Regional Manager Moray, Scotland
Candidate brief
May 2015
Chairman: Jeremy Palmer Registered Charity Number: 1092891
Registered Charity Number Scotland (OSCR) SC043678
Executive Director: Anne Spackman Registered Company Number: 04428178
Job Description
Responsible to
Director for Scotland
Purpose of Job
As an ambitious, inspiring professional you will lead and develop our Career Ready (formerly called Career Academies UK) partnership in Moray. Our work in Moray has been seed funded by Diageo plc as part of their Learning 4 Life programme and is delivered in partnership with Moray Council. Diageo plc is a major supporter of Career Ready in Scotland and a significant employer in Moray. In supporting our work, Diageo act as a platform for other employers to engage.
Our planning work in Moray commenced in 2013, with three schools and 30 students starting their Career Ready programme for the first time in September 2014. Your focus will be leading and developing the programme experience for all stakeholders and securing the engagement of new and continuing employer support for the 8 schools and approximately 70 students in Moray who will be participating in the Career Ready programme each year by September 2016.
The Career Ready North East Regional Manager has been fulfilling this role since 2013, and will be returning to part-time hours to focus on our work in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
1. Programme Development:
To develop and deliver the programme experience in partnership with all stakeholders, which includes the Local Authority (Moray), schools, students, employer supporters and volunteers, working closely with the Director for Scotland and the Career Ready Regional Manager Scotland team on a continuous improvement agenda that is focused on quality, impact and sustainability underpinned by efficient and effective processes.
2. Stakeholder Engagement:
· Day-to-day management along with the Local Authority Career Ready coordinator and the schools running or planning their Career Ready programme within Moray
· Day-to-day account management of employer supporters
· Engaging new corporate and public sector supporters, stakeholders and partners to support the programme
Key Responsibilities
Stakeholder Engagement
§ Promote awareness of Career Ready to potential supporters, and assist in engaging their commitment both practically and financially.
§ Account manage relationships with corporate supporters in the areas. This will include regular 'keep in touch' communications.
§ In partnership with the Local Authority:
o support the recruitment of new schools from the area in accordance with the strategic growth plan and manage new schools induction, training, and activities prior to implementation
o guide the Local Authority coordinator in the management of all schools who are running a Career Academy. This will require some support visits, managing events for students and corporate supporters, conducting Quality Assurance visits and attending Local Advisory Board meetings
o ensure Career Ready representation and involvement in the emerging Regional Invest in Youth Group, as part of Developing the Young Workforce activity underway across Scotland.
Stakeholder Engagement contd.
§ Manage the employer engagement strategy for the area ensuring that the number of mentors (one for each student participating) is matched with a commitment to internships and that employer volunteers are in place for masterclass delivery and work place visits.
§ Support the Local Authority and its schools in all aspects of ensuring an excellent employer experience for mentors, internships and other programme elements.
§ Work with the Career Ready Business Support Officer to maintain thorough data and management information for the area
Programme Development
§ Work with the Director for Scotland, the Moray Local Advisory Board and the Career Ready Regional Manager team in Scotland to review, develop and ensure a fit for purpose:
o programme curriculum and annual timetable of events and training / guidance for Local Authority / school coordinators and employer supporters
o on-going on boarding, development of and communication with mentors
o stream lining of the internship process
o student preparedness for programme engagement
o development of the entrepreneurial experience for students in their 2nd year of the programme in partnership with other organisations (e.g., MicroTyco)
o implementation of UK wide programme enhancements in support of Career Ready’s long- term sustainability in Scotland
o articulation of the career pathways available to young people, particularly with our employer supporters
Profile and Fundraising
§ In conjunction with the senior staff at Career Ready and the Director for Scotland, work to raise the profile of Career Ready in the area and its key stakeholders in the local media, business and education communities.
§ Undertake public speaking and media engagements as required to promote the work of Career Ready in the area.
§ Contribute to the delivery of funding targets (financial and in-kind).
Events
§ Assist the Local Advisory Board, the Local Authority and schools in the area to plan, manage and run events to promote Career Ready to potential corporate supporters, students, parents / carers and the local community, and be prepared to present at some of these events. A key role is to build a bank of ambassadors who can undertake this sort of activity
§ Be responsible for the delivery of Career Ready events in the area such as Year of Planning training for new schools, new student and mentor launch events, mentor and internship supervisor briefings and participation by the area in the graduation ceremony, working with the Director for Scotland to generate funds for events
Person Specification
Skills / Attributes
You are an enthusiastic, professional self-starter able to work as part of a vibrant, geographically diverse multi-stakeholder focused team, with a proven track record of business development, relationship and project management. With excellent leadership, communication, time management and organisational skills, you will have experience of educational / learning & development programme development, and the gravitas and clarity of thought to enable local innovations whilst ensuring Career Ready’s principles, values and practices are maintained.
You will also have experience of aligning work with multiple stakeholder needs particularly in the areas of education, employability, talent development and corporate responsibility and a talent for communicating inspirationally, accurately and effectively to a wide variety of audiences (students through to CEOs).
You will have a track record of initiating, engaging and maintaining the support of corporates and the public sector. Target and outcome focused you are able to balance financial and non-financial objectives with an entrepreneurial mind set.
You will have project management experience, be a skilled negotiator and be financially competent, able to prepare budgets for relevant projects and events.
You will need to have above average IT literacy skills (databases, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and be social media savvy, with a strong interest in how the digital environment can enhance stakeholder engagement and experience.
