Placements and Employability Programmes Manager

Do you enjoy leading an agenda and ensuring key processes are followed? Do you thrive in a dynamic, collaborative environment? Do you have the skills needed to manage and ensure the institution-wide compliance of placement and work-related learning activity during an exciting period of growth and expansion in this area? The University of Sheffield is seeking a driven and strategic Placements and Employability Programmes Manager to lead and coordinate our efforts to expand student access to work experience opportunities both within and outside the curriculum.

Reporting to the Head of Careers & Employability, your role will be critical in realising the University's commitment to work-oriented learning. This is a unique opportunity to lead the University-wide promotion and governance of placements and work-related learning activity, ensuring growth, compliance, and equitable student access.

You will be a strategic thinker, committed to student employability with proven experience of leading a team and managing significant complex budgets. Your excellent interpersonal and communication skills will enable you to build relationships quickly and effectively, and you will have well developed influencing skills. You will have a strong understanding of placement and work experience processes and broad knowledge of employability approaches in HE.

What You'll Do:

• Strategic Leadership: Centrally coordinate the expansion of year-long placements and other work-related learning activity, overseeing governance, processes, and systems to meet institutional objectives.
• Compliance & Governance: Ensure effective governance procedures and compliance with policy and regulations for placements and work-related activities.
• Collaboration & Influence: Maintain excellent relationships with academic schools and faculties, professional services, the Students’ Union, alumni, and employers
• Project Management: Lead and manage complex activities and projects, ensuring efficient budget allocation and timely delivery.
• Innovation & Improvement: Utilise data and evaluation tools to measure impact and drive strategic decision-making.
• Senior Management Team (SMT) Contribution: Provide effective, positive input , ensuring service excellence and alignment with the University’s strategic priorities.

Why Join Us?

The University of Sheffield is a world-renowned institution committed to providing exceptional opportunities for our students. You will be part of a supportive and inclusive community that values diversity and innovation.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities,a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more at www.sheffield.ac.uk/benefits and join us to become part of something special.

The Careers & Employability Service comprises various teams including the Placements & Employability Programmes team you will lead. We are a highly collaborative Service motivated by the desire to enable students to secure a successful future after graduation, whatever that may mean to them. The University is highly ranked for the quality of work experience support provided to our students, and this role contributes directly to maintaining this positive profile.

We are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit the individual and University.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.

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