Employer Partnerships Lead

Job Title: Employee Partnership Lead (Maternity cover)
School: Lift Schools central team
Location: Negotiable, home based with frequent paid travel to our national network of schools and London office
Salary:+ FTE £40,000 - £45,000 with well-being cash plan + pension scheme + additional Lift Schools benefits
Hours:  Part time 0.6 FTE (22.5 hours per week - ideally Tues, Wed, Thurs with some flexibility to swap days occasionally when necessary)
Contract type: Initially fixed term to 31 August 2027 (with likely extension into 2028)
Start date:  ASAP

Due to a maternity leave we are recruiting for an exciting part-time opportunity to lead on an innovative project between one of the largest MATs in the country and DHL UK Foundation.

Please note, due to this being a maternity leave we will be reviewing applications as we receive them so we encourage you to apply ASAP.

Your new organisation
Lift Schools are one of the largest multi-academy trusts in the country made up of 62 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 35,000 pupils.  Our incredible Chief Executive, Rebecca (Becks) Boomer-Clark, joined in 2021 and has a clear objective, an excellent education for every child, in every classroom, every day regardless of background, geography or ability. We are thrilled to have secured funding from the DHL UK Foundation and to be working in partnership with them on their GoTeach initiative, which supports young people from underserved communities across the UK access decent employment and thrive in their careers. After a very successful first year of the programme, we are entering year 2 of a planned 3 year project. Impact and funding is reviewed by DHL UK Foundation at the end of each academic year. This role is advertised to the end of year 2 initially (31 Aug 2027) however, we expect to extend the role into year 3 of the project. We are now looking for a part-time Employee Partnership Lead to play an integral part in leading this exciting partnership as a maternity cover. 

Your new role
The Employer Partnership Lead is the critical link between our schools and the DHL UK Foundation. Encompassing resource development, event planning and partnership working, this is a great opportunity to make a difference to young people's futures. This role will report into Ryan Gibson who joined the Trust in 2019 as National System Leader. He's an accomplished leader in the sector who was recently seconded as Senior Adviser for Careers at the Gatsby Foundation, where he led the national review of the Gatsby Benchmarks and the Foundation's work on the ‘Next Ten Years of Good Career Guidance. Ryan will support you in managing Lift Schools' operational relationship with the DHL UK Foundation. You will be responsible for developing resources and workshops and for briefing employers to deliver crucial employability skills to hundreds of students in KS3, KS4 and KS5. Supported by you, DHL employees will lead classroom-based activities at selected schools and you will work with the DHL UK Foundation to plan a wide range of activities, including site visits and virtual encounters to help young people better understand and experience the world of work. You will be responsible for managing all aspects of this project, from design and implementation through to successful delivery, impact evaluation and reporting. As well as engaging schools across our network, this project will require integrated work across our central team and you will set out, and enact, a clear project management strategy to achieve this.

What you'll need to succeed
You will understand the flexibility this role requires, during delivery periods you will be on-site in our schools and at home the remainder and school holidays (it's worth noting we will pay for your travel). You will have relevant experience of working with young people either in an educational environment or a workplace situation alongside a proven track record of building relationships with a range of different stakeholders.

If you would like a confidential discussion or have any questions ahead of applying we'd love to hear from you. Please contact the recruitment manager, Jessica Billows on jbillows@liftschools.org

Who is Lift Schools?
Lift Schools is made up of 62 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 35,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential.

How we will support you
We want you to feel supported, valued and able to grow throughout your career with Lift Schools. From high-quality professional development and career progression to wellbeing support and opportunities to connect and collaborate across our network, we invest in you so you can do your best work. Discover how we'll support you to thrive, develop and grow your career in the way that's right for you: How we support you.