Head of Careers, Employability & Progression

About the role

Head of Careers, Employability & Progression Salary: £70,000 - £80,000 per annum Location: Our head office is in Reading however we are very keen to hear from candidates from the North East of England. We support hybrid working. Are you a strategic leader with a passion for careers, employability and skills? Do you have the vision to grow services, build strong client partnerships and lead high-performing teams that deliver real impact?

About the role

Education

Development Trust is seeking an ambitious Head of Careers, Employability & Progression to lead and grow our UK portfolio of careers, employability and progression programmes. Reporting to the Programmes Director, you will play a key role in shaping our future offer, driving growth opportunities and ensuring excellent delivery across a range of government-funded contracts.

You'll work with senior stakeholders, clients and partners to deliver high-quality services that help people develop skills, progress into employment and achieve their potential. Who are we looking for Leadership experience within careers, employability, skills, education or workforce development Experience managing large-scale government-funded contracts and programmes Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills Commercial awareness and a strong track record in supporting business development activity A track record of delivering results through teams Strategic thinking combined with operational excellence A full list of job objectives can be found in the job description.

What we can offer you Salary range of £70,000 - £80,000 per annum based on working 35 hours per week.

Benefits

30 days holiday plus bank holidays 2 days of paid volunteering per year 6% Matched Pension Scheme Life Assurance Discounted gym memberships Health care cash plan Recruitment Process To be considered for this vacancy, applicants are required to complete and submit a fully completed application including CV through our website no later than Midnight, Sunday 25th October.

Please note, we reserve the right to close our vacancies early if sufficient applications are received. The Interview process will take place throughout November. No agencies. EDT 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 successful candidates are subject to the relevant level of criminal record checks with national police authorities or the UK’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This will be at minimum a basic DBS check. EDT is a proud Disability Confident Leader. We take practical steps to ensure that disability inclusion is not only part of our values but part of our everyday actions.

We are committed to creating a working environment where disabled employees are supported, valued, and empowered to thrive in their role. If you are disabled or require specific adjustments during the application process, please do let us know how we can support you. We understand that artificial intelligence (AI) tools (such as ChatGPT) can be helpful when applying for jobs – especially for those who require additional support during the recruitment process.

However, while you may decide to use AI tools for ideas or pointers, we request that you do not rely heavily on them when answering questions. We are looking for responses that are personal to you, including details and examples of your abilities and work experience to date, and we consider copying and pasting AI-generated responses to be a misuse of AI tools.

Likewise, we do not use AI-driven recruitment screening software, because we value authenticity and prefer to make personal connections with our candidates. If you have used AI to support your application – including in emails and responses to questions – please disclose this on your application form. If you would like clarification on how AI can be used in your application to EDT, please contact the Recruitment team via the EDT website.

IND1 About the organisation At edt, we exist to increase the life chances of individuals by improving education and skills outcomes. As a not-for-profit organisation, we improve education systems at scale, deliver expert careers and employability services, and conduct world-class research to inform practice and impact outcomes.

We apply this expertise to support learners from their first steps through to the world of work. Find out more on the edt website Please Click here to see our Annual Impact Review for 2024/2025 which highlights the ways in which our work has impacted lives around the world – and the progress we have made since 2023/2024.