Head of Programmes

Agent Academy; Liverpool, Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,500 - 49,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4‑day working week

High‑spec equipment

Festive period close

Job summary

Agent Academy is seeking an experienced Head of Programmes to lead the operational delivery of its programmes for young people. You will drive high standards, build robust processes and ensure delivery excellence across teams and partners.

You’ll manage people, foster collaboration, and apply data to improve social impact. Strong stakeholder relationships and commercial awareness will be essential to grow partnerships and revenue while maintaining integrity and equity.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in education, employability or youth development.
• Proven ability to lead complex programmes from design to delivery.
• Strong governance, quality assurance and evaluation track record.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational delivery of Agent Academy and report to the Board on progress.
• Inspire and develop a high‑performing team with accountability and continuous improvement.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operations, budgets, and delivery plans for multiple programmes.
• Champion quality, safeguarding, evaluation and impact reporting to partners.
• Build strategic partnerships with employers, funders and academic partners.
• Drive growth through effective partnerships and market understanding.

Skills

Leadership

Programme delivery

Stakeholder management

Quality assurance

Budgeting

People management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced, values‑led and highly proactive Head of Programmes to lead the operational delivery of Agent Academy.

This is a leadership role for someone who thrives on creating structure, driving high standards and ensuring programmes are delivered with excellence. You’ll be equally comfortable with developing robust processes, managing quality and compliance and solving operational challenges as you are with building trusted relationships with team and partners.

You’ll be an experienced people manager with the ability to inspire, support and empower others to achieve their potential while maintaining a culture of challenge, collaboration and continuous improvement. A strong set of personal values is essential – we’re proudly people‑first, and our values underpin everything we do.

You’ll understand that great operational delivery depends on both rigorous systems and strong partnerships. Whether you’re working with learners, employers, funders or colleagues, you’ll build confidence through professionalism, responsiveness and integrity.

Commercial awareness is important. You’ll identify opportunities to strengthen existing partnerships and help shape our work to meet the needs of employers and funders.

Above all, we’re looking for someone with ambition, sound judgement and the ability to turn strategy into action, someone who can lead with both head and heart while ensuring Agent Academy continues to deliver life‑changing opportunities for young people.

What you’ll be doing in this role

Leadership & operational excellence

Operational leadership – lead the operational delivery of Agent Academy, ensuring our programmes continue to deliver exceptional outcomes for young people, partners and funders. You will report regularly to the Board on progress, performance, impact, risks and future opportunities.

Team leadership – inspire, support and develop a high‑performing team, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. You will manage performance, identify development opportunities, recruit outstanding people and empower the team to deliver our strategic ambitions.

Operational management – oversee the day‑to‑day operation of Agent Academy, ensuring programmes are planned, resourced and delivered efficiently. You will continually improve systems, processes and ways of working to ensure delivery is consistent, scalable and of the highest quality. Working closely with the team, you will oversee programme schedules, team capacity, budgets and delivery plans, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget.

Quality, compliance & evaluation – champion quality across every aspect of delivery, overseeing compliance, safeguarding, evaluation, reporting and quality assurance processes. You will use data and insight to drive continual improvement and demonstrate social impact to partners and funders.

Strategic insight – maintain an understanding of the education, employability and skills landscape, interpreting national and regional policy to ensure Agent Academy remains relevant, innovative and responsive to changing needs.

Learner recruitment – oversee the recruitment of learners, ensuring inclusive outreach activity, strong referral partnerships and effective marketing plans that attract diverse and high‑quality applicants.

Partnerships & growth

Relationship management – develop trusted, long‑term relationships with employers, funders, universities and strategic partners, ensuring projects are delivered successfully and partnerships continue to grow.

Business development – working alongside the Partnerships Director, you’ll identify opportunities to strengthen existing partnerships and develop new ones that align with Agent Academy’s mission and strategic objectives.

Employer engagement – work with employers to ensure our programmes continue to meet industry needs, creating meaningful opportunities that improve employment outcomes for our learners.

Marketing & communications – working with your team, you’ll offer direction and support for marketing and communications, ensuring messaging reflects our values, priorities and impact.

External relations – be a figurehead and representative of Agent Academy at external events, steering groups and boards. Being a spokesperson at events and using your platform to lobby for change or align with external agendas will be crucial.

Creative innovation – encourage continuous improvement across the organisation, using feedback, evaluation and sector insight to evolve programmes, strengthen delivery and identify opportunities for future development.

What you’ll need

• At least 5 years’ experience in a senior leadership or management role.
• Significant experience delivering education, employability or talent development programmes.
• Strong operational management skills with experience designing and improving systems, processes and programme delivery.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing teams.
• Excellent project management, organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple programmes simultaneously.
• Experience managing quality assurance, compliance, reporting and evaluation processes.
• Outstanding relationship‑building skills with experience managing external stakeholders, partners and funders.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to contribute to partnership development and organisational growth.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate confidently with learners, employers, funders and senior stakeholders.
• A good understanding of the employability, education, creative and digital sectors.
• A genuine commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and a passion for creating opportunities for young people.
• A proactive, solutions‑focused approach with the ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.
• Ambition, integrity and resilience, with the ability to lead through change while maintaining exceptional standards.

The salary for this role is up to £45k p.a., dependent on experience and ability. Agent Academy is a people‑focused business, and it’s important to us that we reward our staff. We do this by offering benefits, including:

• 4‑day working week
• High‑spec equipment (Mac or PC)
• In addition to our standard annual leave allowance, we close from 24th December right through the festive period to allow the team time off

Please quote: ‘Head of Programmes’. The deadline for submissions is Monday 27th July.