Further Education and Skills Officer

University of the Highlands and Islands; Inverness; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

42 days leave per annum

Pension scheme

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is recruiting a Further Education and Skills Officer to support regional FE provision and skills strategy across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire. The role reports to the Director of Tertiary Student Recruitment and collaborates with curriculum planning, finance and academic colleagues across the UHI partnership.

This is a permanent, full-time post based at UHI House, Inverness, or an agreed location within the UHI operating area.

Qualifications

• Experience in a further education environment.
• Ability to analyse funding and performance information.
• Ability to translate strategic priorities into coordinated actions.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and collaborative working skills.

Responsibilities

• Support fulfilment of UHI's responsibilities as the Regional Strategic Body for FE provision.
• Work across curriculum planning, finance and academic colleagues across the UHI partnership.
• Translate strategic priorities into coordinated, effective activity across the partnership.
• Build relationships with internal teams and external partners.
• Report detailed data on funding and performance and communicate clearly to different audiences.

Job description

UHI is the United Kingdom’s leading integrated university encompassing both further and higher education. We are more than a college and more than a traditional university: a diverse, flexible partnership, rooted in our communities and driven by their needs. Our network of colleges, specialist teaching centres and internationally recognised research institutes delivers supported, flexible learning from access level to PhD.

To support our work we are recruiting to the following role:

Further Education and Skills Officer

Salary range

Salary range £36,215 to £38,421 per annum

Duration

Duration Permanent

Working hours

Working hours Full time, 35 hours per week

Location

Location UHI House, Inverness, or an agreed location within the UHI operating area

Closing Date

Closing Date Sunday 4th October 2026

Further Education and Skills Officer

Reporting to the Director of Tertiary Student Recruitment, and working closely with key curriculum planning, finance and academic colleagues across the UHI partnership, this is a pivotal operational role to support the fulfilment of UHI’s responsibilities as the Regional Strategic Body (RSB) for further education provision, and the continued development of collective further education and skills activity across UHI’s distinctive tertiary partnership.

The role sits at the intersection of further education, regional skills planning and tertiary curriculum development, providing the successful candidate with an opportunity to work across a varied portfolio and contribute to activity with significance for communities, learners and employers across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire. It will particularly suit someone who understands the value of further education within a regional context and is motivated by the opportunity to help translate strategic priorities into coordinated, effective activity across a complex partnership.

The successful candidate will be comfortable building relationships and working collaboratively with a wide range of people, both within UHI and with external partners. Success in the role will depend not only on strong organisation and communication, but on an ability to understand different perspectives while maintaining a clear focus on shared regional priorities. For someone who enjoys making connections, developing a detailed understanding of complex issues and helping turn discussion into practical progress, the role offers considerable variety and scope.

You should be comfortable working with and reporting detailed data, funding and performance information, but equally able to see the wider picture and communicate complex information clearly to different audiences. The role will suit someone who can manage competing priorities, organise their own workload and take ownership of work, while recognising when collaboration and consultation are important.

Previous experience in a further education environment will provide an important foundation, but we are also interested in someone who wants to develop their knowledge, contribute ideas and find practical solutions in a changing tertiary education and skills landscape.

A detailed job description and person specification for the post are attached.

Pay and Benefits

This role is linked to grade 6 on the UHI payscale.

The starting salary for this position will normally be in the range £36,215 to £38,421 per annum.

This post is fulltime and will involve working 35 hours per week on a working pattern as agreed with your line manager.

The workplace pension scheme we provide to workers at grade six and above is the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This is a qualifying pension scheme, which means it meets or exceeds the government’s standards. Full information on the scheme can be found at http://www.uss.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx

Full-time posts carry a total of 42 days leave per annum. It is practice that, with the exception of a Christmas and New Year closure, leave may be taken at any time of year, subject to the requirements of the post and department and with the permission of your line manager.

At UHI, we offer a supportive, flexible and rewarding place to work, with a range of benefits including:

• 42 days’ annual leave (pro rata)
• Attractive pension scheme and options for additional contributions
• Flexible working and family-friendly policies
• Occupational sick pay and an Employee Assistance Programme (incl. spousal support)
• High-street and online retail discounts
• 10% off Highlife Highland memberships
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Contribution towards DSE prescription glasses
• Free parking and EV charging (where available)
• LinkedIn Learning access for ongoing professional development
• Long-service awards and active social events