Are you passionate about building meaningful connections between education and industry? Do you want to make a real difference by expanding career opportunities for children and young people across the Northwest? QUEST Academy Trust is seeking an enthusiastic and driven Employer Partnership and UTC Pathways Lead to join our vibrant team and lead the development of employer partnerships that empower our pupils and students to succeed in their career journeys.

About the Role

As the Employer Partnership and UTC Pathways Lead, you will be at the heart of connecting QUEST’s educational provision with the world of work. This is a unique opportunity to lead the Trust’s employer engagement strategy, particularly developing the University Technical College (UTC) in Bolton and expanding apprenticeship pathways.

Your role will include:

• Building and maintaining strategic partnerships with local, regional, and national employers to create impactful work experience, mentoring, and apprenticeship opportunities.
• Driving growth in vocational pathways and ensuring pupils and students have access to meaningful employment placements aligned with their career aspirations.
• Leading the implementation of employability strategies across our Trust, embedding employability skills within the curriculum and extracurricular activities.
• Representing QUEST in external forums and aligning our work with regional and national skills strategies.
• Supporting pupils and employers throughout the placement process, from preparation to assessment and ongoing support.

This is a role with significant influence and scope for innovation, where your efforts will directly contribute to shaping young lives and enhancing workforce readiness in our community.

About You

You will bring a genuine passion for empowering young people and a proven ability to build strong, professional relationships with employers and partners. We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience working with young people and engaging employers in education or recruitment settings.
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills, confidence, and a persuasive manner to inspire and negotiate with a variety of stakeholders.
• Is highly organised, accountable, and able to manage multiple projects while maintaining a keen eye for detail.
• Shows a commitment to inclusivity, safeguarding, and upholding the Trust’s values of professionalism, compassion, responsibility, respect, loyalty, and kindness.
• Is proactive, creative, and ready to contribute to a dynamic team environment, sharing best practises and ideas to continually improve our employer engagement offer.

A relevant degree or equivalent qualification is essential, and experience in employer engagement or business management is highly desirable.

What the school offers its staff

Flexible working opportunities