Derby Lifeskills Centre Manager

Derby Lifeskills Centre Manager

Hours: FT = 37.5 hours. Usually 9-5, weekends/evenings could be required
Place of Work: Derby Lifeskills Centre
Responsible for: Derby Lifeskills Students, Staff and volunteers
Responsible to: Operations Manager.  Also accountable to other senior managers, as would be part of the SMT. 

The Lifeskills Centre manager oversees all operations, people, finances and external relationships of a Lifeskills Centre, leading it to achieving great outcomes for young people. You will oversee a staff team of educators and a bank of volunteers to deliver different educational, enrichment and vocational sessions that correspond to qualification, contract and organisational targets. You will manage its effective administration – from ensuring planning, marking and IVing is high quality and on-time, to making best use of resources via timetabling and budget management. You will lead in developing external relationships that gain increased numbers of young people year on year, and develop existing and new courses to effectively outwork and achieve TwentyTwenty aims and performance indicators. You will oversee a Centre that is vibrant, engaging and effective for some of the most disadvantaged and disengaged young people around.

You will be passionate and experienced in working with disadvantaged and disengaged 11-19 year olds. You will know how to lead a team in delivering courses, activities and events. You will be engaging and creative, whilst being organised and efficient with time and resources. You will know how to set-up efficient systems, be able to deliver teaching sessions and know how to map work to the requirements of contracts, funders and exam boards. You will be part of TwentyTwenty’s senior management team, leading by example in ideas and energy, and comfortable in helping shape organisational strategy and activity.

HEADLINE TARGETS
These are what will be prioritised, and will be reviewed throughout the probation period, as well as ongoingly.
a) To implement the successful opening of a new Centre in Derby town centre, including networking with partners, recruiting students, managing teachers and oversee all related key operational priorities
b) To hit the targets for all four of TwentyTwenty’s overarching KPIs (see TwentyTwenty KPI doc)
c) To manage the finances to within 10% of breakeven point

Job Description
1. Drive Lifeskills team towards TwentyTwenty’s four key performance indicators through leading a vibrant, engaging culture, developing teaching content/delivery, enhancing pastoral and progression support.

2. Running the Centre on a day-to-day basis, motivating staff and students, organising via weekly timetables and team meetings, and responding to issues and opportunities that arise.  

3. Giving ongoing support, feedback and development opportunities to staff and volunteers; supporting, challenging and empowering them to deliver engaging and effective work.  

4. Building quality relationships with young people, parents/carers and referrers to help design upcoming courses and initiative and assist in pastoral, development and discipline issues.

5. Design, strategise and implement promotional and recruitment strategies and activities to gain young people on our courses; to exceed learner number targets and strengthen TwentyTwenty’s reputation.

6. Be an ambassador for the Centre and for TwentyTwenty with local businesses, agencies and professionals, proactively and creatively building external links via networking and project planning. 

7. Fulfil all contract and exam board obligations from the beginning to end of the learner journey. This includes: oversight of high quality schemes of work, lesson plans and marking, student registration, exam/coursework processes, IVing, liaising with Evers, storing of work/evidence, and keeping abreast of funding changes to quals.

8. Overseeing Centre, health and safety and Child Protection requirements; liaising with landlords, managing the space, working with the ‘Leads’ in those areas, and equipping the Centre to be fit for purpose practically.

9. Work with the team, young people and Operations Manager to research, adapt and create new courses where appropriate, in-line with sector research, funding opportunity and local needs.

10. Plan and deliver both regular taught sessions to young people and cover other sessions where necessary.

11. Manage the Lifeskills Centre budget, including the achievement of income targets via contracts, cost-control and implementing robust financial systems.

12. Operate within the Senior Management Team, picking up cross-organisational duties, inputting into overall strategy and representing TwentyTwenty in different front-line and strategic panels and meetings.

13. Overseeing internal referral process that ensures young people get appropriate input from our Support Team.

14. Working with the Work Experience and Progression manager to arrange work experience placements and progression opportunities for young people.
Person Specification

• Excellent awareness of disadvantaged NEET young people needs/concerns, and ability to engage them, Essential.
• Experience of successfully managing skills and employment projects, Essential.
• Experience of leading, motivating and harnessing the strength of a diverse team, Essential.
• Experience of implementing administration systems/structures to fulfil contract requirements, Essential.
• Strong awareness and commitment to of safeguarding, equal opportunities & diversity practices and requirements, Essential.
• Understanding of and commitment to TwentyTwenty ethos. Essential
• Experience of working within Education, teaching, observing, Iving, mapping to qualifications and wider understanding, Desirable.
• Proven skills in strategic leadership and operational and financial management, Essential.
• Proven ability to network, build relationships  and convert into resources with external providers, Essential.
• Teaching qualifications (DTTLS, PGCE, other equivalent), Desirable.
• Self starter able to take initiative and work effectively and collaboratively within centre and senior management teams, Essential.

Find out more and apply at our website via the apply button on this page.