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Head of Operational Delivery | Lead National STEM Education Programmes | Maternity Cover
EDT is seeking an exceptional Head of Operational Delivery to lead national student and school engagement activities across the UK during an exciting period of transformation. This is a rare opportunity for a strategic and people-focused leader to take ownership of operational delivery, student recruitment, programme performance and team leadership within a respected education charity. As our Head of Operational Delivery, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring thousands of young people access inspiring STEM experiences that improve social mobility and create pathways into future careers.
Why Join EDT?
At EDT, our values drive everything we do:
- Passionate about creating equitable access to STEM careers.
- Dynamic in our response to a changing world.
- Collaborative with industry, educators and communities.
- Respectful of young people's potential and lived experiences.
As Head of Operational Delivery, you'll help shape the experiences of young people across the UK while leading teams that directly contribute to EDT's mission of inspiring the next generation of talent.
What You'll Be Doing
- Lead and develop EDT's Operational Delivery Team, ensuring exceptional programme delivery, student engagement and school recruitment nationwide.
- Oversee performance, capacity planning, budgets, KPIs, reporting and operational effectiveness across multiple programmes.
- Develop and implement student recruitment and engagement strategies that drive growth and impact.
- Work closely with senior leaders to improve efficiency, support programme growth and maximise delivery outcomes.
- Champion safeguarding, quality standards, continuous improvement and outstanding learner experiences.
- Build strong relationships with schools, colleges, universities, funders, volunteers, alumni and partners.
Please refer to the attached Job Description for the full responsibilities and person specification.
Who We're Looking For
- Experienced operational leader with a track record of managing teams, programmes and organisational performance.
- Strong background in education, youth engagement, programme delivery, student support or charity operations.
- Experience managing budgets, KPIs, reporting frameworks and operational planning.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to identify opportunities, solve challenges and drive continuous improvement.
- Passion for supporting young people and creating meaningful educational opportunities.
- Outstanding stakeholder management, leadership and communication skills.
What's In It For You?
- Full-time maternity cover contract from 28 September 2026 to 3 August 2027.
- From £36,000 to £49,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
- 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Up to 10% employer pension contribution.
- Hybrid and flexible working.
- Opportunity to lead national programmes with significant social impact.
Location
- Hybrid working.
- Office base in any of our regional offices - Manchester, Birmingham, Welwyn Garden City, Plymouth or Southampton.
- National remit with occasional travel and overnight stays.
Why This Role Stands Out
- This is more than an operational leadership role.
- As Head of Operational Delivery, you'll influence how young people engage with STEM education across the UK.
- As Head of Operational Delivery, you'll lead national recruitment, engagement and delivery strategies that support thousands of students each year.
- As Head of Operational Delivery, you'll work closely with senior leaders to shape the future direction of an ambitious and growing charity.
- As Head of Operational Delivery, you'll have the opportunity to create lasting impact for young people, schools and communities nationwide.
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Closing Date is currently 28th August 2026. Applicants will be contacted after this date regarding next steps
Our mission is to connect young people with STEM and inspire STEM futures.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Senior Youth Inclusion Officer is a key role within the Youth Inclusion team, helping to connect insights and champion young people’s voices throughout our work.
You will be one of two Senior Officers leading on the day-to-day delivery of the Future Voices Group (FVG) – our flagship youth engagement programme bringing together young people with lived experience of facing barriers to employment.
This will involve working across the organisation to support teams to work with young people, in line with our strategy.
- You will ensure our youth ambassadors meaningfully and authentically shape our activity, in particular through our engagement and influencing of key audiences and decision-makers across the youth employment system.
- You will bring awareness of the youth employment policy landscape, alongside experience of supporting young people with lived expertise to influence policymaking, programme design or service improvement through youth voice approaches.
- This role requires availability for regular evening sessions and occasional weekend commitments.
We currently operate a hybrid model of two-days per week in the office and three-days from home.
Please download our recruitment pack for more information on this opportunity.
Due to receiving high volumes of interest in our opportunities, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it as soon as possible.
We are the national What Works Centre for youth employment, with a specific focus on marginalised young people.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.