Director of Student Engagement and Well-being

The Opportunity:
We are seeking an exceptional senior leader to take on the role of Director of Student Engagement and Well-being within a large, ambitious and evolving further education organisation.

This is a high-profile strategic leadership role with responsibility for shaping and delivering an outstanding student experience across the organisation. The postholder will lead the student journey from induction through to progression and destination, ensuring that students are safe, supported, engaged and equipped to succeed in further study and the workplace.

The role offers the opportunity to lead a broad portfolio of student-facing services and to drive meaningful improvement across engagement, attendance, well-being, inclusion, progression and student outcomes.

The Role
As Director of Student Engagement and Well-being, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across the student experience.
You will be responsible for developing and implementing a whole-organisation approach to the student journey, ensuring that all students receive high-quality support and have access to the opportunities they need to succeed.

Your portfolio will include responsibility for:
Student Services and Well-being
Additional Learning Support
Safeguarding and Prevent
Student Engagement and Student Voice
Attendance and Student Progress
Tutorial and Personal Development Programmes
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
Work Experience and Employer Engagement
Student Discipline and Behaviour
Progression and Student Destinations

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Develop and lead the organisation's strategy for the whole student journey, from induction through to progression and destination.
Ensure the delivery of an outstanding and inclusive student experience across all student groups, including young people, adults and apprentices.
Work as a key member of the senior leadership team to deliver organisational strategic plans and quality improvement priorities.
Develop innovative, effective and sustainable models of student support and engagement.
Use performance information and student data to identify areas for improvement and drive measurable progress.
Produce regular performance reports and contribute to organisational quality and governance processes.
Develop effective business plans for areas of responsibility, ensuring services are appropriately costed and resourced.
Student Experience and Engagement
Lead initiatives to improve student attendance, engagement, progress and retention.
Develop impactful tutorial programmes that support student success, personal development and well-being.
Ensure effective systems are in place to monitor student attendance, progress and engagement.
Oversee student voice activity and ensure that feedback is used effectively to enhance the student experience.
Lead activity to improve student progression and destination outcomes.
Ensure students are effectively inducted and supported throughout their time with the organisation.
Promote and maximise opportunities for students to progress into further education, higher education and employment.
Student Support and Well-being
Lead and develop high-quality Student Services and well-being provision.
Ensure effective access to Additional Learning Support and that provision meets relevant funding and regulatory requirements.
Develop services that respond to the diverse needs of the student population.
Champion equality, diversity and inclusion and proactively address barriers to student engagement and success.
Ensure student support services contribute to sustained improvements in attendance, experience, progression and outcomes.
Safeguarding and Prevent
Act as the senior lead for safeguarding and Prevent.
Ensure the organisation meets all relevant safeguarding and Prevent responsibilities.
Embed robust safeguarding practices across the organisation.
Ensure effective safeguarding policies, procedures, training and reporting arrangements are in place.
Promote a culture in which the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk are central to the student experience.
Careers, Employability and Employer Engagement
Lead the organisation's careers strategy and careers provision.
Lead on relevant careers quality standards and accreditation.
Develop strong relationships with employers, professional bodies and external partners.
Create meaningful work experience and employer engagement opportunities for students.
Ensure careers and employability activity prepares students effectively for progression into employment and further study.
Work with employers and stakeholders to enhance the relevance and quality of the student experience.
External Partnerships
Build effective relationships with local authorities, employers, professional bodies and other external agencies.
Represent the organisation in relevant external forums and partnerships.
Work collaboratively with partners across the wider education group to maximise opportunities and progression routes for students.
Ensure the organisation is proactive in responding to local and national agendas that impact students.
Leadership and People Management
Provide strong leadership, direction and support to teams across the portfolio.
Lead, motivate and develop staff through periods of change and improvement.
Create a high-performing and solutions-focused culture.
Develop talent and succession plans to ensure the continued strength and capability of the team.
Ensure effective performance management arrangements are in place.
Set clear and stretching objectives and hold managers and teams accountable for delivery.
Ensure effective communication across teams and sites.
Financial and Resource Management
Manage delegated budgets effectively and ensure resources are deployed efficiently.
Ensure services operate within agreed financial allocations.
Manage staffing and other resources to achieve agreed utilisation and performance targets.
Develop cost-effective and innovative approaches to service delivery, including the effective use of technology.
Quality, Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Lead quality improvement activity across areas of responsibility.
Ensure services are prepared for external inspection and meet relevant regulatory and awarding body requirements.
Maintain high standards of data, reporting, record keeping and procedural compliance.
Ensure effective policies and processes are in place across the portfolio.
Identify opportunities for improvement and lead the implementation of effective solutions.

Person Specification
Essential Experience and Knowledge:
We are looking for a senior leader who can demonstrate:
Significant successful management and leadership experience within an educational setting or relevant comparable environment.
Experience of leading and improving student-facing, learner support or related services.
A strong understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and its impact on student engagement and outcomes.
Experience of business planning and the effective deployment of staff and resources.
Experience of budget management and delivery against agreed business plans.
Knowledge and understanding of funding streams and methodologies.
Experience of implementing quality improvement processes that have resulted in measurable improvements in student success.
Experience of working with external organisations and stakeholders.
Experience of using performance data and management information to identify issues and drive improvement.
A strong understanding of the safeguarding agenda and the responsibilities associated with senior leadership.
Experience of leading teams through change and delivering new initiatives.
Qualifications

Essential:
A degree or equivalent professional qualification.
A recognised teaching qualification.
Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development.

Desirable:
A relevant management or leadership qualification.
Skills and Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:
Excellent leadership and people management skills.
The ability to motivate, develop and inspire teams.
Strong strategic and operational thinking.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Highly effective presentation and stakeholder engagement skills.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability.
The ability to interpret and use management information and performance data.
Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
The ability to plan, monitor and evaluate activity against challenging deadlines.
Strong external relationship-building skills.
The ability to develop creative and innovative solutions.
Confidence operating at senior leadership level.
Personal Qualities

We are looking for someone who is:
An inclusive and values-led leader.
Passionate about improving the student experience and outcomes.
Resilient and able to perform effectively in challenging and complex situations.
Comfortable working autonomously and taking ownership of significant areas of responsibility.
Collaborative and able to build strong relationships across a complex organisation.
Innovative, proactive and solutions-focused.
Committed to continuous improvement.
Able to lead with fairness, respect and integrity.
Willing to continue developing their own skills and professional knowledge.

Why This Role?
This is an opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives and outcomes of a diverse student population.

The successful candidate will lead a broad and strategically important portfolio, with the scope to shape how student services, well-being, engagement, inclusion, careers and progression are delivered across the organisation.

It is a role for a senior leader who is equally comfortable setting strategy and driving operational delivery — someone who can bring people together, lead improvement and create an environment in which every student has the opportunity to succeed.