Equine Centre Manager

Bedford College Group; Biggleswade; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Right to Work in the UK required

Job summary

The Bedford College Group is seeking an Equine Centre Manager for Shuttleworth College to lead the Equine Centre’s day-to-day operations, ensuring high-quality educational delivery with horses, resources and staff.

You will oversee health, welfare and compliance, support practical student activities, manage budgets, and drive continuous improvement in partnership with curriculum teams.

Qualifications

• Level 4/5 qualification in Horse Management (or equivalent).
• BHS Level 4 Senior Yard Manager qualification and GCSE English/Maths.
• Strong commitment to continuous professional development within the equine sector.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operation of the Equine Centre, ensuring it operates as a high-quality educational facility with horses, resources, staffing, and facilities.
• Maintain horse health, welfare, exercise, and management, liaising with veterinary professionals and ensuring licensing compliance.
• Prepare horses and resources, supervise practical activities, and ensure safe and effective learning experiences.
• Promote health and safety, biosecurity, environmental responsibility, and legislative compliance, while managing budgets, procurement and records.
• Lead and develop Equine Centre staff, engage with industry partners, support student recruitment and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Equine management

Leadership

Health & safety

Communication

Student support

Education

Level 4/5 Horse Management

BHS Level 4 Senior Yard Manager

GCSE English & Maths

Tools

RAMS (risk assessments)

Record-keeping systems

Job description

Role:

Equine Centre Manager

Location:

Shuttleworth College

Salary/Benefits:

Salary is between £41,086 and £47,971 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People's pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks:

37 hours per week - 52 weeks per year - working Sundays with either Friday or Saturday off TBC

Contract Type:

Permanent - Full Time

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we're unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Equine Centre Manager to join our Animal Science department at The Bedford College Group.

• Equine Centre Management & Resource Leadership - Lead the day-to-day operation of the Equine Centre, ensuring it operates as a high-quality educational facility with appropriate horses, resources, staffing, and facilities that support curriculum delivery and industry best practice.
• Horse Welfare, Health & Operational Standards - Maintain exceptional standards of horse health, welfare, exercise, and management, liaising with veterinary professionals, implementing healthcare plans, overseeing riding and schooling programmes, and ensuring compliance with licensing and welfare requirements.
• Student Learning & Practical Activity Support - Work closely with curriculum teams to prepare horses and resources, supervise students during practical activities, demonstrate industry-standard practices, and ensure safe and effective learning experiences that support student achievement.
• Health, Safety, Compliance & Financial Management - Promote a strong culture of health and safety, biosecurity, environmental responsibility, and legislative compliance, while managing budgets, procurement, inspections, records, equipment, and operational performance.
• Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement & Continuous Improvement - Lead, motivate, and develop Equine Centre staff, build positive relationships with industry partners and stakeholders, support student recruitment and college events, and drive continuous improvement through professional development and industry engagement.

About you:

• Qualifications & Professional Credentials - Level 4/5 qualification in Horse Management (or equivalent), British Horse Society Level 4 Senior Yard Manager qualification, GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent), and a strong commitment to continuous professional development within the equine sector.
• Equine Industry Knowledge & Management Experience - Significant current industry experience with strong knowledge of equine welfare, yard management, health and safety, risk assessments (RAMS), current industry developments, and experience managing resources and budgets to maintain high-quality educational and welfare standards.
• Practical Equine Skills & Operational Expertise - Ability to ride, school, hack, and lunge a range of horses, demonstrate high-level practical equine husbandry skills, maintain excellent standards of horse care, and manage record-keeping and inspection requirements effectively.
• Leadership, Communication & Student Support - Strong organisational, planning, and communication skills, with the ability to act as a key point of contact, support students and staff, create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and build positive relationships with learners, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
• Professionalism, Safeguarding & Personal Attributes - Student-focused, resilient, adaptable, reliable, and committed to safeguarding, equality, diversity, and professional standards, with the ability to work independently, contribute positively to team objectives, and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Flexibility & Continuous Development - Willingness to update skills and knowledge continuously, work flexible hours including weekends, hold a current driving licence with access to a vehicle, and undertake First Aid responsibilities as required.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held:

18 August 2026

Alignment to VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students

The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

Ex-Offenders Policy

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.