Associate Head of Partnerships

Help shape the future of teacher development by connecting schools, trust and educations leaders with our programmes that supports great teaching, strong leadership and better outcomes for pupils.

At the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), we believe teaching is a fundamental societal good, a privilege and a responsibility. Our mission is to improve the quality of teacher and leader development across the system, supporting schools and trusts to build the expertise, confidence and capacity that children and young people deserve. We are now looking for an ambitious and relationship-driven Associate Head of Partnerships to join our South and West campus teams, working across the Birmingham and Bristol areas.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in growing and strengthening partnerships across a diverse and dynamic region. You will help connect schools, trusts and education leaders with programmes that support excellent teaching, leadership and professional development, ensuring that our work has meaningful and lasting impact in classrooms.

The role is hybrid, with the opportunity to work from home and from one of our campuses. It will be based at either of the South West Campus', either the NIoT’s newly refurbished Birmingham campus at Oasis Woodview (B15 2HU) or to our Bristol campus, currently based at The Greenway Centre, Southmead (BS10 5PY).

The number of days spent on campus and/or visiting schools will vary during the year, with fewer days typically required during school holidays and more during key periods of term-time delivery. On average, this is likely to be around one to two days per week. Applicants should live within a commutable distance of either the Bristol or Birmingham campus and be prepared to travel across the wider region, with travel expenses claimable in line with the NIoT’s expenses policy. The NIoT also brings colleagues together for an annual all-staff away day, which all staff are expected to attend, and which usually includes an overnight stay.

As Associate Head of Partnerships, you will lead partnership activity across the region, helping us recruit schools and trusts to the full range of our core programmes, including Initial Teacher Education, the Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications. You will nurture and deepen relationships with existing partners, including schools, trusts and our network of Associate Colleges, while also identifying and developing new partnerships that respond to regional need.

You will also help maximise the regional potential of NIoT’s national programmes, our growing research activity and the future opportunities created as we move towards full Degree Awarding Powers. This includes championing the value of working with the NIoT, listening carefully to the needs of schools and trusts, and ensuring that our partnerships are purposeful, responsive and rooted in shared ambition for the education system. The role will line manage our Regional Recruitment Manager and ITE Administrator, both based at the Bristol campus. In January 2028, our Bristol campus will move to a new, purpose-built site in the heart of the city at Oasis Academy Temple Quarter, creating further opportunities to extend our regional impact.

We are looking for a confident networker, communicator and problem-solver who enjoys building trusted relationships with senior education stakeholders and leading a small, committed team. You will join the South and West senior leadership team: a close-knit, supportive and highly motivated group working together to achieve ambitious regional goals.

Essential criteria:

• A commitment to the aims of the National Institute of Teaching 
• Ability to maintain relationships, influence and negotiate at a strategic level 
• A pro-active, entrepreneurial approach and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment 
• Excellent customer service, putting our stakeholders at the heart of our decision making, resulting in greater customer loyalty and retention and a strong reputation in the marketplace 
• Understanding of the regional and national education landscape and the ability to apply context to gain trust and credibility 
• Senior leadership experience within a school or senior education leadership experience

Desirable criteria:

• Line management experience 
• Hold Qualified Teaching Status
• Communications and marketing experience 
• Strong data interpretation skills 
• An established education network across the South and West.

Key benefits:

• Generous annual leave – 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays), rising to 33 days after five years’ service.
• Flexible working – we offer flexible start and end working times, with hybrid working in place for all roles.
• Pension - Entry to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Salary sacrifice schemes – we offer salary sacrifice schemes for bikes, cars and tech!
• Lifestyle benefits – We offer discounts on gyms, cinema, retail and much more!
• Parenthood leave – We offer above the statutory minimum for maternity, adoption and paternity leave.
• Working environment – We have a stimulating, supportive and rewarding working environment with a dedicated team of like-minded professionals.
• Support: Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides confidential support for employees on personal or work-related matters.
• Development: We fully support the development of our staff and ensure that you have a high level of continuous professional development.

We think a wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you to be successful in this role. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities.

If you are excited by the opportunity to strengthen teacher and leader development, grow meaningful partnerships and contribute to work that reflects the privilege and responsibility of teaching, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Please visit our vacancies page for more information and to apply.

Closing date: 26 August 2026.

First interviews: 8/10 September 2026 (on Teams).

Second interviews: 17 September 2026.

Please note that applications should be written by the candidate. Where we have reason to believe that an application has been generated or substantially written by artificial intelligence, we reserve the right to reject it.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Candidates must already have the right to work in the UK, as we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

This post requires a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) with a Children’s Barred List Check and Occupational Health Check is required as a condition of employment.