LMS Functional Lead

The LMS Functional Lead plays a key hands-on role in delivering and owning the functional transition from our existing Learning Management System to our new Learning Management System, including ongoing functional operation and development. Working closely with the Head of Delivery and the HR & Payroll Systems Project Manager, this role helps shape how the new LMS should work and then leads the configuration, testing, and functional delivery to make that design a reality. This role combines strong functional knowledge with practical system experience and is critical to ensuring the LMS integrates smoothly with the HR & Payroll system, supports learning and compliance needs, and is embedded effectively across the organisation before being transitioned into business-as-usual ownership. This is a part-time role (4 days per week/0.8 FTE) on a fixed-term contract until October 2027.

Key responsibilities:

• Work with the Head of Delivery to shape and refine LMS designs, including user journeys, workflows, dashboards, and compliance processes.
• Build and maintain LMS environments across development, test, pilot, and live phases.
• Design and execute functional test scenarios covering specific user journeys.
• Support functional aspects of the integration between the LMS and the HR & Payroll system.
• Ensure user provisioning, organisational structures set-up, and role mapping act as expected.
• Support data and content migration from the existing LMS, including cleansing, mapping, upload, and testing.
• Prepare LMS environments for pilot phases, including configuration, content, and data readiness while working closely with the HR & Systems Project Manager to align with other projects.

You should have:

• Strong experience working with Learning Management Systems in a functional or system lead role.
• Experience supporting large-scale system implementations.
• Hands-on experience configuring and troubleshooting LMS platforms.
• Experience supporting integrations with HR systems.
• Strong functional testing and issue resolution experience.
• Experience using the Totara LMS (desirable).
• Experience designing or shaping visual layouts, dashboards, or user interfaces within an LMS or similar digital platform (desirable).

Benefits:

• Our hybrid working model aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking the right balance between in-person collaboration and remote working.
• You will work a minimum of two days per week in our state-of-the-art office in West London allowing you to connect with colleagues, with the flexibility to work remotely, or in the office over the remaining days.
• In addition to our current hybrid working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad.
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments.
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees.
• This entitlement excludes bank holidays.
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year.
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to.
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform.
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests.

About Us:

Ark is an education charity that exists to make sure that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a great education and real choices in life. Our network of 39 schools reaches traditionally underserved communities in Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. We educate 30,000 pupils and have nearly 3,000 teaching staff across our network. We also incubate and scale innovative ventures, which we roll out beyond our network of schools for the benefit of teachers, pupils and the education system as a whole.

Diversity and inclusion:

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective.

Safeguarding statement:

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred.