Partnership Manager
4 days ago
City of London
Organization: Elizabeth School of London Job Title: Partnership Manager Reports To: Head of Academic Partnership Salary Range: £45,000–50,000 per annum Contract Type: Permanent Working Days & Hours: Full Time, Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM Location: On-Site, London, Canary Wharf, UK (with occasional travel to campuses within England) Role Purpose The Partnership Manager will provide high-level operational and strategic support to the Head of Academic Partnership during a period of complex institutional transition. Working with a high degree of autonomy, the post-holder will lead the day-to-day coordination of ESL’s relationships with its awarding-body partners and will be empowered to represent the Academic Partnership function in a range of internal and external settings. This is a senior operational role during a period of significant institutional complexity. The post-holder will need to exercise sound professional judgement, manage competing priorities with confidence, and maintain constructive, diplomatic relationships with partner universities at a time of regulatory change. Reporting directly to the Head of Academic Partnership, you will play a central role in managing ESL’s relationships with its university and awarding-body partners. This is a substantive senior role, carrying real responsibility and significant institutional impact: you will be trusted to act with autonomy, represent the Partnership function externally, and make a direct contribution to ESL’s ability to fulfil its obligations to thousands of students. You will bring strong professional judgement, excellent communication skills, and a thorough understanding of UK higher education to a fast-paced and intellectually demanding environment. Key Responsibilities Partner Liaison and External Representation: • Act as ESL’s lead operational contact for its awarding-body partners on day-to-day partnership matters, exercising professional judgement on when to resolve issues directly and when to escalate to the Head of Academic Partnership., • Represent the Academic Partnership team in partnership meetings, internal cross-departmental forums, and, where appropriate, at partner university sites, presenting ESL’s position clearly and diplomatically., • Lead the coordination, preparation, and follow-up for all partnership meetings, including agendas, briefing materials, minutes, and action logs, ensuring accountability across ESL’s internal teams., • Manage ESL’s responses to partner information requests independently, drawing together accurate data and documentation from across the institution within agreed timescales. Compliance and Documentation Management: • Take ownership of ESL’s partnership documentation suite, ensuring records are current, accurate, and audit-ready., • Proactively monitor ESL’s compliance with partner-imposed conditions, identifying emerging risks and producing regular progress reports for the Head of Academic Partnership and senior leadership., • Lead the preparation and collation of materials for partner quality reviews and other regulatory submissions., • Develop and maintain systems and processes that enhance the Academic Partnerships team’s operational efficiency and evidencing capacity., • Liaise with ESL campus leaders to ensure timely provision of information required by partner universities Data Analysis and Strategic Reporting: • Compile, analyse, and present accurate data on student enrolments, staff profiles, and operational metrics, proactively identifying trends or issues of relevance to the partnership., • Design and maintain dashboards and tracking tools that provide the Head of Academic Partnership and senior leadership with timely visibility of partnership obligations, risks, and milestones., • Produce high-quality written briefings, summaries, and analytical reports as directed by the Head of Academic Partnership, suitable for internal and external audiences. Relationship and Stakeholder Management: • Foster positive, collaborative, and professional relationships with partner university contacts, contributing to a culture of transparency and mutual confidence during ESL’s transition period., • Support the Head of Academic Partnership in managing sensitive matters with partner universities, • Identify opportunities to strengthen partnership processes and raise them constructively with the Head of Academic Partnership. Additional Expectations: • Commitment to ESL’s values and to delivering positive outcomes for students, • Ability to handle sensitive and highly confidential information with absolute discretion, • Willingness to travel between ESL campuses and to partner university sites as required, • Completion of all mandatory statutory and regulatory training within the probation period Person Specification Essential: • Degree-level education or equivalent professional qualification, • Substantial experience in a professional services role within HE, operating with a high degree of autonomy, • Demonstrable understanding of UK HE QA and regulatory frameworks, including OfS requirements, • Experience of managing complex external partnership or stakeholder relationships, including representing an organisation in external meetings, • Experience of leading or significantly contributing to compliance monitoring, reporting, and documentation management, • Experience of producing high-quality analytical reports and briefings for senior audiences, • Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to produce professional correspondence, reports, and briefings to a high standard, • Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data to identify trends and produce accurate reports Desirable: • Postgraduate qualification or relevant professional development, • Familiarity with franchise or validation arrangements in higher education, • Knowledge of TUPE processes, • Experience of designing or improving operational systems and processes Application Instructions