Practitioner Development Manager in Cardiff

Ocean Park House, Cardiff 37 hours Perm £40,596 rising to£44,163 12/10/26

Please note: The successful candidate will start at the lower end of the salary grade.

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and inspiring Practitioner Development Manager with a passion for teaching, learning and professional development.

You will lead the development of teaching, learning and assessment practice across ACT’s JGW+, Apprenticeships, Schools and Commercial provision. Working closely with delivery teams, you will provide expert coaching, mentoring and developmental support to help practitioners strengthen their pedagogical knowledge, confidence and professional practice.

You will design and deliver engaging practitioner training and CPD, facilitate workshops and professional learning, carry out developmental observations and support colleagues to adopt evidence-informed approaches that improve learner engagement, progress and achievement.

You will also use quality data, learner feedback and performance information to identify development needs, evaluate impact and contribute to wider quality improvement.

At ACT, our Behaviour Framework shapes everything we do. We are looking for someone who demonstrates Respect, communicates with Openness & Honesty, brings Innovation & Creativity to professional learning, Motivates & Empowers practitioners to develop, and provides Clarity through effective communication, expectations and development planning.

What you’ll do:

Lead the development of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment practice across ACT.

Design and deliver impactful practitioner training, CPD, workshops and professional learning.

Provide coaching, mentoring and developmental support to practitioners.

Conduct developmental observations and provide constructive feedback and action planning.

Use quality data and learner feedback to identify development needs and evaluate impact.

Promote reflective practice, evidence-informed approaches and continuous professional development.

Support quality improvement and the sharing of effective practice across ACT.

Champion innovation and the effective use of digital technologies in teaching and learning.

Keep up to date with developments in pedagogy, educational research and the wider skills sector.

Please see job description for full list of responsibilities.

ACT is committed to promoting the Welsh language for both staff and learners, and whilst it is not considered essential criteria, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this role.

Why work for ACT?

At ACT, people are at the heart of everything we do. As Wales’s largest training provider, we’re passionate about making a real difference through high-quality learning — and we’re just as committed to supporting our staff to grow, develop and succeed.

We’re proud to be an Investors in People Platinum organisation, accredited for over 25 years, and recognised in the Best Companies 2025 awards as one of the UK’s top employers — ranked 26th Best Large Company to Work For and 5th in Wales.

Our Values:

At ACT, we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of respect, fairness, and dignity for all. We believe in creating an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and empowered to thrive.

FREDIE has been central to promoting and recognising exceptional commitment to equality and diversity. FREDIE stands for Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement, and these values are at the heart of ACT’s philosophy, shaping our approach to both staff and learners.

Diversity statement

ACT is dedicated to fair and safe recruitment practices, ensuring equality for all applicants and staff. We do not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age.Our questioning and collating of information are intended to help us maintain equal opportunities best practice and identify barriers to workforce equality and diversity. The information collated from you will not be used in any decision affecting you.

We are happy to consider an reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, please drop us an email with your requirements.

What next?

The Advert will close 12th October 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

Applicants will be notified via email of application process (please check junk or spam folders)

An interview process consisting of:

A face to face interview at our Head Office with a work based task (for example - a micro teach, full details will be provided before interview)

We’re keen to ensure our hiring process allows you to be at your best, so if you need us to make any adjustments, please just let us know.

Our organisation is deeply committed to safeguarding the welfare of all learners and staff. We expect all employees to uphold this commitment as part of their role. Please note that the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.

If you would like to work for an organisation that demonstrates outstanding commitment to staff engagement, has gained a place on the Times Best 100 Companies to work for in the UK for the last eight consecutive years and that holds Investors in People Platinum accreditation we would love to hear from you!

• Generous holiday package (up to 45 days per year)
• E-learning platform available to all staff.
• Annual salary increases
• Staff counselling sessions
• Mental Health First Aider
• Bi-annual performance reviews
• Flexible and hybrid working (where applicable)
• Length of service, birthday and yearly appreciation rewards
• Staff Recognition Awards
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance

Person Specification

What we are looking for

Experience

Experience of coaching, mentoring & developing other to improve professional practice

Experience of designing & delivering professional development, training or CPD

Experience of conducting observations, providing constructive feedback & supporting improvement plans

Experience of using data, learner feedback & quality information to identify development needs and evaluate impact

Experience of working collaboratively with managers and teams to implement improvement activity.

Significant experience of teaching, learning and assessment within an education/training or skills environment

Qualifications & Knowledge

Relevant teaching, training, education or professional development qualification, or equivalent professional experience.

Strong knowledge of teaching, learning and assessment principles and evidence-informed pedagogical practice

Knowledge of inclusive and learner centred approaches to teaching, learning and assessment.

Understanding of how effective practitioner development can improve learner engagement, progress and achievement.

Good level of IT, literacy and numeracy

Skills & Attributes

Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills

Willingness to undertake personal & professional development in relation to your role

Team Player with ability to work on own initiative

Proven track record of meeting targets

Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities

Ability to use data and evidence to identify development needs and evaluate impact.

Ability to design and deliver engaging professional development

Strong coaching, mentoring and feedback skills

Personal Qualities

Someone who displays initiative

Self-organised & motivated

Someone who understands the need to build a good rapport with learner and employer

Willingness and ability to be flexible and go above and beyond as and when needed