Your leadership style will be consultative and supportive.
Experience
Either
In a senior education role or educational programme development role. Experience could have been gained in schools, colleges, government agencies or not-for-profit organisations, but the successful applicant must be able to gain credibility with senior managers in educational institutions and employer organisations.
Or
In a large not for profit organisation involved with young people with a business development focused remit.
Or
In a managerial, business development, community development or Corporate Social Responsibility role, in a large company.
And
Evidence of commercial awareness and proven experience of account management.
Other Information
Contract of Employment and Hours of Work
This is initially a two year fixed term contract with the prospect of the role becoming permanent. It is a part-time role of 15 hours per week. Ideally hours will be worked flexibly over a number of days (2-3 days).
Location
Home based and within easy travelling distance of Moray. Ideally the successful candidate will have a knowledge of Moray and be based there. This role requires regular travel throughout the area and access to a reliable car is a must, although public transport is encouraged wherever practicable. Periodically, time will be spent with the Scottish team in the central belt and occasionally in our office at Canary Wharf, London
Other
In addition to the ability and willingness to travel, a flexible approach to working hours is required as ‘out of hours’ meetings are common requirements of this role. Please be aware that this post is subject to a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme membership.
Salary and Benefits
§ £29,000-£33,000 pa pro-rata, depending upon experience.
§ A working from home allowance of £300 pa pro-rata is provided.
§ 25 days holiday pa pro-rata plus public holidays.
§ 6% of salary contribution pro-rata to a private pension subject to an employee contribution of 2.5%.
§ Business expenses including mileage allowance for car usage.
TIMETABLE
Closing date for applications: Friday 19th June 2015, 5pm
First stage telephone interviews: W/c 22nd and 27th June 2015
Second stage interviews: Monday 6th July 2015, Elgin
Candidate takes up post: August 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter
TO APPLY
Please send you CV, and a covering letter that demonstrates clearly how your experience meets the requirements of the role quoting ref CRRMM and how you heard about the vacancy, by email to:
Sarah Stimson:
Phone: 07872 989115
For further information and if would like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact Anne Wexelstein, Director for Scotland, on 0787 298 9163 who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Please visit our website www.careerready.org.uk
Career Ready: What We Do, Who We Are
Career Ready is revolutionising partnerships between employers, Local Authorities and schools, transforming lives along the way. We recognise the potential in students from all backgrounds, but are focused on giving students with little family background of higher education or professional careers, the confidence, skills and networks to achieve their potential. Career Ready isn’t aimed at strong academic students who already know they will go to university; it isn’t for students with a wealth of professional career experience in their family; and it isn’t for students who know what they want to achieve. Career Ready is for students with potential, who need the guidance and opportunities to compete on a level-playing field for the best careers in the country.
A registered charity with an impressive Board of senior business leaders, our organisation is funded by a combination of membership fees from Local Authorities, schools, charitable donations from corporate supporters and grants from charitable foundations.
Setting up Career Ready brings with it the opportunity to join a national network of like-minded educationalists and employers. To assist schools get their Career Ready programme started, we provide a training programme. In Scotland this involves staff from the Local Authority and each school. We are currently working with 86 schools from 9 Local Authorities in Scotland, and growing.
Career Academy students in their 5th and 6th year at school follow a rigorous, two-year structured programme that wraps around and compliments their school studies, of mentoring, a paid four week internship, masterclasses along with networking and visits to a wide range of employers. Our programme components are mapped to our 8 Skills for Career Success. These learning outcome have been defined by our employer supporters. The exact content of the programme in Scotland is decided locally by the Local Authority, employers and schools, in consultation with Career Ready, to ensure the students receive the work experience, skills, knowledge and confidence they need to compete with the best in the country.
Our Growth in Scotland
Since 2011 our focus in Scotland has been with Local Authority Education Services and their schools. From August 2015 9 Local Authorities (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh, Fife, Glasgow, Midlothian, Moray, Perth & Kinross and West Lothian) will have 85 schools running Career Ready, with 875 students on the programme, supported by over 150 different employer organisations and over 1000 employee volunteers. There are an additional 20+ schools in a period of planning and further Local Authorities about to engage. Plans are in place for all secondary schools in currently engaged Local Authority areas to be running the Career Ready programme.
Our commitment to affect the lives of more young people in Scotland and enable their greater contribution to our economy has led to the need for this role to be delivered more locally, currently fulfilled by our Regional Manager for the North East (Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire).
Governance
The Scottish Advisory Board, chaired by Sandy Begbie, Chief Operations Officer, Standard Life, guides the charity’s strategy and growth in Scotland, with members from leading employer and educational organisations in Scotland who, in addition to supporting our growth strategy, play a key role in our advocacy and recruitment of new supporters. None of what Career Ready does is possible with sustained employer support.
Critical to making Career Ready work is the formation of the Local Advisory Board (LAB) which includes employers, school Career Academy coordinators, the Local Authority lead coordinator, and the Career Ready Regional Manager. In Scotland LABs support all the schools within a Local Authority area.
The Regional Manager for Moray will play a key role in generating employer leads for the area wide LAB, gate-keeping some relationships with larger employers to provide a single point of contact with the Career Ready movement, as well as supporting the schools (8) to develop and manage local employer relationships.
Within Scotland we secure funding to support our activities whilst also benefitting from the national partnerships that Career Ready enjoys with certain corporate supporters and Trusts and Foundations.
7