Vice Principal - Adult

The Manchester College; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

35 days annual leave

In-house training programme

5 Industry updating days

Career development opportunities

Pension scheme

Discounts on health care

COPE confidential support

Cycle to work

Retailer offers

Job summary

The Manchester College, the largest FE college in the UK, seeks a visible Vice Principal - Adult Learning to drive strategic leadership across a substantial adult provision. You will steer learner growth, curriculum innovation, quality improvement and financial sustainability while leading a team of directors and curriculum leaders.

You will develop partnerships with employers and local authorities, drive performance improvements and ensure inclusive, high-quality outcomes for learners and

Qualifications

• Degree qualified with a recognised teaching qualification (PGCE, CertEd or equivalent).
• Significant leadership experience within Further Education or adult education.
• Proven success leading large, high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of adult skills funding, quality assurance and performance management.
• Experience managing substantial budgets and delivering financially sustainable provision.
• Track record of improving learner recruitment, retention, progression and experience.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders, employers and local authorities.
• Ability to analyse data and translate insights into strategic plans.
• Commercial awareness with ability to grow and adapt to skills priorities.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills; collaborative leadership for equality and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the college's largest adult learning provision.
• Lead delivery of the Adult Skills Strategy, learner growth and curriculum innovation.
• Manage substantial budgets and large multidisciplinary teams.
• Build influential partnerships with employers, authorities and stakeholders.
• Drive recruitment, retention, achievement and progression, and student experience.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Strategic planning

Adult education

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Communication

Equality & inclusion

Safeguarding

Curriculum development

Education

Degree qualified

PGCE/CertEd or equivalent teaching qualification

Job description

Job description

Join The Manchester College at a pivotal time in our journey and play a leading role in shaping the future of adult education across Greater Manchester. As Vice Principal - Adult Learning, you will provide strategic leadership for one of the College's largest and most impactful areas, supporting adults to gain skills, progress into employment, advance their careers and access higher-level study opportunities.

You will manage the adult provision that supports thousands of learners each year while influencing the future skills agenda across Greater Manchester. With responsibility for a substantial adult curriculum, significant budgets and large multidisciplinary teams, this role offers a unique opportunity to drive economic growth, promote social mobility and deliver workforce development at scale, creating life-changing opportunities for individuals, communities and employers across the region.

Working closely with the Principalship Team and as a member of the LTE Group Senior Leadership Group, you will lead the delivery of our Adult Skills Strategy, driving learner growth, curriculum innovation, quality improvement and financial sustainability. Leading through a team of Directors, Assistant Principal and curriculum leaders, you will create a culture of accountability, innovation and excellence that delivers outstanding outcomes for learners, employers and stakeholders, while driving success in recruitment, retention, achievement, progression and student experience.

We are seeking an inspiring and commercially astute education leader with significant experience of managing large-scale provision, leading substantial budgets and developing curriculum that responds to local, regional and national skills priorities. With a strong understanding of funding, quality and performance, you will build influential partnerships with employers, local authorities, community organisations and stakeholders to create opportunities that transform lives and support economic growth.

This is a high-profile leadership opportunity for an ambitious individual who is passionate about lifelong learning and capable of positioning The Manchester College as the provider of choice for adult education, skills development and workforce training across Greater Manchester and beyond.

About Us

The Manchester College is the largest Further Education college in the UK and one of the country's leading providers of technical, professional and adult education. Supporting more than a quarter of Greater Manchester's learners, we deliver life-changing opportunities through an extensive curriculum, industry-leading facilities and partnerships with over 1,000 employers nationwide.

As part of LTE Group, alongside UCEN Manchester, Total People, MOL, Novus and LTE Group Operations, we are committed to transforming lives through education and skills. Our offer is strengthened by 18 Centres of Excellence across our campuses, ensuring an outstanding learning experience for students and employers alike.

Proudly, The Manchester College is one of only 57 organisations nationally recognised with the Princess Royal Training Award 2025, demonstrating our commitment to investing in our people and their development.

What we offer our colleagues

As a Vice Principal, we will offer you the opportunity to develop your career with the largest FE College in the UK. We offer you a nurturing environment with space to grow and a place where you will feel supported. We also offer an unrivalled suite of continuous CPD with over 80,000 modules to choose from and a support structure to help you realise your full potential. With all of this in place, your ability to deliver world class learning will be elevated supporting your ability and carve out your career path with us.

Benefits

• 35 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays.
• In-house training programme offers you the chance to upskill and further your career.
• Commitment of 5 Industry updating days
• Career development opportunities & opportunities to progress to a range of roles in a large and diverse organisation.
• We pride ourselves on offering a favourable pension scheme.
• Discounts on your health care through Simply Health.
• Free, confidential support service provided by an external organisation, COPE.
• Cycle to work scheme saving you 25% on your purchase.
• Access to lots of offers with well-known retailers.

Role Responsibilities

Please see the attached role profile for an overview of role responsibilities.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Degree qualified and hold a recognised teaching qualification (PGCE, CertEd or equivalent).
• Significant leadership experience within Further Education, adult education or a related learning environment.
• Proven experience leading and developing large, high-performing teams through managers and senior leaders.
• Strong understanding of adult skills funding, quality assurance frameworks and performance management.
• Demonstrable experience managing substantial budgets and delivering financially sustainable provision.
• Track record of driving improvements in learner recruitment, retention, achievement, progression and student experience.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders, employers, funding bodies, local authorities and community partners.
• Ability to analyse complex data and translate insights into effective operational and strategic plans.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify growth opportunities and respond to changing skills priorities.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with confidence presenting to senior leaders, governors and external partners.
• Passion for developing innovative adult education provision that meets local, regional and national skills needs.
• A collaborative and inspirational leader committed to excellence, equality, inclusion, safeguarding and continuous improvement.

Safeguarding

The LTE Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All applicants will be required to undergo an appropriate Enhanced DBS with children’s barred list check and may be subject to additional online checks as part of our pre-screening process. Some roles are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and would require an Enhanced DBS check.

Equal Opportunities Statement

At The Manchester College, we’re committed to providing an environment free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, or victimisation, where all members of our community are treated with respect and dignity. The Manchester College is committed to working in an inclusive way with all the communities where we are geographically located and to developing a workforce and student community that reflects Greater Manchester’s and the UK’s rich diversity and vibrancy.

The closing date for this job advert is 20/11/2026, with earliest interviews planned to take place on 27/11/2026. However, the advert may close early if we receive a strong response, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.