Youth Employability Service Team Leader

Job Title: Youth Employability Service Team Leader

Location:  CXKHastings Base

Salary: £32,019 - £34,661  depending on experience

Hours:  37 hours per week, Full Time

Contract: Permanent

Reports to: Youth Employability ServicesArea Manager

About CXK

CXK empowers people to succeed in employment, education and training. The charity strives for a fairer society where everyone can grow and realise their potential. “The CXK Way” embodies the following core values:

·         Ethical – We work with professionalism, honesty and integrity

·         Passionate – We reach out enthusiastically to all who need out support

·         Innovative – We inspire, enhance and improve

·         Collaborative – We engage, support and share with others

You can click here to learn more about us.

The Youth Employability Service

CXK delivers the Youth Employability Service (YES) across East Sussex, commissioned by East Sussex County Council. We offer information, advice, support and guidance to young people in academic years 12 and 13 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), helping them to explore their options, plan and then take their next steps. We also work with schools supporting young people in year 11 who are at risk of becoming NEET. Liaising with a range of other services, YES is focussed on supporting young people to achieve their potential.

The Team

The YES team support young people from across the county, seeing them at CXK bases, partner venues or in community settings. The team assess and action plan with young people referred to the service, supporting them to understand their options and take steps toward achieving their goals around education, training and /or employment. Working with a wide range of young people, the team approach is focused, creative and persistent, building on young peoples’ confidence and motivation alongside their skills and personal growth.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and motivated YES Team Leader to support the delivery of a high-performing Youth Employability Service across East Sussex. You will provide line management and case management support to a team of advisers, ensuring young people achieve positive outcomes in employment, education and training while maintaining high standards of quality and performance.

Working closely with the Area Manager, you will use performance data and service metrics to monitor delivery, identify areas for improvement and contribute to service planning. You will support quality assurance activities including audits, observations and continuous improvement initiatives.

You will oversee referral allocation and caseload management, ensuring service standards and contractual requirements are met. A key part of the role involves managing the service database to support the tracking of young people across East Sussex, working closely with the East Sussex County Council Data Team to ensure data accuracy, compliance and effective reporting

The role also requires effective partnership working, representing YES and CXK at stakeholder meetings, developing positive relationships with external agencies and promoting the needs of young people who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET. You will support staff with safeguarding, risk management and professional development, while championing youth participation and ensuring young people's voices are heard within the organisation.

About You

This is an excellent opportunity for a confident leader with experience of managing staff within a service supporting young people. You will be committed to achieving positive outcomes for young people, have strong communication and relationship-building skills, and be able to effectively use data to drive service performance and improvement.

Minimum Criteria

• Demonstrable experience of successfully managing teams and monitoring individual targets.
• Experience of developing positive professional relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Experience of managing performance through the effective use of data and performance information.
• Experience of supporting staff in relation to safeguarding and risk management issues.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.  

Essential Criteria

• Maths and English GCSE Grade C/4 or above (or equivalent).
• Experienced in the use of Microsoft Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
• Ability to use initiative, make decisions and manage competing priorities
• Commitment to professional development and undertaking relevant training.
• Full UK driving licence, access to a vehicle and willingness to travel as required.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend work.

Desirable Criteria

• Level 3 IAG qualification (or relevant experience) and willingness to work towards further qualifications.
• Knowledge of services supporting young people into education, employment and training.  

Skills and Knowledge

At CXK we are proud to be a disability confident and equal opportunities employer. We actively promote diversity within our workforce and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Please click here to view the job description and person specification.

Employee Experience

A career with CXK is deeply rewarding and offers the opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of young people. As part of the Youth Employability Service (YES) team, this role gives you the chance to empower and motivate your team to support young people to take positive steps into education, employment, or training.

At CXK, we are committed to supporting our staff to grow, thrive, and develop their potential. You’ll be part of a supportive and collaborative team that values inclusion, wellbeing, and continuous learning.

Benefits of working with us

Our employee benefits include:

·         30-33 days holiday, plus bank holidays

·         Defined contribution pension scheme (matched by CXK up to 10% depending on length of service criteria)

·         Benenden private healthcare cover

·         Flexible working

·         Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

·         Training and development programmes and opportunities

·         Mental and physical healthcare initiatives and more

All appointees will be subject to an enhanced DBS Check.

Recruitment Timeline

Vacancy closing date: Tuesday 25th August 2026

Application review date: Wednesday 26th August 2026

Interview dates from: Friday 28th August 2026