Location: The role is national, managing teams in Northern Ireland, Wales and across England. You will need to be able to work at one of our BookTrust offices in London, Leeds, Belfast or Cardiff for an average of 8 days per month whilst some of these collaboration days may be worked in partner locations, at events or stakeholder meetings in any part of the country. The position will require regular travel to BookTrust office bases and to visit and engage as needed.
BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. We know that children who read are happier, healthier, more empathetic, and more creative. They also do better at school.
Working with every local authority and across every region in the country, and supported by Arts Council funding, we reach over 3 million families a year via partners in schools, children’s centres, health visitors and libraries. This incredible network helps us to get children reading across the country.
This is a new role within the organisation and the new role holder will have a chance to shape and build the role over time. You will be a strong leader with great people skills -experience of working with and leading teams working in geographically dispersed locations is advantageous.
You will have a clear experience the public sector landscape with a track record of relationships building, and an understanding of the local government policy landscape. With a collaborative approach to working across interconnecting complex work areas, you will be comfortable working within a matrix style of management for your won direct reports and those of other teams.
You may have charity or statutory setting experience, and will have the ability to set out a strategic direction for partnerships team members as well as being hands on in developing new relationships to support our work as well as being able to produce high quality written materials, analyse complex data and respond dynamically to a changing external landscape.
You will be an excellent communicator who manages up effectively and who is comfortable working across a matrixed managed team. You will have the ability to work closely with the Director of Partnerships in building relationships, and developing and delivering on strategies that support impact in our early years programmes by guiding the work of our partnerships team. You will be working closely with key role holders such as but not confined to the Head of Partnerships Delivery, and Head of Programme for Vulnerable Children.
The Head of Partnerships Development will ensure increasingly effective pathways to families by setting out ways of working that ensure delivery teams can access these routes, influence decision makers and develop and build the right relationships for greatest impact. Along with the Director of partnerships the role holder will aim to both influence and respond to central, local and regional policy initiatives in the sector to support BookTrust’s mission to get all children reading, especially those from low income and vulnerable family backgrounds.
The role holder will ensure internal stakeholders are briefed on the local government landscape and that risks and opportunities are clearly articulated.
This work spans the organisation – from within our partnerships team to our research and impact, communications and external affairs, design and innovation, growth planning, communications, profile-raising and income generation – and requires strong collaborative working to draw on skills and capacity in all these areas.
The role will work internally and externally to ensure the right inputs to ensure success for our scaled programmes, supporting everything from design to upskilling our team and relationship building across the local government and regional and country landscape.
To apply, please complete the application along with a copy of your CV.
Want to join us? To find out more about who we are please go to our website.
We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and welcome candidates from all backgrounds and communities,
Please note that this advert may close early should we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity
We aim to provide an inclusive recruitment process and actively welcome applications from diverse talent pools: minority ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities and long-term conditions and candidates from underrepresented communities.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and want to ensure we have an accessible application process for all candidates. If you need any reasonable adjustments or would like us to do anything differently during the application process, please contact our HR team (contact details are available on our website).
BookTrust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The recruitment and selection process reflect our commitment to safeguarding therefore, the suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment, and pre-employment checks.
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Location: The role is national, managing teams in Northern Ireland, Wales and across England. You will need to be able to work at one of our BookTrust offices in London, Leeds, Belfast or Cardiff for an average of 8 days per month whilst some of these collaboration days may be worked in partner locations, at events or stakeholder meetings in any part of the country. The position will require regular travel to BookTrust office bases and to visit and engage as needed.
BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. We know that children who read are happier, healthier, more empathetic, and more creative. They also do better at school.
Working with every local authority and across every region in the country, and supported by Arts Council funding, we reach over 3 million families a year via partners in schools, children’s centres, health visitors and libraries. This incredible network helps us to get children reading across the country.
This is a new role within the organisation and the postholder will be responsible for defining aspects of the role, building relationships and processes that will enhance our ways of working as part of wider organisational processes.
You will be an excellent communicator who manages up effectively and who is comfortable working across a matrixed managed team. You will work closely with the Director of Partnerships in building relationships, systems and processes that support our delivery across regions and countries as well as working closely with key role holders such as but not confined to the Head of Partnerships Development, and Head of Programme for Vulnerable Children.
The Head of Partnerships Delivery will lead and coordinate our early years scaled programme delivery as well as ensuring activities to support delivery and development of our vulnerable children’s work are catered or within team processes and relationship building with strategic and local stakeholders.
This work spans the organisation – and will have a close working relationships with key stakeholders in operations on aspects of the work as well as to research and impact, design and innovation, growth planning, communications, profile-raising and income generation – and requires strong collaborative working to draw on skills and capacity in all these areas.
To apply, please complete the application along with a copy of your CV.
Want to join us? To find out more about who we are please go to our website.
We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and welcome candidates from all backgrounds and communities.
Please note that this advert may close early should we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity
We aim to provide an inclusive recruitment process and actively welcome applications from diverse talent pools: minority ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities and long-term conditions and candidates from underrepresented communities.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and want to ensure we have an accessible application process for all candidates. If you need any reasonable adjustments or would like us to do anything differently during the application process, please contact our HR team (contact details can be found on our website).
BookTrust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The recruitment and selection process reflect our commitment to safeguarding therefore, the suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment, and pre-employment checks.
Thank you!
Job Description
The Head of Delivery & Partnerships is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the
successful implementation, quality of outcomes, and retention of DFN Project SEARCH programmes
across the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Iberia, in line with our franchise agreement from Project
SEARCH . This role leads the Delivery & Partnerships team, ensuring strategic alignment, excellence
of delivery, and sustained impactful partnerships.
You will play a pivotal role in driving programme quality, ensuring retention, maintaining model
fidelity, and ensuring high-quality outcomes for interns. Additionally, you will oversee the growth of
our number of programmes, in line with our strategic regional and national plans. You will also
contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation, working closely with cross-functional teams
to maximise DFN Project SEARCH’s impact.
Regular travel throughout the UK will be required, with occasional travel to other areas of our delivery.
In addition, occasional international travel may be required, for example to the annual conference in
the United States.
Essential Experience and Skills
• A passion for changing the lives of young people with learning disabilities and / or who are
autistic
• Educated to degree level or relevant Professional Qualification
• Highly motivated and organised self-starters with the ability to work under your own initiative
• Strong understanding of supported employment, education, and local authority partnerships.
• Experience in project management, partnership development, and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills.
• Experience using data systems and performance management tools.
• Experience delivering training and speaking at events or conferences.
• Understanding of SEND provision and funding arrangements in the UK (e.g., EHCPs, DWP, local
authorities).
• Experience working with senior stakeholders via formal reporting mechanisms.
• Leadership experience managing people/teams.
• Financial literacy and experience managing budgets.
Desirable Experience and Qualifications
• Experience working with DFN Project SEARCH programmes or similar supported internship
models.
• Experience in selling services or products and effective account management.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and health & safety in programme delivery.
• Knowledge and experience of using the Microsoft suite, in particular Outlook and Excel
• Experience of using a CRM for administrative and reporting purposes
DFN Project SEARCH are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young
people and adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject
to an enhanced DBS disclosure.
We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+
candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the
representation of these groups at this level at DFN Project SEARCH.
-Interviews will take place on:
1st round July 23rd and July 24th
2nd and final round: July 31st
Closing date: Sunday July 12th
-Start date - Asap
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.