Partnership Lead

Are you passionate about building strong partnerships that create real opportunities for people and communities? We're looking for a Partnership Lead to play a pivotal role in ensuring our subcontractor network delivers high-quality, impactful services that help learners, participants and customers achieve their goals. In this influential role, you'll work at the heart of our education and skills provision, leading relationships with subcontractors, funders and key stakeholders to drive performance, quality and continuous improvement.

From managing contracts, budgets and compliance requirements to identifying opportunities for growth and innovation, you'll help ensure our partnerships are effective, sustainable and aligned to our high standards. You'll be a trusted expert, using data and insight to manage risk, support improvement plans and share best practice across our network. If you thrive on building collaborative relationships, enjoy balancing strategic oversight with hands-on problem solving, and want your work to make a meaningful difference, this is an opportunity to join an organisation committed to enhancing life chances and strengthening communities.

A typical day might include:

• Accountable for managing the performance of our subcontractors across multiple contracts and funding streams, highlighting and implementing corrective action for underperformance where required.
• Manage finance processes against performance, including budgeting, forecasting and reporting aligned to SLA agreements with a subcontractor.
• Produce reports to evidence subcontractors performance capturing key data, managing risk and reporting on impact.
• Contract Management - Work closely with the managers highlighting opportunities and risk.
• Ensure the quality of provision meets the Acis standards.
• Ensure procurement and contract management procedures are followed during onboarding of new subcontractors, including checks on a subcontractors safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Ensure independent checks are undertaken in relation to existing subcontractors at least annually, including ownership control and financial health checks.
• Lead performance meetings with subcontractors and funders ensuring documented improvement plans are agreed where necessary and sharing of best practice across all partnerships.
• Be prepared for internal and external audits, including DfE, Local Authorities and Ofsted.
• Have a detailed knowledge of the subcontracting standard and guidelines.
• Develop key stakeholder relations with potential partners to maximise our delivery, grow our service and provide a better service offer.

The must haves:

• Experience managing funding and subcontracting standards including procurement and contract administration.
• Have a strong understanding of legal, contractual, financial and quality management systems.
• Demonstrable evidence of managing multiple partnerships/subcontracts performance.
• Experience of Education and Employment services and contracts.
• Safeguarding trained.
• An organised individual who can plan and monitor a varied workload.
• Strong people skills which encourage others to work collaboratively.
• Strong literacy skills with the ability to write clearly and effectively.
• A flexible approach to work and the ability to meet challenges and adapt to change.
• Being self-motivated, resilient, with a drive and determination to achieve results.
• Resilience. Working in the education, support and employment sectors is a challenging but rewarding career. You'll be helping to bring real change to people's lives.

The added extras:

• Qualification in CIPS or equivalent in supply chain management.
• Qualification and/or experience in audit related activities.
• Experience in managing compliance to funding rules within education and skills is an advantage.
• Experience in people management and service development and improvement is an added bonus.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead qualified, and experience in managing health and safety and on-site risk assessments.
• A working knowledge of procurement and contract law.
• You'll be adept at change, having got hands-on experience living and breathing new ways of working and knowing how to bring your colleagues along for the experience.

Being part of the Acis team, you'll get:

• Generous holiday entitlement 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Pension contributions up to 4%.
• The opportunity to undertake professional training, funded by us.
• One day's paid leave a year for volunteering work (in addition to your Annual leave entitlement).
• Staff benefits with Paycare.
• A health and benefits scheme giving you support and contributions towards various health benefits such as counselling, eye tests, vaccinations and much more.
• Benefits with Acis Perkz a discount scheme giving you savings off hundreds of schemes including discounts on your coffee, weekly shop, days out and much more!
• Employee recognition scheme, where we celebrate and award our Stars within Acis, including gift vouchers.
• Long service awards for our loyal employees.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme to give you confidential advice and support, when you need it.
• Professional membership subscription to support your continuous professional development.
• Death in service benefit as part of our pension scheme.

As part of our commitment to safeguarding there will be numerous safeguarding checks that form part of the recruitment process including an Enhanced DBS check and you will be required to complete a self-declaration form at interview stage. Please note this role is also exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and it is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from regulated activity. Acis are committed to equality and diversity, are a proud member of disability confident and welcome applications from any applicant who feel they hold the essential skills to fulfil the role.