Vice Principal – Business Growth, Skills and Partnerships

Vice Principal – Business Growth, Skills and Partnerships

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the post holder will work collaboratively with colleagues and external partners to deliver sustainable growth in the College’s key markets. This post brings together responsibility for marketing and student recruitment, business development and sales, external partnerships and project delivery. This senior post is a group wide role and will be expected to operate across the group’s locations, including acting as senior leadership team representative on campus when required.

The postholder will have responsibility for the Business Development, Marketing and Web, Student Recruitment Team, Admissions & Enquiries and Projects & Contracts and will be responsible for developing and delivering an integrated market intelligence, growth and recruitment strategy which supports the meeting or exceeding of recruitment plans across the College’s significant FE, HE, Adult and Apprenticeship portfolio.

Critically, the role will also lead on providing the essential employment, economic, social and demographic insights to inform the development of a relevant and responsive curriculum strategy and offer across the group. The postholder will also have the responsibility for developing a wider commercial strategy, to maximise the commercial return on the significant asset base of the group. As a member of the SLT, the postholder will be expected to represent the College externally in pursuit of College objectives and they will play a lead role in the development and growth of strategic employer and business relationships in particular.

Key Accountabilities and Duties

1. Develop and lead teams to deliver a clear and integrated student recruitment strategy and plan, which delivers sustainable growth in the College’s key learner markets.
2. Ensure that the recruitment model supports ‘good growth’, by working with College teams to embed high quality and robust guidance and support services into the model of engagement and recruitment.
3. Provide clear and transparent reporting of the implementation and impact of recruitment plans to the SLT and Board, enabling timely interventions and effective risk management to take place where necessary.
4. Lead the Marketing & Web function to ensure that marketing and promotional activity, including social media and events, and website is focused on effective recruitment and supports a high-impact narrative, professional and engaging messaging, which enhance the College’s position in the marketplace.
5. Oversee the pipeline of all student recruitment activity, from enquiry through to enrolment and successful transition on to programmes.
6. Ensure that the impact of recruitment activity is routinely evaluated and used to determine effectiveness and impact, in order to inform future plans for improvement and growth.
7. To inform the development of the curriculum strategy and the programme offer, lead on the process of developing clear and informative labour market intelligence and other relevant data, including local, regional and national skills and economic plans.
8. To support the role of the skills nominee in inspection and assist with skills aspects of the College’s operations during Ofsted inspections.
9. Embed the sharing and understanding of this key forward planning information into the curriculum and business planning cycle, enhancing the ability of curriculum planners to develop a truly responsive and future oriented curriculum offer.
10. Develop and implement an enhanced commercial strategy in line with wider college plans, identifying and evaluating commercial opportunities to generate additional income supported by robust business plans.
11. Lead on the College’s applications for relevant and beneficial local, regional and national awards.
12. Network externally and maintain a strong external profile with key partners, funders, employers, and other key stakeholders, including the establishment and support for relevant stakeholder groups in service of the College’s strategic and operational goals.
13. To lead on the assessment, development and submission of external funding bids which align to College strategy and goals and to oversee contract management, delivery and compliance of any successful bids.
14. Work within agreed budgets and ensure that risks are identified and managed appropriately. Monitor and evaluate the success of commercial partnerships and provide timely reports to the Senior Leadership Team and the Board.
15. Ensure that any new and all partnerships are entered into in line with the College’s financial regulations and funding rules, always ensuring the College’s reputation and values are maintained.
16. To take whole-college responsibility for reviewing and maintaining the recording and declaration of any sub-contracting relationships in accordance with the latest regulations applicable to the FE sector and for monitoring and performance managing any appointed sub-contractors.
17. Champion innovation and creativity in the development of new skills and training solutions that meet the needs of employers and the marketplace.
18. Maximise the benefits of key employer relationships to enhance and add-value to the core student experience across the whole of the curriculum.
19. Lead and promote a culture which puts excellent customer service at the core of the College’s services to students, employers and partners.
20. Role model excellent, values-centred leadership that builds the skills and capabilities of those around you and drive a culture of mutual support, commerciality and entrepreneurship.

Professional Development
To update regularly in your specialist area(s) and to participate in staff development activities including sharing good practice as required and submitting timely CPD records. To actively participate in any scheme of regular performance review and appraisal adopted by the College Group.

Additional Duties
Work with managers and employees to support the developing high performing culture of the learning organisation and facilitate cultural change. Commit and adhere to the organisational Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Safety, Safeguarding and other policies, processes, values and objectives. Undertake other tasks, as directed, to meet the needs of the College that reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility.

Note: The duties and responsibilities set out in this job description may be reviewed to meet changing circumstances. The post holder will be consulted in such circumstances.