National Skills Manager

Location:  The role is home office based with occasional travel to our regional offices in Reading, Sheffield, or Gateshead.

Salary: Circa £50,000 per annum

This is a full-time role permanent role. (37 hours per week)

At EDT we pride ourselves on creating an environment that supports a healthy work life balance for all our staff. We provide policies that encourage flexible working around individual needs. We offer a range of benefits including a generous holiday allowance, pension scheme and additional voluntary money saving benefits* that can be seen below.

Benefits include:

• 30 days holiday plus bank holidays (pro rota)
• 6% matched pension scheme
• Discounted gym memberships*
• Health care cash plan*
• Retail discounts*
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Wellbeing App.

About us: Education Development Trust is an education charity that exists to transform lives by improving education around the world. We work collaboratively with national and local governments, schools and other partners to design and deliver sustainable solutions to improve education.

Do you have practical and up-to-date experience of managing the delivery of AEB funded courses and Apprenticeships? As part of our new three-year plan, we have ambitious aims to further develop our skills offer across the education, careers and employability sectors and this role will be a key component in achieving those objectives. Building on our current footprint, this new role will lead on the development of the vocational training, accreditation and apprenticeship offer by Education Development Trust (EDT) to support the delivery of our skills growth strategy.

As a senior manager you will be expected to contribute to the vision and direction of the directorate, using your expertise to recommend an approach to vocational training, accreditation and apprenticeships to help drive the growth plan for skills and employability. Providing solutions to emerging issues or challenges and engaging with all teams to ensure our approach is well coordinated and consistent.

Person Specification:

Knowledge

Essential:

•  Educated to minimum Level 6 (or equivalent) in a relevant area or ability to demonstrate significant relevant experience.
•  Practical and up to date knowledge of the UK skills funding landscape and curriculum development including Apprenticeships and Adult Education Budget.

Experience

Essential:

• Development of learning delivery models and learning resources to achieve target outcomes.
• Practical and up to date experience in managing delivery of AEB funded courses, including the funding rules and processes.
• Practical and up to date experience in managing delivery of Apprenticeships, including the funding rules and processes.
• Active use of education platforms and learner management systems
• Skills delivery on behalf of a skills provider, balancing learning outcomes, governance and commerciality
• Commercial experience of managing government funded skills delivery contract, budgets and business acumen to monitor financial performance and achieve efficiencies.
• Experience working as part of a management team.
• Experience of people management processes, including performance management and competency assessment.

Skills

Essential:

• Creative ability to develop interactive learning programmes.
• Curriculum analytical and problem-solving skills
• Curious – a desire to learn, improve and apply new knowledge and develop self and others.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent relationship building skills, with both internal and external organisations.
• Ability to work successfully in a fast-paced environment and be able to multitask to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• A natural collaborator able to work a part of a team, but also to work independently on their own initiative.
• Ability to meet deadlines and achieve targets and implement contingency plans where necessary.
• Excellent IT skills, including all Microsoft Office software.
• Display an open mind and positive attitude to work and colleagues.

Closing date: Midnight Sunday 21 January

Interviews will take place virtually over Microsoft Teams on 30 & 31 January

Please note, we will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and reserve the right to close our vacancies early.

Application process:  Once you click apply you will be required to complete a short online application form and upload your CV.

Education Development Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults whom we work with and come into contact with around the world. All applicants are subject to thorough screening and for applicable roles, successful candidates are subject to relevant criminal record checks with national police authorities or the UK’s Disclosure and Barring Service.

At Education Development Trust, we strive to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, can be themselves and knows they can reach their full potential.  We embrace and celebrate our differences through various initiatives and support colleagues through a number of staff networks. We’re committed to building a strong, diverse workforce and making Education Development Trust an inclusive place to work.  If you have specific requirements or adjustments, please let us know if there is anything we can do to support your application.  We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident employer scheme.