Sector Lead (Early Years & Education)
Permanent, Full Time
£42,177 to £49,620 per annum
Location: Essex
Working Style: *
Closing Date: 7th May 2026
*Please note this is a fixed-base role. Whilst you will be contractually based in your preferred ACL office (listed ), the role allows for some home-working and a requirement to attend ACL sites 2-3 days per week, in line with business need.
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.
The Sector Lead provides strategic and operational leadership for vocational and professional learning within one or more curriculum sectors. The role ensures that programmes are of high quality, inclusive and responsive to learner, employer and local labour market needs, aligning provision to the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) and council priorities. The postholder leads curriculum planning, quality assurance and workforce development for their sector, strengthens employer partnerships and digital delivery, and uses data insight to drive continuous improvement, excellent outcomes and a consistently positive learner and employer experience.
The post holder will need to demonstrate operational agility, combining leadership with a deep understanding of curriculum design, quality assurance, and workforce development. They should be skilled in analysing complex data to inform decisions, influencing stakeholders, and building strong partnerships with employers and internal teams. Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, alongside the ability to embed digital innovation and respond to changing learner and labour market needs. Resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and continuous professional development.
Role responsibilities
1. Lead curriculum planning and delivery within assigned sectors so that programmes align to labour market intelligence (LMI), qualification and awarding body requirements, with clear progression pathways from outreach first steps learning into further learning and employment.
2. Collaborate with quality leads to ensure teaching, learning and assessment meet the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) and service standards; oversee observation, feedback and course review cycles for the sector.
3. Use key performance indicators (KPIs), management information systems (MIS) and learner voice to monitor applications, attendance, progress and achievement, acting on insight to improve retention, success and destinations.
4. Ensure timely enrolment, induction and achievement for learners, including compliance with awarding organisation requirements and accurate recording on systems.
5. Provide people leadership for Trainers and/or Coaches and Assessors, setting clear objectives, coaching performance and building capability in digital delivery and e-portfolio use.
6. Strengthen community engagement co-designing provision, responding to queries and ensuring satisfaction and repeat business.
7. Contribute to the Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), evidencing impact and driving continuous improvement across the sector.
8. Promote consistent and effective use of digital tools and data to support teaching, reporting and compliance, including customer relationship management (CRM) and e-portfolio platforms.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
9. Educated to RQF Level 5 or above (or equivalent by experience) in a relevant vocational, teaching or leadership discipline, with evidence of continuing professional development.
10. Teaching and/or assessor qualifications (for example Certificate in Education (CertEd), Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Diploma in Education and Training (DET), Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA), Training, Assessment and Quality Assurance (TAQA)).
11. Proven experience of curriculum leadership, quality assurance and team management in adult learning, Further Education (FE), apprenticeships or work-based training.
12. Current sector knowledge and understanding of employer needs, professional standards and regulatory frameworks, including guidance from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
13. Strong data literacy and ability to interpret performance and quality metrics to drive improvement, with confidence using management information systems (MIS).
14. Excellent interpersonal, organisational and communication skills, with the ability to motivate teams, foster innovation and champion safeguarding, inclusion and equality.
Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.
Why Essex?
As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.
In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site:
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.
At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
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