[Hiring] Head of Colleges @Salutem Careers

Role Description

Transform Lives. Shape Futures. Lead Excellence.

We are seeking an exceptional educational leader to join our Education Senior Leadership Team as Head of Colleges , providing strategic leadership across our growing group of six specialist college sites.

This is a rare opportunity to influence the lives of hundreds of young people and adults, lead talented College Principals, and shape an ambitious further education strategy that delivers outstanding outcomes, exceptional learner experiences, and sector-leading practice.

As Head of Colleges, you will be at the forefront of driving quality, innovation, and continuous improvement across our college provision. Working closely with the Divisional Director and wider Executive Team, you will ensure a seamless learner journey from school through to further education, creating meaningful pathways that empower learners to achieve their full potential.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Developing and delivering an ambitious vision for our college provision.
  • Contributing to organisational strategy as a key member of the Education Senior Leadership Team.
  • Creating strong alignment between schools and colleges to ensure clear progression pathways for learners.
• Quality and Improvement
  • Driving excellence in teaching, learning, assessment, and learner outcomes.
  • Leading quality assurance, self-assessment, and improvement planning across all college sites.
  • Ensuring outstanding preparation for Ofsted inspections and embedding a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Using performance data to drive measurable improvements in achievement, retention, attendance, and progression.
• Leadership and Culture
  • Providing inspirational leadership, support, and challenge to College Principals and senior leaders.
  • Building leadership capacity, succession planning, and talent development across the college group.
  • Fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and high performance.
• Partnership Working
  • Working closely with colleagues across education, care, safeguarding, and support services.
  • Building strong relationships with employers, local authorities, external partners, and regulatory bodies.
  • Representing the organisation confidently within the wider education sector.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience within further education.
• Deep knowledge of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework.
• Experience leading quality improvement and driving measurable outcomes.
• Strong strategic thinking combined with operational excellence.
• Outstanding leadership, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience managing senior leaders within complex organisations.
• A commitment to inclusion, learner success, and educational excellence.

Essential Qualifications

• PGCE or equivalent teaching qualification.

Desirable Qualifications

• SENCO qualification.
• NPQH or equivalent leadership qualification.

Benefits

• A highly influential leadership role with genuine organisational impact.
• The opportunity to shape and develop a growing college provision.
• A collaborative and values-driven Executive and Senior Leadership Team.
• The chance to improve life outcomes for learners every day.
• Professional autonomy alongside strong organisational support.
• Ongoing leadership development opportunities.

Location

This is a multi-site leadership role requiring regular travel across our six college locations. Flexibility is essential, including occasional early morning, evening, and off-site meetings.

Our Core Values

• Supportive: Helping everyone reach their full potential.
• Ambitious: Striving for the best outcomes.
• Loyal: Prioritising our staff and the people we support.
• Unique: Innovating without compromising quality.
• Transparent: Fostering openness and mutual respect.
• Engaging: Partnering with everyone involved.
• Meaningful: Offering fulfilling opportunities.

Why Choose Us?

• Emotional Support: 24/7 Employee Assistance, mental health resources, meditation apps, and bereavement support.
• Medical Support: Free Online GP access, Health Cash Plan, Cancer Cover, and Menopause support.
• Financial Support: Flexible pay with Wagestream, utility bill savings, Money Helper, and Life Assurance.
• Physical Support: Online workouts, Cycle to Work scheme, gym discounts, and National Trust activities.

Safeguarding Commitment

At Salutem Care and Education, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of the children, young people, and adults we support, and we expect all colleagues to share this commitment.

All appointments are subject to robust safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (including relevant barred list checks where applicable), satisfactory references, and any other pre-employment checks required for the role.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates who share our values and commitment to making a positive difference.