Staff Engagement Lead in Preston

Do you want to join a team that provides outstanding leadership, strategic direction, and support to some of the best schools in the country? Do you want to play your part in delivering outstanding learning and teaching to young people in disadvantaged communities? If so, joining the Star team might just be the best career move you ever make.

We are seeking to appoint an outstanding and driven Staff Engagement Lead to join our Central People and Wellbeing Team. This is a strategic and values‑led role, focused on enhancing the lived experience of colleagues across the Trust. Working collaboratively with school leaders, wellbeing champions and Star Central teams, you will lead the development and delivery of wellbeing, engagement and people‑experience initiatives that support a healthy, inclusive and high‑performing workforce.

You will play a central role in shaping and embedding trust‑wide wellbeing and people‑experience strategies, ensuring wellbeing is proactively integrated into organisational culture, leadership practice and ways of working. You will be supported in a highly motivated team environment that is focused on development, wellbeing and continuous improvement. The role is based at Star Central, Blackburn. We are currently operating hybrid office and homeworking arrangements. You will be expected to travel to schools across the Trust as required.

You will have:

• A degree level qualification and be CIPD qualified (or willingness to work towards).
• Experience of leading and delivering wellbeing, engagement or people‑experience initiatives.
• A strong understanding of workplace wellbeing, organisational culture and employee engagement.
• Experience of using workforce data insights to identify risks and inform targeted actions.
• Experience of working collaboratively with senior leaders and a wide range of stakeholders.
• The ability to design, implement and evaluate trust‑wide initiatives and programmes.
• Strong planning, organisational and people management skills.

Star Academies is a high-performing multi-academy trust that runs more than 30 primary and secondary schools. We are a values-based organisation that works to improve the life chances of young people in areas of social and economic deprivation to help them succeed at the highest levels of education, employment, and the professions. Every single day you’ll be rewarded with the opportunity to shape a young person’s future - our STAR values embody what we believe is needed to succeed.

Professional development is key to our ongoing success, so we continually invest in our employees through our learning and development centre, Star Talent Academy. With a wealth of training, mentoring and progression opportunities across a growing group of academies, joining our team of leading education experts could propel your career to the next level.

We can also offer you a range of rewards and benefits, including competitive salaries and pension schemes, generous holiday entitlements and healthcare cash plans.

Star Central, which is based at our head office in Blackburn, Lancashire, provides leadership, strategic direction and support to Star Academies and our schools. The Star Central team includes experts from a range of professional backgrounds, who work together to provide an outstanding support service to the Star community. We support our schools to provide educational and operational excellence and to cultivate a strong Star community, with the aim of nurturing today’s young people and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders.

Please download the job description and person specification below for further information about the role. For an informal and confidential discussion about the role please contact Star Central by calling 0330 313 9800.

Key Dates:

• Closing Date: 24 July 2026
• Interview Date: 11 August 2026
• Proposed Start Date: September 2026

To apply for this vacancy please use the 'Apply for job' link below. You should ensure your application form and supporting statement address all elements of the person specification. We will only consider candidates who meet the vast majority of the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

Star Academies is committed to safeguarding, safer recruitment and promoting the welfare of pupils. Our comprehensive recruitment and selection processes aim to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Successful candidates are subject to rigorous pre-employment checks. We are equally committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity. We aim for our workforce to be representative of society and that each employee feels respected and able to give their best. We are committed to providing equality and fairness in our recruitment and employment practices and not to discriminate on any grounds. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.