Join a department committed to high standards and exceptional learner experience as Deputy Head of Animal and Land-Based Studies. EKC Group are seeking to appoint a Deputy Head of Department in Animal and Land-Based Studies to join us. The Animal and Land ‑ Based Department operate across both the Spring Lane and New Dover Road sites, with a dedicated Land ‑ Based Campus forming the core of its delivery at Spring Lane. Our provision spans 14 – 16, 16 – 18 and adult learners, in three land-based areas: Animal, Countryside and Horticulture pathways. The department benefits from a fully equipped animal unit alongside dedicated grounds for horticulture and countryside studies. As a Deputy Head you will be responsible for improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the department, monitoring key performance indicators and instigating swift and effective intervention. In the role of Deputy Head your role responsibilities will include supporting the development of the departments curriculum as well as working with the Head of Campus to implement the strategic plan for the area. The candidate will implement the areas quality improvement plan and strive to improve the student experience within the area to ensure that the curriculum is current and meets the needs of the area, industry and the community. You will also scrutinise and analyse data relating to the department, including attendance, retention, achievement, and student satisfaction, ensure its accuracy and implement timely and effective measures to bring about improvement. This role is a teaching position, with remission provided to undertake additional duties. Further Details Salary (pro rata): £37,635 Hours: 29.5 per week Days: Ideally Monday to Thursday Alongside our priority of excellent student experience, we also focus on our employees. Here are just some of our benefits when working for the East Kent Colleges Group: Generous Annual Leave and Pension - 38 days FTE per annum and 28% pension contribution Learning and Development Opportunities - 3-4 annual paid group development days, bespoke programmes e.g. First Line Manager Development Programme and strong internal progression - 1 in 3 roles are filled internally Flexible Personal Leave - Time off for your child's first day at nursery or school, moving homes and for interviews Wellbeing and Health Support - Generous sick pay, counselling services, discounted gym membership at Canterbury College, free eye tests and glasses vouchers, flexible support for medical appointments and return-to-work support Culture and Recognition - Being part of Community Days, an Annual Staff Celebration Day, and an eco-friendly organisation dedicated to reaching net-zero by 2030 About You We are seeking to appoint a highly organised, enthusiastic individual to work alongside the Head of Campus and other Deputy Heads of Department to oversee the delivery of programmes of study and/or courses. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of implementing high standards and driving improvement within a department. The ideal candidate will lead and inspire others by balancing empathy with consistency, offering supportive guidance while upholding college policies and standards. They should have a background in education, a teaching qualification, and experience of line managing or leading a team. The post holder will be responsible for conducting teaching and learning observations, leading staff one ‑ to ‑ one meetings and appraisals, and line managing a team of lecturers and support staff. They will be able to make informed decisions and use their initiative to resolve issues swiftly and effectively, ensuring high ‑ quality provision is maintained. The successful candidate will have a solid understanding of the further education sector, including awarding body requirements, study programmes, and the frameworks that underpin high ‑ quality curriculum delivery. They will have experience of supporting lecturing staff to deliver excellent teaching to young people and will act as the first point of contact for lecturers and programme leaders. No need to spend time updating your CV, simply click Apply and complete our application form. You can save your progress as you go. We’ll review all applications and get back to every candidate after the closing date. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] About Us Outstanding Ofsted Provider East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding rated provider. It is proud to be the first General Further Education college organisation in the country to have received the Outstanding grade against each of the strands under the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of everything they do across EKC Group and this is illustrated in our ‘Strong’ skills grading by Ofsted. Commitment to Safeguarding We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities for upholding these principles. As a designated establishment, we are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore have an obligation to carry out checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include conviction/caution self-declaration, Enhanced DBS check and obtaining sufficient referencing. It is a criminal offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so. If you are successful in being shortlisted to interview, your suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults will be explored as part of the interview process. Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion East Kent Colleges Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of our communities. We are particularly keen to increase the diversity of our staff body and encourage applications from candidates where there is underrepresentation in our workforce. We are proud to hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer. This confirms our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. With any successful candidate, we will explore any reasonable adjustments to a role due to a health needs or disability. Similarly, we have a commitment to Care Leavers (Care Covenant Pledge) and to current or previous Armed Forces personnel (Armed Forces Covenant Pledge) with a commitment to interview applicants who meet the positions essential criteria and who have declared this on their application. We welcome applications from anyone wishing to work flexibly and those considering a return to work from a career break. We do not engage with agencies for permanent staff and have an in-house recruitment team.