Role: Programme Manager – Plumbing Apprenticeships
Location: Bedford or Tresham College – Bedford or Corby Campus
Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £41,400 and £47,971 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 35 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, Teacher’s Pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.
Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 52 weeks per year
Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time
This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.
About the role:
We are currently seeking a Programme Manager in Plumbing Apprenticeships to join our Apprenticeships department at The Bedford College Group.
As a Programme Manager, you play an important role in the success of our students through:
- Curriculum Leadership & Strategic Delivery – Lead the development and management of curriculum provision, ensuring programmes are high‑quality, industry‑aligned and support College strategies and student success.
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Teaching, Learning & Student Outcomes – Drive excellence in teaching, learning and assessment, monitoring performance data to improve attendance, retention, achievement and progression outcomes.
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Curriculum Development & Employer Engagement – Design innovative, relevant curriculum pathways that meet employer and community needs, supporting growth and enhancing student employability.
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Staff Leadership, Performance & Development – Manage, coach and develop teaching staff, ensuring effective performance management, CPD and a high‑performing, accountable team culture.
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Quality Assurance, Compliance & College Contribution – Lead quality assurance processes, contribute to self‑assessment and improvement plans, and uphold safeguarding, EDI, health & safety and college‑wide responsibilities.
About you:
- Qualifications, Teaching & Assessment Expertise – GCSE English and maths with a Level 3 specialist qualification, PGCE/Cert Ed and TAQA Level 3, with commitment to further leadership/management development.
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Curriculum Delivery, Quality & Outcomes – Proven experience delivering high‑quality teaching across diverse programmes, contributing to curriculum planning and using data to improve learner achievement, retention and progress.
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Quality Assurance, Compliance & Ofsted Awareness – Strong understanding of awarding body requirements, quality assurance processes (SAR/QIP, IV) and Ofsted EIF, ensuring compliant, audit‑ready documentation.
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Leadership, Communication & Team Development – Excellent organisational, communication and influencing skills, able to support and guide staff, collaborate effectively and contribute to high‑performing curriculum teams.
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Professional Practice, Values & Continuous Improvement – Proactive, reflective and resilient, committed to safeguarding, EDI and continuous improvement, with flexibility to travel, adapt to change and maintain high professional standards.
For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.
Interviews to be held: 17 June 2026
Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:
- Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
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Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
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Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
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Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
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Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
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Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.
About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.
Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.
Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.
Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.
