The Customer and Learner Experience Manager oversees the end‑to‑end learner journey across Adult Community Learning (ACL) Essex, ensuring a consistently excellent, inclusive and accessible experience from enquiry to progression. The role leads learner admissions, enrolment, advice and guidance, learning locations, and support services that maximise success and satisfaction while meeting statutory and funding requirements. The postholder manages the learner voice strategy, feedback mechanisms and customer relationship management (CRM) systems so that insights drive continuous improvement, accessibility and quality across the service in line with council priorities and ACL Essex standards. The post holder will demonstrate strong leadership, customer service expertise, and the ability to manage complex processes and systems.
Responsibilities
* Lead the design and delivery of the customer and learner service strategy so that experiences are seamless and inclusive from enquiry, during enrolment through to progression and destination reporting.
* Oversee enrolment, initial funding eligibility checks and customer care processes in line with guidance from the Department for Education (DfE), Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) and other relevant national or regional requirements.
* Lead learner support services including information, advice and guidance, wellbeing, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support, digital inclusion and learning resources, ensuring that barriers to participation are reduced.
* Lead a team to ensure effective and efficient utilisation of resources and facilities to maximise commercial opportunity and effective delivery at all centres and outreach across the County.
* Oversee the operational delivery of the service including facilities and catering, accountable for all aspects of health and safety and safeguarding requirements at delivery locations, sharing knowledge, expertise and good practice to ensure legal and audit/monitoring requirements are met.
* Manage learner voice activities and feedback loops so that insight informs service design, accessibility and improvement; publish and act on themes arising from complaints, compliments and surveys.
* Develop and monitor measures for satisfaction, use Management Information Systems (MIS) and dashboards to identify risk and drive improvement to support retention, achievement and progression.
* Ensure effective management of front‑line staff, systems and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms so that communications are accurate, timely and compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
* Collaborate with curriculum, quality, safeguarding and data leads to ensure compliance with the Education Inspection Framework (EIF), Martyn's Law, audit requirements and continuous service improvement.
* Contribute to service planning, risk management and value‑for‑money decisions, aligning customer and learner services to broader council outcomes for inclusion, health and wellbeing.
Qualifications
* Educated to RQF Level 5 or above (or equivalent by experience) in education management, customer service or a related field, with evidence of continuing professional development.
* Strong understanding of learner journey management, customer experience design and compliance requirements including guidance from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
* Proven experience managing learner admissions, guidance or support services in Further Education (FE) or adult learning contexts, delivering measurable improvements in satisfaction and outcomes.
* Significant experience using digital performance tracking and reporting systems, including management information systems (MIS), to analyse performance and address risks for learners and staff.
* Excellent leadership, communication and digital systems management skills, with the credibility to influence stakeholders and collaborate across functions.
* Commitment to inclusion, safeguarding and continuous improvement, with the ability to interpret data to drive learner experience enhancements.
Adult Community Learning (ACL) Essex is Essex County Council's provider of lifelong learning experiences for Essex residents. ACL Essex offers qualifications to help people move nearer to, enter or progress within the workplace or gain skills to enhance life chances. The service focuses many of its programmes and activities on the hardest to reach communities within Essex. ACL Essex learners have access to a diverse range of accredited and non‑accredited courses which encourage creativity, healthy lifestyles, social inclusion and engagement.
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