Careers and Pathways Leader

John Cabot Academy; West of England; On-site; GBP 13,000 - 14,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS pension

Generous annual leave

Wellbeing support

Health benefits

Cycle to work

On-site parking

Job summary

John Cabot Academy seeks a Careers and Pathways Leader to drive CEIAG provision and ensure every student is supported to achieve positive destinations. You will lead activities aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks and national careers guidance to raise aspirations and employability skills.

You will also build strong partnerships with employers, further and higher education providers, families and colleagues, while tracking destinations, data and work experience outcomes.

Qualifications

• Hold a Level 6 qualification in Careers Guidance or work towards it.
• Demonstrate passion for improving life chances and aspirations.
• Experience delivering high-quality IAG or a strong commitment to it.
• Confident providing impartial careers guidance for students.
• Excellent communication, listening, and questioning skills.
• Comfortable delivering workshops and group sessions.
• Experience building partnerships with employers and education providers.
• Highly organized with ability to manage workload and priorities.
• Confident using ICT/data systems to monitor outcomes.
• Able to analyze information and support progression decisions.
• Experience maintaining accurate records and adhering to standards.
• Resilient, adaptable, and able to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Committed to embedding employability and career learning across curriculum.

Responsibilities

• Lead CEIAG provision across the academy to raise aspirations.
• Develop a high-quality careers programme aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks.
• Build partnerships with employers, FE/HE providers and external partners.
• Coordinate destination tracking, careers data, and work experience.
• Evaluate impact of careers provision to improve student outcomes.

Skills

CEIAG delivery

Impartial guidance

Communication

Public speaking

Education

Level 6 qualification in Careers Guidance

Commitment to working towards Level 6

Tools

Data management systems

Destination tracking software

Job description

Job Title:Careers and Pathways Leader

Actual Annual Salary:£12,856 – £14,218 (Based on hours and week worked)

Full Time Equivalent Salary:£37,035 - £40,958 (CLF Grade E) Based on full time hours, all year round.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours:15 hours per week - Part Time, Term Time Only plus Inset days

Additional Information: This is a part-time role working 2 days per week (7.5 hours per day). We can offer flexibility on the working days, which will be agreed with the successful candidate to support both academy and individual needs.

Potential Start Date: 02 November 2026

An opportunity to inspire and empower young people to make informed, ambitious, and successful choices about their future education, training, and employment pathways.

As Careers & Pathways Leader, you will lead the academy's careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) provision, ensuring every student is supported to achieve positive and aspirational destinations. Working in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks and national careers guidance, you will develop a high-quality careers programme that raises aspirations, enhances employability skills, and helps students navigate their next steps with confidence.

You will build strong partnerships with employers, further and higher education providers, training organisations, families, and colleagues across the academy to create meaningful opportunities for students. Through one-to-one guidance, group workshops, assemblies, careers events, and work experience programmes, you will play a pivotal role in preparing young people for future success.

You will also take responsibility for destination tracking, careers data management, work experience coordination, and evaluating the impact of the academy's careers provision. Your work will contribute directly to improving student outcomes, broadening horizons, and ensuring all learners, particularly those facing disadvantage, are able to access high-quality opportunities and support.

About you:

You will:

• Hold a Level 6 qualification in Careers Guidance or demonstrate a commitment to working towards this qualification.
• Be passionate about improving the life chances of young people and raising aspirations for all students.
• Have experience delivering high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (IAG), or demonstrate a strong commitment to developing expertise in this area.
• Be confident providing impartial careers guidance that enables students to make informed, realistic, and ambitious decisions about their future pathways.
• Have excellent communication, listening, and questioning skills, with the ability to engage effectively with students, parents/carers, staff, employers, and external partners.
• Be comfortable delivering workshops, presentations, assemblies, and group sessions to a range of audiences.
• Have experience of building productive partnerships with employers, education providers, and community organisations to enhance opportunities for students.
• Be highly organised and able to manage a varied workload, appointments, events, and competing priorities effectively.
• Be confident using ICT and data systems to monitor destination outcomes, track student progress, and evaluate the impact of careers provision.
• Be able to analyse information and use professional judgement to support students in identifying appropriate progression routes.
• Have experience of maintaining accurate records and working in line with professional standards, policies, and procedures.
• Be resilient, adaptable, and able to remain calm when working in a fast-paced and sometimes emotionally demanding environment.
• Be committed to embedding employability and career learning across the curriculum, working collaboratively with teaching and pastoral teams.

Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification before submitting an application.

About John Cabot Academy:

John Cabot Academy is an 11-16 academy in South Gloucestershire, close to the border of Bristol. We share our site and staffing with the CLF Post-16 provision, forming an 11-18 academy, which has earned a strong reputation both locally and regionally.

We want our students to thrive academically; flourish and grow as young people. When they leave us they will have a strong sense of self, their place in the world and the agency to fulfil their potential. To fulfill this ambition, our staff are inspired by learning and create a school where students are engaged, challenged and inspired.

We have a supportive and compassionate culture in which the whole person is nurtured and the voice of students is valued. We celebrate the diversity of the members our community by enabling them to learn from each other, by encouraging them to respect each other’s differences, and by providing opportunities to contribute to academy life and the wider community.

Why work at CLF?

We are a diverse and inclusive community of 37 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters. Over 59% of the students who attend John Cabot Academy are from global majority groups, so we particularly encourage applicants from those groups in order to represent the students we serve, as well as wider underrepresented groups including gender, transgender, age disability, sexual orientation or religion.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

What we can offer you:

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Generous annual leave.
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!

Recruitment timeline:

• Closing Date:28 September 2026@11.59pm
• Shortlisting date: 29 September 2026
• Interviews:06 October 2026

We welcome visits from potential candidates. If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact the academy/site directly to arrange a suitable appointment.

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.

Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.