Head of Student Engagement

The Sheffield College • Full-time • Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom • £47,578 - £52,457 / year • 1h ago

Head of Student Engagement

£47,578 - £52,457 per annum

The Sheffield College is a large, vibrant, and diverse further education college. We are proud of how the College contributes to meeting local skills needs and transforms lives through learning.

We have high aspirations and standards for ourselves, our students, and our apprentices (students). This role is key in supporting our strategic ambition to ensure the College is a great place to learn, and ensure our students gain the attributes, skills and qualifications they need to go further.

This role will specifically support our ambitions to provide all students with the best possible experience across the college, driving positive engagement and students’ behaviour, including attendance.

The postholder will support the development and implementation of college wide culture, policy and practice to foster a safe, positive, and respectful student experience.

The key objectives for the role include:

Increasing student engagement in learning and wider educational opportunities
Increasing student attendance and punctuality, including implementing a strategic, timely and targeted approach that reduces internal and persistent absenteeism
Improving student behaviour, modelling our relational practice and trauma-informed culture so that time lost for learning through Time Out (suspension) and/or exclusion remains low and is reduced further
Ensuring that key policies and procedures remain up to date, and are enhanced further relational practice and trauma-informed approaches at their core and are consistently implemented across college
Ensuring direct reports, and other relevant staff (for example, Student Mentors) participate in role specific professional development
Supporting curriculum leadership teams to achieve relevant and stretching key performance indicators as agreed through the college’s annual Business Planning process

Main Responsibilities:

As a member of the College Leadership team, reporting to the Director of Student Services, this post will contribute to the College’s common goals.

To achieve these, specific duties include, but are not limited to:

Providing daily visible leadership presence in key areas of our campuses at key times
Leading and developing our team of Student Engagement Officers across college
Developing and implementing inclusive practices that improve student engagement, attendance and behavior
Collaborating with curriculum academy leadership teams to support them to embed consistent relational and trauma-informed practice in their staff teams
Coaching college staff by role modelling best practice in relational practice and trauma-informed approaches to behavioral support
Contributing to the development, and leading the implementation, of key engagement policies related to student attendance, engagement and behavior
Contributing to how we deliver key aspects of the learner journey, such as transition, enrolment, induction and tutorial, ensuring they maximise student engagement and attendance and support the development of safe and healthy behaviour
Building sustainable partnerships with appropriate organisations that support the engagement, attendance and behaviour of our students.
Supporting the delivery of an appropriate high-quality training and CPD programme that meets the needs and different roles of a wide range of staff involved in improving student engagement, attendance and behaviour
Working with appropriate teams to further develop our data capture and reporting mechanisms for key metrics
Accessing and analysing key data, ensuring that improvement actions are targeted and reviewed to ensure positive impact on key metrics
Providing dynamic, visible, and effective leadership and direction, ensuring that a solution focused, and supportive culture of continuing professional development inspires, enables, empowers, and motivates staff to achieve high standards of performance
Supporting the development of the College brand. Recognising, developing, and working with Marketing to effectively promote new opportunities for the area and college, which support the strategic plan and maximise the college brands potential
Supporting value for money by contributing to the strategic direction of the annual business planning for student attendance and behaviour.
Deputising for the Director of Student Services when required, representing the college at events.

The portfolio of responsibilities will be reviewed so that it evolves as part of the College’s strategic growth and success. You will carry out other duties as may be commensurate with the post which do not change the character or purpose of the post which are necessary to maintain high quality standards of business practice.

Line Management and Cross College Working

Student Engagement Officers

You will be part of the College’s Leadership Team and will need to work collaboratively with members of the team across the College to deliver the College’s strategy and objectives.

You will be required to participate in cross-college teams and working groups on key projects.

You will attend relevant internal committees and groups, representing safeguarding, student well-being and Student Experience. This will include regular attendance at college operational groups, College Leadership Team meetings and other corporate meetings by invitation, preparing and presenting papers as required.

Other Responsibilities

You will act as a role model to colleagues, ensuring that the responsibilities of the post are carried out in a way that reflects the standards, vision, and values of the College.
To proactively promote and support the College to fulfil its statutory, corporate, and moral responsibilities regarding Safeguarding, EDI, General Data Protection Regulations, Audit and Health and Safety.
Ensure that environmental sustainability is a key consideration in the actions we take, working towards the college’s environmental strategy and net zero ambition.
Ensure that environmental sustainability is a key consideration in the actions we take, working towards the college’s environmental strategy and net zero ambition.
To act as a member of key College committee’s or boards as deemed appropriate.
To take part in the College Duty Manager rota, supporting the management of campuses on a regular basis.
To be an active member of the College’s communal first aid team
To provide mental health and wellbeing support to students as required

If you want to find out more about the role please contact Mark Hepworth, Director of Student Services - Mark.Hepworth@sheffcol.ac.uk

What we can offer you

As the successful candidate, you will be offered a salary of between £47,578 - £52,457 per annum based upon a combination of the skills, knowledge and experience that you can bring to the role.

Our benefits

Enhanced Pension contributions scheme with SYPA - 18.6%
Annual leave - 37 Days (273.8 hours) + 8 Bank Holidays(59.2 hours) - this includes a discretionary Christmas closure period
Health and wellbeing, we offer
Employee assistance programme through Bupa
Occupational Health through PAM
Free eye tests for VDU users
Free Parking is available at the majority of our campuses
Further information can be found on our Benefits andCareer Development pages.

Disability Confident

We are a Disability Confident employer and are committed to removing barriers for applicants with a disability during our recruitment process, upon appointment and as an employee. Please review our Recruitment Guidelines for Disabled Candidates which provides further information on reasonable adjustments and how the Disability Confident scheme works in practice. If you require any reasonable adjustments or any support at any point throughout the process, please contact jobs@sheffcol.ac.uk

Armed Forces Covenant

As part of our commitment through the Armed Forces Covenant, we’re pledged to support the Armed Forces Community. Recognising the value Personnel, Veterans and military families contribute to our community and country.

Safeguarding

We are an employer who is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students. Successful applicants will be required to have an enhanced DBS check and will be subject to safer recruiting procedures. Further details on our safer recruiting procedures, including the employment of ex-offenders can be found here Safeguarding

Next Steps:

To apply:Click apply online and follow the links to complete the online application. For queries regarding the application process, please contact the Recruitment Team at jobs@sheffcol.ac.uk

CVs are currently not accepted.

As a Leader in Diversity employer, we encourage applications from everyone and value diversity in our workforce.

Closing date: 7th April 2026

Please be aware – If we have a high number of applications, we may decide to close the vacancy earlier.

This table contains essential and desirable skills for the job

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