• Support sustainable programme growth through evidence-led renewals, partnership development, proposals and business cases.

• Maintain commercial awareness across regional delivery, ensuring opportunities are practical, credible and aligned to programme impact.

Stakeholder Engagement and Regional Partnerships

• Develop and maintain senior relationships across schools, colleges, MATs, local and combined authorities, Careers Hubs, DSIT, employers, universities, STEM organisations, community partners and regional organisations that can strengthen delivery, market access and community reach.

• Represent IN4 at regional meetings, boards, employer forums, launch events and strategic growth discussions.

• Support appropriate regional governance, advisory or partnership arrangements that strengthen programme delivery and strategic alignment.

Programme Delivery, Quality and Performance

• Work with the national senior leadership team to mobilise and oversee TechFirst delivery, ensuring activity is well planned, high quality, safe, inclusive and contractually compliant.

• Take a hands-on role during mobilisation, supporting delivery, engagement, planning and problem-solving until the regional team is recruited, onboarded and deployed.

• Once the regional team is in place, provide senior oversight of programme delivery, school engagement, employer-led activity, events, recognition support, platform engagement and reporting.

• Plan delivery around the academic year, school capacity, exam periods, local priorities and regional opportunities.

• Monitor KPIs, milestones, school engagement, participation data, feedback, risk and quality assurance, maintaining appropriate information to support effective programme management.

• Embed safeguarding, quality assurance, data protection and compliance across all activity.

MEGA Hubs, TechFirst Recognition and School Engagement

• Support the development of MEGA Hub opportunities and related regional activity, drawing on established learning and adapting approaches to local need.

• Work with regional partners to shape practical delivery approaches that reflect local priorities, capacity and opportunities.

• Work with MATs and school leaders to develop trust-level programmes, curriculum-linked enrichment and careers-focused technology provision.

• Prioritise inclusion for girls, FSM/Pupil Premium students, SEND learners, rural and coastal communities, and groups underrepresented in technology pathways.

Industry, Academia and Employer Engagement

• Develop employer and academic networks securing contributions through volunteering, sponsorship, workplace visits, mentoring, challenge projects and careers insight.

• Build relationships with technology, engineering, digital, manufacturing, logistics, space, cyber, AI, data and frontier technology employers.

• Work with universities, colleges and innovation assets to create experiences linked to regional strengths and future growth sectors.

Reporting, Impact and Evidence

• Lead regional performance and impact reporting for internal and external stakeholders.

• Capture evidence from the outset, including participation, demographics, school engagement, employer contribution, progression, case studies, social value and feedback.

• Use data and insight to demonstrate impact to all funders, sponsors and stakeholders.

• Produce quarterly and annual impact narratives for renewals, sponsorship retention, business development and communications.

Team Leadership and Cross-Regional Working

• Provide senior direction to programme, delivery, engagement and administrative staff.

• Support recruitment, onboarding and development of regional delivery staff as the programme grows.

• Maintain focus on strategic leadership, stakeholder confidence, partnership development and programme sustainability.

• Act as a senior escalation point for regional issues, risks, stakeholder concerns and growth opportunities.

Skills and Experience Required

Essential

• Significant experience leading programmes, education partnerships, skills, youth engagement or technology-related initiatives.

• Strong senior stakeholder engagement experience across education, industry, government, local authorities, funders or regional skills ecosystems.

• Commercial confidence, including funded proposals, sponsorship, commissioned activity, partnership agreements or income-generating programmes.

• Experience working with schools, colleges, MATs, local authorities or education networks.

• Strong understanding of programme governance, delivery planning, risk, reporting and performance monitoring.

• Ability to turn strategic ambition into practical plans, funding propositions and measurable outcomes.

• Excellent communication, relationship management and senior external representation skills.

• Strong writing and presentation skills, including proposals, reports, business cases, briefings and impact narratives.

• Confident using data, evidence and stakeholder insight to inform decisions and demonstrate impact.

• Ability to balance delivery assurance with growth, partnerships and commercial development.

• Strong commitment to inclusion, social mobility and widening access to technology pathways.

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly across the East Midlands and North West.

Desirable

• Knowledge of CyberFirst, TechFirst, MEGA Hubs, STEM enrichment, careers education or digital skills programmes.

• Existing networks across the East Midlands, North West, local authorities, MATs, Careers Hubs, employers, universities or skills bodies.

• Experience securing sponsorship, local authority investment, grant funding or multi-partner delivery funding.

• Understanding of Gatsby Benchmarks, CEIAG, Local Skills Improvement Plans, regional strategies or education policy.

• Experience developing employer-led education, work experience, mentoring, enrichment or progression pathways.

• Knowledge of frontier technologies including AI, cyber, robotics, data, cloud, digital creativity or advanced manufacturing.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic, commercially minded and confident operating at senior level.

• Credible with education, government, industry and community stakeholders.

• Collaborative, practical and able to bring partners around a shared regional agenda.

• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to build structure around emerging opportunities.

• Committed to inclusion, social mobility and accessible routes into technology careers.

• Independent, resilient and able to drive progress without heavy supervision.