Location: Stratford, London, UK (Hybrid)
Right to Work Requirements: Current right to work in the UK. The British Council is not able to support or sponsor work visa applications.
Closing Date: Applications will close on 9th November 2026 at 23:59 UK Time
We are operating on the basis that any offer is made pending client confirmation of funds.
Role Purpose:
The Erasmus+ Appeals and Complaints Manager sits within the Erasmus+ Customer Experience Team and leads the day-to-day delivery of the Erasmus+ UK National Agency Appeals and Complaints function. The role ensures appeals and complaints are managed fairly, consistently, transparently and in accordance with published procedures and service standards. You will oversee the investigation and resolution of appeals and complaints, provide leadership and quality assurance across the function, and act as the escalation point for complex, sensitive or high-risk cases.
Working closely with Operational Delivery, Grants, Compliance and other National Agency teams, you will ensure that decisions are evidence-based, proportionate and aligned with programme requirements. You will use insights from appeals and complaints activity to identify trends, manage risk, drive continuous improvement and strengthen trust and confidence in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency.
Main Responsibilities:
- Overseeing the management of appeals and complaints, ensuring cases are acknowledged, investigated and resolved in accordance with published procedures and service standards.
- Managing appeals and complaints caseloads, allocating workloads effectively and monitoring performance to ensure timely resolution.
- Providing oversight and direction on investigations, ensuring evidence is appropriately gathered, reviewed and assessed, and outcomes are fair, consistent and evidence-based.
- Acting as the escalation point for complex, sensitive or high-risk cases, reviewing and approving investigation findings, recommendations and outcomes where required.
- Ensuring clear, timely and professional communication with appellants and complainants throughout the case lifecycle.
- Maintaining accurate, complete and auditable case records, ensuring compliance with data protection, information governance and reporting requirements.
- Overseeing quality assurance processes, ensuring consistent application of appeals and complaints procedures and compliance with programme policies and service standards.
- Analysing appeals and complaints data, identifying trends and recurring issues, and leading recommendations for service and process improvements.
- Working collaboratively with Customer Experience, Operational Delivery, Grants, Compliance and other National Agency teams to support effective investigations and case resolution.
- Providing line management, coaching and development to Appeals and Complaints Officers, setting objectives, monitoring performance and promoting consistent case handling.
- Producing management information and performance reports to support operational decision-making, risk management and continuous improvement.
- Upholding fairness, transparency, confidentiality and impartiality in all appeals and complaints activities to maintain trust and confidence in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency.
Role Specific Knowledge & Experience:
Essential
- Experience managing appeals, complaints, investigations, formal casework or other structured review and resolution processes.
- Experience overseeing complex, sensitive or high-risk cases and ensuring outcomes are fair, evidence-based and consistent.
- Experience supervising, managing or developing staff, including allocating workloads, setting objectives and providing coaching and support.
- Experience interpreting and applying policies, procedures, guidance and decision-making frameworks to support robust and defensible outcomes.
- Experience implementing or overseeing quality assurance activities to ensure consistency, accuracy and compliance in case handling.
- Experience analysing casework, complaints or customer insight data to identify trends, root causes and opportunities for service improvement.
- Experience producing management information, performance reports or operational insight to support decision-making and service management.
- Experience identifying, managing and escalating operational, procedural or reputational risks.
- Experience working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders to support investigations, resolve issues and deliver effective outcomes.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and ensure compliance with data protection, information governance and information security requirements.
- Competent in the use of common office software (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams) and able to learn and use case management and other business systems effectively.
Desirable
- Experience handling appeals, complaints or formal casework within a public sector, regulatory or other high-scrutiny environment.
- Experience within grant administration, funding programmes or large-scale public service delivery.
- Experience working in an education, public sector or regulated environment.
- Experience using case management, customer relationship management (CRM) or similar systems.
- Experience leading service improvement initiatives arising from complaints, appeals or customer insight.
- Experience working with auditors, regulators or other external assurance bodies.
- Understanding of administrative review, complaints handling or dispute resolution processes.
Specific Requirements
- Degree or equivalent work experience.
- Customer Service, Customer Experience, Complaints Handling, Dispute Resolution or equivalent professional qualification.
British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.
#LI-Hybrid
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 we 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 and 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 askhr@britishcouncil.org