Head of Education, Employment & Skills job at Sheffield Full Time NEW

Email: [email protected] to request application pack

Closing date: 12/06/2026

Head of Education, Employment & Skills is a senior leadership role within the Community Programme, responsible for the strategic leadership, growth, and operational delivery of all education, employment and skills activity.

The postholder will lead a multi-strand department, directly managing a team of strand coordinators and senior staff, ensuring:

• High-quality, impactful programmes across all areas
• Sustainable income growth aligned to organisational strategy
• Strong staff performance, culture and accountability
• Full compliance with education, funding and safeguarding requirements

This role is management-first, requiring a highly capable leader who can oversee a large and diverse team while driving strategic development and innovation across education and employability provision.

Key Responsibilities

1. Leadership & People Management (Core Priority)

• Provide clear leadership, direction and accountability across all education and employability strands
• Directly manage strand leads/coordinators, ensuring:
• Regular supervision, appraisals and performance reviews
• Clear KPIs aligned to departmental and organisational targets
• Strong staff development pathways and succession planning
• Build a high-performance culture, driving standards, professionalism and collaboration
• Ensure effective workforce planning, including use of permanent and casual staff

2. Strategic Development & Growth

• Lead the strategic development of education, employability and skills provision
• Identify and deliver new income streams, partnerships and programmes aligned to growth objectives
• Develop and implement annual departmental plans, aligned to organisational strategy
• Drive innovation across:
• Alternative provision
• Post-16 and higher education pathways
• Employability and adult provision
• Utilise market insight and local need to position the organisation for sustainable future growth

3. Programme Quality & Curriculum Oversight

• Ensure all programmes meet high standards of delivery, outcomes and participant experience
• Oversee:
• Curriculum design and alignment to qualifications and frameworks
• Quality assurance processes and observations
• Learner progress, retention and outcomes
• Implement continuous improvement processes across all strands
• Work with Curriculum/CPD leads (where appropriate) to develop staff capability

4. Financial Management & Performance

• Hold accountability for departmental financial performance, including:
• Delivery against income targets
• Budget management and cost control
• Forecasting and reporting
• Work with senior leadership and finance teams to monitor performance and mitigate risks
• Ensure contracts and programmes are financially sustainable

5. Partnerships & External Engagement

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with:
• Schools and multi-academy trusts
• Colleges and universities
• Employers and training providers
• Local authorities and commissioners
• Represent the organisation professionally across all external networks
• Ensure provision reflects local priorities in education, skills and employment

6. Recruitment & Programme Development

• Oversee student/participant recruitment across all programmes
• Develop innovative approaches to:
• Learner engagement
• Progression pathways into education, employment or training
• Support marketing and promotion of programmes in collaboration with comms teams

7. Compliance, Safeguarding & Governance

• Act as Safeguarding Lead for the Education department, ensuring:
• Safeguarding is embedded across all programmes
• Staff are trained and compliant
• Ensure compliance with:
• Awarding bodies
• Ofsted/education frameworks (where applicable)
• Funding and contractual requirements
• Maintain and review policies, procedures and operational standards

8. Reporting & Performance Monitoring

• Produce regular reports on:
• Programme performance
• Financial position
• Outcomes and impact
• Use data to drive decision-making, improvement and strategic planning

9. General Responsibilities

• Contribute to wider organisational leadership and planning
• Attend management meetings and represent the department at senior level
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all delivery
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role

Pay: £40,613.00-£43,927.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 12/06/2026