Main Areas of Responsibility

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for Careers Strategy Lead to join the Harris Federation central team.

In this pivotal role, you will provides essential leadership and strategic direction for careers education across all Secondary and Sixth Form academies. Your responsibilities will encompass the development and implementation of a proactive careers strategy that yields measurable outcomes, with a consistent emphasis on placing students at the forefront of all initiatives.

You will be responsible for establishing employer engagement programs, assisting academies in preparing for Ofsted inspections, and enhancing the apprenticeship program. Through these efforts, this role ensures that students have access to invaluable

Next Steps

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers’ Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days’ annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years’ service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

Skills

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leadership of careers education and partnerships at the Federation, advising and supporting all Secondary and Sixth Form academies
• Development and implementation of an effective vision and careers strategy 
• Building an employer engagement access programme 
• Developing and implementing a careers programme  which addresses the new Gatsby Criteria and meets Provider Access Legislation
• Supporting academies with Ofsted inspections
• Line managing and leading the Careers Advisory team
• Establishing and embedding an evaluation methodology to demonstrate the impact and highlight the team’s achievements
• Developing and advising academies on the delivery of a comprehensive and effective careers curriculum.
• Reviewing careers resourcing across the Federation
• Centralising and standardising key documentation and review cycles
• Delivering training at academies, providing opportunities to ensure we are leading the way with the most up to date careers approaches
• Enhancing the Harris Federation apprenticeship programme
• Overseeing the development and management of workplace experiences, industry placement and employer engagement schemes
• Creating a network of links with national and local employers so that Harris students are given fantastic opportunities outside of regular programmes
• Forging opportunities to promote Harris Careers
• Updating and maintaining the Harris Careers Education website, ensuring it remains informative, user-friendly, and up to date
• Creating a termly calendar of tailored, high profile careers events
• Conducting careers audit reviews across academies

A full list of responsibilities can be found in the Job Pack.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear form you if you have:

•  A degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience in Careers Guidance or directly relevant field
• Proven experience in a leadership role within education, careers services, or employer engagement
• In-depth understanding of the Gatsby Benchmarks, Provider Access Legislation, and the CDI framework
• Experience in managing large-scale careers programmes and delivering measurable improvements
• A track record of successful partnership building with employers, training providers, and external stakeholders
• Experience of leading, developing, and managing a team
• Strong leadership and strategic planning abilities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and collaborate at all levels
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate programme impact and adapt strategies
• Project management skills to deliver large-scale events and initiatives
• Budget management experience, ensuring effective use of resources

For a full person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Benefits

APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. 

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

OUR VISION & VALUES

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.

We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.