Senior Schools Engagement Officer

Hopwood Hall College; Rochdale; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational institution in the UK is seeking a Senior Schools Engagement Officer to lead outreach and liaison work with schools. This role involves promoting Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing courses, coordinating engagement activities, and building partnerships. The ideal candidate will have experience in outreach or recruitment, strong communication skills, and the ability to engage effectively with young people. They will ensure adherence to relevant standards and promote diversity within recruitment activities.

Qualifications

• Experience in outreach, school liaison, student recruitment, or related work with young people.
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and deliver multiple projects.
• Knowledge of Engineering & Manufacturing pathways and careers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and delivery of the college's schools engagement programme.
• Act as the main contact for partner schools and external agencies.
• Deliver presentations and workshops to promote courses.

Skills

Outreach experience

Strong communication skills

Presentations

Relationship-building

Project management

Engagement with young people

Education

English and Maths to GCSE standard

Degree level education (desirable)

Tools

Microsoft applications

Job description

The Senior Schools Engagement Officer leads the college's outreach and liaison work with schools and sixth form colleges, supporting student recruitment and raising awareness of the college's offer with a particular focus on promoting Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing courses and the career pathways associated with them. The post-holder coordinates and delivers a wide range of engagement activities, strengthens partnerships with key contacts at schools and community organisations, and leads on all schools engagement team activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and delivery of the college's schools engagement programme.
• Act as the main contact for partner schools, careers leads, Heads of Year and external agencies.
• Proactively promote the college's Engineering & Manufacturing provision, delivering targeted presentations, workshops, and activities to raise awareness of career pathways in these sectors.
• Work with the Engineering Curriculum Innovation Officer and curriculum teams to develop compelling outreach content showcasing engineering and technical subjects.
• Deliver presentations, workshops, taster sessions, careers fairs, and campus visits across all curriculum areas.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to develop resources and promotional materials for outreach activity, including engineering-focused content.
• Coordinate and support major recruitment events, including open days and subject discovery days/Year 10 taster sessions and New Starter Experience sessions.
• Build strong working relationships with curriculum teams and internal stakeholders.
• Support and lead the Schools Engagement Officer and student ambassadors.
• Monitor applications activity, track outcomes, and produce reports to support recruitment targets.
• Ensure all activities adhere to safeguarding, Prevent, health and safety, and GDPR requirements.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all engagement work.

Qualifications (Essential)

• English and Maths to GCSE standard as a minimum.
• Educated to degree level (desirable).
• Experience in outreach, school liaison, student recruitment, or related work with young people.
• Strong communication, presentation, and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and deliver multiple projects.
• Experience leading staff or projects.
• Understanding of the FE sector and post‑16 education pathways, including T Levels.
• Knowledge of Engineering & Manufacturing pathways and careers, with the ability to communicate these effectively to young people.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends; willingness to travel as required.
• Enhanced DBS clearance (or willingness to obtain).
• Experience in Further Education or Higher Education outreach.
• Full UK driving licence.

Specialist Knowledge (Essential)

• Knowledge of CEIAG frameworks (e.g., Gatsby Benchmarks).
• Knowledge of Engineering & Manufacturing pathways and careers and the ability to communicate these to young people and their parents/carers.
• Knowledge of the FE sector and post‑16 education pathways.

IT Skills (Essential)

• Advanced user of Microsoft applications.
• Ability to use technology to generate information and improve efficiency.