Head of Partnerships in Bedford

Location: Group Wide

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £47,972 and £62,099 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 35 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, Local Government Pension Scheme, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Head of Partnerships to join our Partnerships department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Head of Partnerships, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Strategic Partnerships & Business Development - Lead the development, growth, and management of strategic partnerships with employers, local authorities, universities, schools, professional bodies, and other stakeholders to support curriculum development, learner progression, employer engagement, and commercial growth.
• Stakeholder Engagement & External Representation - Act as the lead relationship manager for key partners, representing The Bedford College Group at regional and national forums, networking events, conferences, and stakeholder meetings to enhance reputation and influence.
• Income Generation & Funding Opportunities - Identify, secure, and manage funding opportunities, grants, commercial contracts, and collaborative projects that generate income and support organisational priorities, workforce development, and regional skills agendas.
• Leadership, Team Management & Performance - Provide effective leadership and management of the partnerships team, ensuring high performance through clear objectives, staff development, performance management, succession planning, and achievement of departmental targets.
• Strategic Delivery, Compliance & Continuous Improvement - Support the implementation of organisational and directorate strategies, monitor partnership performance against KPIs, manage budgets and resources, ensure regulatory compliance, and uphold safeguarding, equality, diversity, health & safety, and learner-focused values across all activities.

About you:

• Qualifications & Professional Expertise - Educated to Level 5 or equivalent experience, with excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office and a strong understanding of the Further Education, skills, employability, and stakeholder engagement landscape.
• Partnership Development & Business Growth - Significant experience developing and managing strategic partnerships, employer engagement initiatives, business development activities, external stakeholder relationships, funded projects, and income-generating opportunities that deliver measurable outcomes.
• Leadership, Communication & Influencing Skills - Outstanding communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage, influence, and collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders, partners, employers, and internal teams.
• Project Management & Analytical Capability - Strong project management, organisational, and analytical skills, with experience monitoring performance, interpreting data, producing reports, managing competing priorities, and delivering results within deadlines.
• Professionalism, Compliance & Personal Effectiveness - Ability to work independently and collaboratively, handle sensitive information confidentially, demonstrate leadership and accountability, build productive professional relationships, and operate in line with organisational values, safeguarding, equality, diversity, health & safety, and professional standards.
• Flexibility & Commitment - Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to travel across all college campuses, adjust working hours to meet business needs, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and contribute positively to continuous improvement and organisational success.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: 10 August 2026

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students

The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.