Project Lead - Education Charity

• Area of work: Strategy, Education, Growth & Change
• Contract type: Permanent (secondment opportunities considered)
• Employment type: Full-time (flexible working considered)
• Salary: £39,000 - £44,000
• Location: Hybrid working (London office base, with occasional travel to other office and school locations)
• Annual leave & benefits: 26 days annual leave, contributory pension scheme, occupational sickpay, family-friendly benefits, wellbeing support, professionaldevelopment and flexible working
• Closing date: 21/04/2026

About the role
This is an opportunityto play a pivotal role in supporting the growth of a large national group ofprimary and secondary schools, educating more than 75,000 children and youngpeople across England.
AsProject Lead you will support the Head of Growth to ensure that schools joiningthe organisation experience a positive, well-managed and supportivetransition. From initial engagement through to transfer and integration, youwill project manage all aspects of the joining process, working closely withschool leaders, central teams and external stakeholders.
The organisation'sgrowth strategy is built around creating strong local clusters of schools toenable meaningful collaboration, shared learning and efficient supportservices. This role sits at the heart of that ambition and offers a uniqueopportunity to make a tangible difference at scale.
You will be part of acentral strategy and performance function and, alongside growth activity, willhave the opportunity to contribute to wider organisational projects.

What you will do
Project leadership and delivery

• Project manage the end-to-end process of bringing new schools into the organisation, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope and to a high standard.
• Coordinate due diligence, consultation, onboarding and transition activity, working closely with specialist teams.
• Manage risks, issues and dependencies, ensuring a smooth handover to business-as-usual once schools have joined.

Stakeholder engagement

• Build strong, trusted relationships with headteachers, governors, senior leaders and central colleagues.
• Act as a key point of contact for schools throughout the joining process, ensuring clear communication and a positive experience for staff, students, families and communities.
• Work effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, adapting approach to different contexts.

Strategic contribution

• Support the Head of Growth in developing and improving growth processes, project tools and documentation.
• Contribute to reporting, briefings and updates for senior leaders.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and share learning across projects.
• Take part in wider strategic and performance projects as required.

About you
You will bring apassion for improving outcomes for children and young people, alongside adisciplined yet flexible approach to project management. You will becomfortable managing complexity, balancing competing priorities and working atpace.
You will alsodemonstrate:

• Experience of leading or coordinating complex projects, ideally in education or a related public-facing sector.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and confidently.
• Strong organisational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• The ability to build positive, credible relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Confidence working with data and information to support sound decision-making.
• Energy, resilience and a willingness to learn as part of a collaborative and values-driven team.
• Experience of working with schools or young people is welcome but not essential.

Why join
You will be joining anorganisation that is committed to being a great place for schools to join and agreat place to work. In return, you can expect:

• A competitive salary and contributory pension scheme.
• 26 days annual leave, plus family-friendly and occupational sick pay benefits.
• Access to wellbeing support, health cash plans and a wide range of employee benefits.
• Tailored continuous professional development and opportunities to broaden your experience.
• A supportive, inclusive team culture with openness to flexible working and secondments

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