Workforce Funding Manager in Sheffield

The Workforce Funding Manager will lead the development and delivery of a national employer engagement and funding initiative. This role will identify, engage, and secure collaborations with major employers across a range of industries, creating innovative models that support workforce growth and professional development within the early years sector. It’s a position that combines strategic relationship-building, social purpose, and measurable business impact.

Your key responsibilities are likely to be:

• Identify and engage large employers and national organisations with capacity and appetite to invest in workforce development.
• Build and manage a partnership pipeline, ensuring consistent progress and tangible outcomes.
• Coordinate the end-to-end process of connecting new funding sources with early years employers.
• Report on partnership outcomes, financial impact, and wider benefits for the early years sector.
• Develop strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders in large organisations, positioning partnerships as a way to achieve social, community, and skills outcomes.
• Work collaboratively with internal marketing and communications teams to create compelling proposals, presentations, and impact reports.
• Represent the organisation at external events, forums, and conferences, promoting our vision for workforce development and education excellence.
• Work cross-functionally with internal teams (Operations, Finance, and Employer Engagement) to ensure the smooth delivery of partnership projects.
• Monitor compliance, funding flows, and reporting requirements.
• Ensure all activity reflects our commitment to quality, transparency, and measurable impact.
• Track and report on the value of partnerships secured, number of employers supported, and development opportunities created.
• Produce high-quality impact stories and reports for partners, stakeholders, and leadership.
• Contribute to the organisation’s overall growth, innovation, and social purpose agenda.

This is a home-based role, with some travel required for client and team meetings, exhibitions and company events.

The Benefits

• 25 days holiday plus public and bank holidays
• Purchase scheme for up to 5 additional days annual leave
• Birthday and Christmas Eve off
• Flexible working
• Health Shield scheme
• Life insurance
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Sick pay
• Bereavement leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• £1,000 Employee referral bonus scheme

About You

Essential

• Strong experience in business development, partnerships, or employer engagement, ideally within education, skills, or workforce programmes.
• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills with senior corporate stakeholders.
• Proven ability to design and deliver partnership strategies that generate measurable outcomes.
• Commercial awareness with strong project management and communication skills.
• Driving licence and own mode of transport.

Desirable

• Knowledge of UK skills funding or education sector funding models.
• Understanding of apprenticeship or vocational training programmes.

What Happens Next?

The Realise Recruitment team will be in touch, regardless of the outcome. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely. You can expect a two-stage interview process for this position, which will comprise of a one-hour formal interview, likely on Teams, where we will test a series of competency and behavioural questions, followed by a second interview with a presentation. As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

About Us

Realise helps more than 18,000 learners every year to achieve their goals. We only specialise in the areas we have in-depth expertise in, that’s early years & education, health & social care, transport, business skills, and adult skills. Our mission has always been clear, to deliver great training programmes. We promote the wellbeing of all our learners and our employees and are fully committed to safeguarding, safer recruitment and fulfilling our Prevent Duty obligations. Please be aware that all successful applicants will undergo a DBS and online search check at the job offer stage. We request proof of qualifications and the Right to Work in the UK. Realise is committed to investing in the latest technology to support our learners and teams. As part of our quality assurance and training processes, we may occasionally record audio and visual content. By applying, you acknowledge and accept this as part of our working environment.

Realise have been in business over 35 years from our humble roots in Sheffield, to over 500 employees UK-wide. We are proud of be a part of the AQA charity group.