Head of programme jobs in Leeds, west yorkshire
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At Base71 Youth Zone, we believe every young person deserves access to a safe, welcoming and inspiring place where they can have fun, feel supported and realise their potential. Since opening our doors, we have already welcomed nearly 8,000 young people, creating opportunities for them to build confidence, develop friendships and access life-changing experiences.
We are now looking for an outstanding Head of Youth Work & Partnerships to help lead the next stage of our journey. This is an exciting opportunity to shape and develop our universal youth work offer, inspire and lead our delivery teams and strengthen partnerships across Barnsley to ensure young people receive the very best support and opportunities.
About the Role
This is a rewarding senior leadership role for an experienced and passionate youth work professional who believes in the transformative power of youth work and the potential of every young person.
We are looking for someone who can lead with energy, creativity and purpose — someone who is ambitious for young people and motivated to create outstanding experiences that help them thrive. You will lead a dynamic team of Youth Workers, Managers and volunteers, creating a culture that is inclusive, supportive and focused on high-quality delivery. With a hands-on and solutions-focused approach, you will bring fresh ideas, drive innovation and ensure young people remain at the heart of everything we do.
No two days at Base71 are ever the same. You will oversee a wide-ranging youth work programme across Junior, Senior, Inclusion and Holiday Club provision, ensuring our offer remains engaging, safe and responsive to the needs of young people. Alongside operational leadership, you will build meaningful partnerships with schools, community organisations, funders and key stakeholders, helping to strengthen the impact and reach of Base71 across the borough.
As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will also contribute to the strategic development and future growth of Base71, helping to shape a Youth Zone where young people feel safe, valued, supported and inspired to achieve their full potential.
About You
We are looking for someone who is:
- Passionate about empowering young people
- An experienced leader within open-access youth work, community provision or a similar setting
- Skilled in developing and motivating high-performing teams
- Confident in leading safeguarding processes and responding to complex situations
- Experienced in partnership development and stakeholder engagement
- Organised, resilient and able to manage competing priorities effectively
- Committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and amplifying young people’s voices
You Will Have Experience Of:
- Leading youth programmes for diverse young people aged 8–19, including up to 25 for young people with additional needs or disabilities
- Safeguarding leadership, ideally as a Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Building strong relationships and communicating effectively with a wide range of audiences
- Managing staff performance, rotas, budgets and operational delivery targets
- Understanding the challenges facing young people today and the role youth work plays in improving outcomes
- Holding a relevant degree-level qualification or equivalent experience, ideally supported by a youth work qualification
To Apply:
To apply, please email a CV and cover letter (no more than two pages) in response to the
person specification and questions below
1. Why do you want to work for us?
2. Looking at the person specification, briefly describe how your skills and experience
(including any lived experience) make you a good candidate for this role. (200 words
max)
3. How would your previous experience support you to be a strong leader at Base71? (200
words max)
4.How you demonstrate your commitment to fairness, equity and respect.
5.Confirmation you are eligible to work in the UK (the successful candidate will be required
to provide documentary evidence before a job offer confirmed).
6.Any reasonable adjustments we can make to assist you in your application or the
selection process.
7.This role will be based in the Youth Zone and therefore require an Enhanced DBS.
a.Do you have any unspent conditional cautions or convictions under the Rehabilitation
of Offenders Act 1974?
b.Do you have any adult cautions (simple or conditional) or spent convictions that are
not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions)
Order 1975 (Amendment) (Englandand Wales) Order2020
Registered Charity The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The Head of Programming will set the creative direction for CST’s conference and events portfolio, shaping ideas, themes and experiences that resonate with school trust leaders. This role is responsible for turning complex issues — in education, public service and wider society — into compelling, well-crafted programmes that feel distinctive, relevant and worth attending.
The Head of Programming combines strategic oversight with hands-on creative leadership: curating speakers, designing formats and building narratives that challenge thinking and spark new connections. The role will lead and develop CST’s conference producers, building a high performing team with the capability to design and deliver consistently strong programmes that are intellectually sharp, well-paced and grounded in what the sector needs now to deliver the best outcomes for children.
Key responsibilities
• Set the overall programming strategy for CST’s conference portfolio, aligned with organisational priorities and audience needs
• Lead the development of conference themes, narratives and session architecture
• Ensure programmes are coherent, purposeful and drive engagement and learning
• Ensure programmes are completed to time and budget
• Design and test innovative formats that build engagement and connection
• Keep abreast of event trends in the wider sector to ensure that CST’s offer continues to be compelling and unique
Speaker curation and content development
• Identify, secure and brief high-calibre speakers from across education and related sectors
• Collaborate closely with CST’s Professional Community Chairs and CST’s system, commercial and charity partners to design insightful and enjoyable conference experiences for delegates
• Shape session content with speakers to ensure relevance, clarity and practical value for CST’s audiences
• Ensure diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and voices across programmes
Audience insight and quality assurance
• Maintain a clear understanding of the current challenges facing school trusts and audience needs
• Use insight from members, partners and previous events to inform programme design
• Set and uphold quality standards for all conference content and delivery
• Evaluate programme effectiveness and use insights for continuous improvement.
Cross team collaboration
• Work closely with colleagues in events, marketing, partnerships and policy to ensure that programmes are deliverable, well communicated and commercially successful
• Align conference content with CST’s wider community and professional development offers
• Support sponsorship and partnership conversations by shaping compelling programme opportunities
Leadership and delivery
• Lead the end-to-end programming process from concept to delivery
• Manage timelines, decision points and speaker processes to ensure that programmes are delivered on schedule and effectively marketed
• Provide on the day support for speakers, ensuring smooth delivery and strong audience experience.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.