IHRB Course Manager

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is the leading international think tank on business and human rights. IHRB’s mission is to shape policy, advance practice, and strengthen accountability in order to make respect for human rights part of everyday business.

Overview

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is recruiting a Course Manager to manage and oversee our Academy work, focusing primary on the launch of our new online course on Social Risk and Opportunity in the Built Environment. Subject to funding, the role could be expanded to support the rollout of other hybrid (online & in-person) courses currently in development.

If you have experience in managing corporate education courses, developing relationships with academic institutions, are passionate about rights-based social change, and are fluent in English and Spanish, then this role is for you.

The Course Manager will oversee the end-to-end management of courses, ensuring promotion, high-quality delivery, effective faculty coordination, and strong engagement with institutions for potential endorsement and integration into university curricula. This is a dynamic role for a proactive individual with international experience in online learning, stakeholder engagement, and course administration.

Expected Outcomes:

• Attracting 15-25 students to the first course on Social Risk and Opportunity in the Built Environment, to be delivered in Autumn 2025
• Working with the Course Directors to successfully deliver the (fully online) course in Autumn 2025, obtaining high-quality feedback and testimonials from course participants
• Building strong relationships with relevant universities and institutions, leading to 4–8 guest lectures, and working towards formal endorsement / accreditation / joint delivery of the course
• Start planning for the second version of the course (Autumn 2026) which will include an in-person element (the course will therefore become hybrid) and a parallel course in Spanish
• Subject to funding, other outcomes relating to IHRB’s wider academy could be discussed as part of an expanded role

The Role

• Title: Course Manager
• Reporting to: Head of Built Environment, but working closely with the Course Directors, Head of Operations and Head of Communications
• Start date: As soon as possible - April / May 2025
• Hours: Part-time (2 days per week, with the possibility to increase the number of days as we increase our course delivery)
• Location: Remote/Home-based, between CET and GMT-5. Candidates must have permission to work as a self-employed consultant in the country where they are based.
• Duration: 1 year, with 3-month probationary period. Potential to extend, subject to funding.
• Pay: £40,000 – 45,000, pro-rated (£210 - £230 per day)
• Good to know: The successful candidate will be engaged through a consultancy agreement. They will need to be registered as self-employed and will be responsible for managing their own taxes, insurance, and any other legal or financial obligations.

Key Responsibilities

Working closely with the Course Directors, Head of Built Environment, and the wider IHRB team, the Course Manager will:

Course Development & Management (35%)

• Manage and enhance our online learning experience.
• Liaise with faculty members to coordinate teaching schedules and materials.
• Manage enrolment, including the management of bursaries, fee processing, and participant communication.
• Oversee the setup and upload of course content.
• Organise and maintain course schedules, faculty materials, and participant resources.
• Provide technical support during live virtual sessions.
• Collect, review, and implement course feedback to ensure continuous improvement.

• Build relationships with universities to secure guest lectures and work towards official course endorsement.
• Support the integration of course content into existing academic curricula.
  

Marketing & Sales (25%)

• Develop and execute a marketing and sales strategy to attract participants from business, policy, and civil society sectors.
• Manage marketing and sales campaigns, including direct B2C outreach, social media, the production of promotional materials, and website updates.
• Engage with professional networks, gatekeeper communities, and industry events to promote the course.
  

Administration & Student Support (20%)

• Manage student enquiries and maintain engagement throughout the course.
• Organise virtual and (for year two) in-person learning components.
• Track student progress, coursework submissions, and issue course certifications.
• Maintain accurate records and reporting for internal and external stakeholders.

Skills and Experience

Key skills & experience

• Proven experience in the management of virtual and hybrid learning programmes

• Experience in marketing and selling professional education programmes and driving sales/enrolment, with a track record of year-on-year growth in participant numbers

• Experience in end-to-end course management, building processes and systems that make things easier and coming up with new ideas that improve what already exists

• A strong network of academic institutions and an understanding of how their curricula are developed

• Experience in stakeholder engagement, ideally within education or business

• Demonstrable experience of managing projects, including delivering on time and within budget.

• Ability to communicate information clearly to different audiences in English and Spanish, in writing, orally and visually

• Experience in working with a remote, international team and in unsupervised environments on a regular basis

• Commitment to human rights and social justice

• Flexibility to increase working hours (to 3 days a week) to support additional courses, subject to funding

Bonus skills & experience (not necessary but may be advantageous)

• Establishing academic partnerships, course accreditation or endorsement

• Knowledge of a relevant sector: built environment, construction, real estate or business & human rights

• Marketing, particularly in an education or training setting, including the production of compelling social media content

• Organising in-person learning weekends in international settings

• Securing funding for education programmes

Attitude

• Proactive and self-motivated: Proven ability to be proactive, self-motivating, and a team player
• A problem solver by nature: Stays calm in a storm and brings a level-head to any challenges, proactively finding solutions and steadying the ship
• Commitment to inclusion: Commitment to supporting an inclusive and diverse team, ensuring a supportive working environment for our global team
• Flexible and adaptable: Ability to adjust aspects of the work, timelines, and working style as needed to cater to the realities of a small and nimble organisation
• Diplomatic and tactful: Treating others respectfully and sensitively regardless of personal biases or beliefs, acting as a bridge builder and peacekeeper

Timeline & Process

In your covering email, please state:

1. Your earliest possible start date
2. Where you saw the vacancy advertised.

Deadline for application: 31 March 2025, 9.00am UK time

Interviews: First round interviews will be held between 8-9 April 2025, via Zoom. Short-listed candidates will be notified and invited by email by 1 April 2025.

Expected start date: April / May 2025, or as soon as possible. A job offer will be subject to the receipt of at least two satisfactory references.

As part of our ongoing commitment to an accessible recruitment process, applicants with disabilities are encouraged to contact IHRB to discuss any support or assistance they may have during the application or recruitment process. Please contact Kathy McLeish via email - recruitment@ihrb.org - in the first instance.

IHRB is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. This means we will not discriminate against candidates or employees based on their protected characteristics.

Applications from unsuccessful candidates will be held on file for 6 months after the end of the recruitment process.