Personal Development Manager
| Posting date: | 25 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £47,804 to £57,059 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 11 March 2026 |
| Location: | Cheshire, North West England |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Cheshire College South and West |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | EL391 |
Summary
Salary: £47,804 - £57,059 (per annum)
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: All campuses
We are seeking a highly driven and inspiring leader to join our Personal Development Team. This pivotal role leads a dynamic, high visibility cross College department focused on delivering exceptional pastoral support and driving attendance. The post holder will champion a proactive, learner centred culture, ensuring teams are consistently present, responsive, and equipped to support learners in overcoming barriers and fully engaging with their studies. The role also carries significant safeguarding responsibility, serving as an active and essential member of the College Be Safe Team.
Key Responsibilities:
• Provide strong, positive and inspirational leadership at College Leadership Team (CLT) level to promote quality improvement in response to feedback from learners, parents, partners, employers, staff, inspectors and accrediting bodies on the quality of services;
• Lead a highly visible team at the forefront of daily college life, ensuring learners are supported, challenged, and consistently guided to meet the highest expectations.
• Oversee an effective tutorial provision, ensuring that all learners receive their induction and tutorial entitlement and are set challenging targets which are effectively monitored and lead to positive outcomes;
• Lead the design and implementation of strategies to drive improved attendance, retention and achievement that exceed College targets and develop effective strategies for raising levels of attendance and punctuality to support the retention and attendance of learners and monitor the effectiveness of attendance management strategies working closely with curriculum leaders across the College;
• Ensure that strategies to manage learner behaviour and attitudes are effective across all College; and
• Be an active member of the College’s Safeguarding Team and be a named contact for safeguarding issues.
Key Person Specification Requirements:
• Degree and/or a comparable professional qualification (or equivalent);
• PGCE/Cert Ed/Level 3 Education and Training (or equivalent);
• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent level 2 qualification)
• Experience of coordinating or managing a personal develop / learner services support team;
• Experience of the issues facing young people and implementing strategies to meet these needs;
• Experience of dealing with / assisting with young people with challenging behaviour and / or Safeguarding & Vulnerable Learners e.g. LAC, SEN, Trauma experienced;
• Experience of supporting learners with pastoral, welfare and mental health concerns;
• Effective communication skills - proven experience and ability to communicate effectively with learners, parents/carers, staff and outside agencies with a sensitivity to the different needs of all connected to the College;
• Experience of introducing quality improvements and managing change; and
• Enhanced DBS check.
Please see the Job Description and Person Specification attached for further details.
If you’re interested in this new opportunity, you can apply by sending a completed application form to recruitment@ccsw.ac.uk by 9am on 11 March 2026.
We do not consider applications submitted through recruitment agencies.
The selection process will take place on 19 March 2026.
Benefits:
• Access to world-class facilities
• Access to new qualifications to support your career in education such as short online courses in the areas below. If you’re interested in learning more about this, please email recruitment@ccsw.ac.uk.
o Equality and Diversity
o Information, Advice and Guidance
o Understanding Safeguarding and Prevent
o Principles of Customer Service
• Financial support offered to obtain your teacher qualification
• Extensive upskilling and professional development opportunities
• Competitive salary
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions (28.68% for TPS and 21% for LGPS)
• Up to 51 days of annual leave, including bank holidays, Christmas closure, and a dedicated Wellbeing Day
• Onsite fitness and childcare facilities
• Employee benefit platform
• Onsite Costa, café, shop, restaurants and hair and beauty salon
• Free onsite parking
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Staff Awards
If you wish to discuss any aspects of the role prior to making an application, then please email recruitment@ccsw.ac.uk where arrangements will be made for a discussion with the relevant department.
Cheshire College South and West is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Successful applicants will be required to provide a DBS Disclosure, Right to Work evidence and original qualification certificates. Online checks will be carried out and references will be sought.
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: All campuses
We are seeking a highly driven and inspiring leader to join our Personal Development Team. This pivotal role leads a dynamic, high visibility cross College department focused on delivering exceptional pastoral support and driving attendance. The post holder will champion a proactive, learner centred culture, ensuring teams are consistently present, responsive, and equipped to support learners in overcoming barriers and fully engaging with their studies. The role also carries significant safeguarding responsibility, serving as an active and essential member of the College Be Safe Team.
Key Responsibilities:
• Provide strong, positive and inspirational leadership at College Leadership Team (CLT) level to promote quality improvement in response to feedback from learners, parents, partners, employers, staff, inspectors and accrediting bodies on the quality of services;
• Lead a highly visible team at the forefront of daily college life, ensuring learners are supported, challenged, and consistently guided to meet the highest expectations.
• Oversee an effective tutorial provision, ensuring that all learners receive their induction and tutorial entitlement and are set challenging targets which are effectively monitored and lead to positive outcomes;
• Lead the design and implementation of strategies to drive improved attendance, retention and achievement that exceed College targets and develop effective strategies for raising levels of attendance and punctuality to support the retention and attendance of learners and monitor the effectiveness of attendance management strategies working closely with curriculum leaders across the College;
• Ensure that strategies to manage learner behaviour and attitudes are effective across all College; and
• Be an active member of the College’s Safeguarding Team and be a named contact for safeguarding issues.
Key Person Specification Requirements:
• Degree and/or a comparable professional qualification (or equivalent);
• PGCE/Cert Ed/Level 3 Education and Training (or equivalent);
• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent level 2 qualification)
• Experience of coordinating or managing a personal develop / learner services support team;
• Experience of the issues facing young people and implementing strategies to meet these needs;
• Experience of dealing with / assisting with young people with challenging behaviour and / or Safeguarding & Vulnerable Learners e.g. LAC, SEN, Trauma experienced;
• Experience of supporting learners with pastoral, welfare and mental health concerns;
• Effective communication skills - proven experience and ability to communicate effectively with learners, parents/carers, staff and outside agencies with a sensitivity to the different needs of all connected to the College;
• Experience of introducing quality improvements and managing change; and
• Enhanced DBS check.
Please see the Job Description and Person Specification attached for further details.
If you’re interested in this new opportunity, you can apply by sending a completed application form to recruitment@ccsw.ac.uk by 9am on 11 March 2026.
We do not consider applications submitted through recruitment agencies.
The selection process will take place on 19 March 2026.
Benefits:
• Access to world-class facilities
• Access to new qualifications to support your career in education such as short online courses in the areas below. If you’re interested in learning more about this, please email recruitment@ccsw.ac.uk.
o Equality and Diversity
o Information, Advice and Guidance
o Understanding Safeguarding and Prevent
o Principles of Customer Service
• Financial support offered to obtain your teacher qualification
• Extensive upskilling and professional development opportunities
• Competitive salary
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions (28.68% for TPS and 21% for LGPS)
• Up to 51 days of annual leave, including bank holidays, Christmas closure, and a dedicated Wellbeing Day
• Onsite fitness and childcare facilities
• Employee benefit platform
• Onsite Costa, café, shop, restaurants and hair and beauty salon
• Free onsite parking
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Staff Awards
If you wish to discuss any aspects of the role prior to making an application, then please email recruitment@ccsw.ac.uk where arrangements will be made for a discussion with the relevant department.
Cheshire College South and West is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Successful applicants will be required to provide a DBS Disclosure, Right to Work evidence and original qualification certificates. Online checks will be carried out and references will be sought.