Farming and Rural Skills Education Manager
Position: Farming and Rural Skills Education Manager
Reports to: Education Director
Salary: £38,000 - £42,500 per annum, Commensurate with role and experience
Location: Dumfries House, Cumnock, KA18 2NJ
The King’s Foundation is a charity founded by King Charles III and established in 1990. The Foundation focuses on creating better communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony. It offers education courses for over 15,000 students annually, health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people each year, and leads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings. The King’s Foundation is headquartered at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, and also operates at other historic sites including the Castle of Mey, Highgrove Gardens, and educational/cultural hubs in London.
The Role:
The Farming and Rural Skills Education Manager will have overarching responsibility for overseeing The King’s Foundation’s farming and rural skills education initiatives, including leading on content development, strategic vision and delivery of the MacRoberts Centre for Farming and Rural Skills to become a nationally recognised centre for excellence. They will also oversee the strategy and operation for Valentin’s Farm and ensure both centres meet the needs of the target audience. The post holder will take a strategic and operational role in the development and implementation of education activity, training programmes and public events, and lead on the development and delivery of programmes related to farming and rural skills working to a five-year strategic plan. They will ensure cohesive progression for learners from primary through secondary, post-school education and training and continued professional development, and ensure programmes align with the strategic plan and best practice in the sector. Programs should align with UK-wide education and industry priorities. The post holder will manage evaluation approaches across related curriculum areas and be responsible for producing reports in line with funding requirements. They will prepare and deliver classes where relevant, oversee events across age ranges, and manage a small team of tutors, technical staff and consultants to deliver against aims. They will help develop a network of affiliate educational institutions, industry partners, placement providers and supporters to ensure high-quality education for students.
Key Tasks
Specific Duties include:
* Support the Education Director in delivering the King’s Foundation Education Strategy and review against aims and targets annually.
* Strategically lead on the five-year plan for the MacRoberts Farming and Rural Skills centre to become a nationally recognised centre of excellence and plan for longevity.
* Oversee the practical farming flagship programme under development that links with the academic research team.
* Line-manage education staff and tutors involved in delivery.
* Identify opportunities to develop innovative new programmes to complement the existing education landscape, including commercial opportunities and those aligned with grant funding priorities.
* Develop and manage flagship programmes that fill gaps in provision and demonstrate interdisciplinary learning for secondary schools and new entrants.
* Manage external stakeholders and consultants involved in delivering education programmes.
* Deliver lessons to a range of stakeholders when required.
* Plan and manage the budget for the Farming and Rural Skills education programmes in collaboration with the Education Director.
* Ensure smooth delivery of programmes with the FRS team, including: liaising with industry practitioners, liaising with sector organisations (Education Scotland, RHET, Farmers Union, Lantra), overseeing curriculum development linking to CfE, Harmony education and sustainability, coordinating with other Education Managers, ensuring staff are used effectively, identifying opportunities to certificate programmes, and delivering content to a range of ages.
* Maintain effective administrative systems for delivery, including resource management, budgeting, evaluation, annual/funding report content, and adherence to the strategic plan.
* Develop and deliver the Farming and Rural Skills strategy to build sector-leading education engagement, responsive to regenerative and organic practice.
* Work with the wider curriculum team to develop annual/seasonal offerings and deliver annual farming and rural skills events, plus CPD workshops.
* Ensure links between theory and practice across the Foundation and Harmony Education.
Person Specification
The essential skills, knowledge and experience required:
* Relevant degree-level qualification related to the industry or relevant subject, or current and up-to-date industry experience/knowledge in farming and rural skills.
* Knowledge of the education environment in relation to schools and further/higher education, and alternative routes into farming and rural skills careers.
* Excellent project management experience, including running educational or apprenticeship programmes and line-managing staff.
* Experience delivering education programmes to diverse stakeholders.
* Strong understanding of sustainability principles as they relate to the industry and education sectors.
* Strong network of partnerships or stakeholder relationships within the sector.
* Experience managing grant or foundation-funded programmes, including reporting.
* Ability to work proactively under pressure and achieve objectives.
* Strong leadership, innovation, organisation and ability to work with minimal supervision.
* Understanding and support for The King’s Foundation and Harmony Education ethos.
* Strategic thinking, teamwork, performance management, budgeting, deadlines, leadership, research and writing, influencing skills.
* Strong written and verbal communication with diverse backgrounds.
* Proficiency with Microsoft Office and related software; working knowledge of Windows and Adobe.
Other:
* Based at Dumfries House Estate, Cumnock, with occasional travel.
* 37.5 hours per week, including occasional evenings and weekends as required.
* Right to work in the UK.
* This post is a regulated activity; a satisfactory Disclosure Scotland check is required.
* Subject to satisfactory references.
Applications: Please submit a cover letter and CV (one A4 page maximum each) to Gordon Watson at hr.recruitment@kings-foundation.org and request an application form.
Note: This description excludes boilerplate and is focused on the essential responsibilities, qualifications and expectations for the role. It does not include non-essential notices or referrals text.
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