Eastbourne, East Sussex (On-site)
Unpaid role, expenses paid
Voluntary
Job description

East Sussex College Group (ESCG) are keen to appoint motivated and dynamic Governors from a wide range of backgrounds and with a diversity of skills and experience.

Location: Eastbourne, Lewes, Hastings & Newhaven

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 10th November.

ESCG, formed in 2018 following a merger between Sussex Coast College Hastings and Sussex Downs College, is the leading destination for further education in East Sussex. The College spans four campuses and offers a variety of traditional sixth form subjects, alongside vocational and professional courses, apprenticeships and much, much more!  We pride ourselves in being welcoming and inclusive, with a strong sense of community and a commitment to improving outcomes for all who study with us.

The Board, together with the Chief Executive Officer & Principal, constitutes the highest level of decision-making in the College Group, having overall responsibility for the strategic direction and financial health of the institution. As an Independent Governor, you will be at the very heart of the College Group, not only responsible for determining the education and training provided and the strategy for delivering it, but also leading the drive to maintain excellent teaching and learning, improving outcomes for young people and adult learners in Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes and Newhaven.

We are looking to engage Governors with a passion and interest in supporting the lives of young people and adults through education.

You do not need to be an expert in education, but what you do need is the drive and ambition to support others to succeed, to be an ambassador for the college and all that we do for our local communities, students, stakeholders, and our people.

Having recently carried out a skills audit of our current Governors, there are some particular areas of expertise that we are keen to engage with the Board. These are:

  • Financial management expertise, with either a specialism in FE and/or a qualified accountant.
  • Audit knowledge and experience.
  • Digital/AI expertise.
  • Expertise in complex capital and infrastructure projects.
  • Experience in marketing and strategic communications.
  • Organisational culture and managing change.
  • FE curriculum and quality expertise.

However, this is not an exhaustive list. We are also interested in candidates with knowledge of the Lewes/Newhaven local areas, ideally with an existing network within local industries and/or relationships with key community stakeholders.

ESCG is committed to reflecting the diversity of the people and communities it serves, to ensure a breadth of experiences and to govern a genuinely inclusive organisation. Diversity brings competing perspectives and is an important protection against ‘groupthink’ at the Board level. In this regard, the diversity of Governors ensures that decision-making perspectives are enhanced. Diversity information is captured during the application process and is used to support the Board in enhancing its diversification agenda.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 10th November.

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Peridot Partners View profile Organisation type Recruitment Agency Company size 21 - 50

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Posted on: 08 October 2025
Closing date: 10 November 2025 at 09:00
Tags: Training / Learning, Education, Strategy, Students / School, Youth / Children, Governance / Management