Area Head

Join Colchester Institute – Where Your Career Makes a Difference

At Colchester Institute, we believe in the power of education to transform lives and communities. As one of the leading providers of education and training in the region, we are proud to offer a dynamic, supportive and forward-thinking working environment.

Job Title: Area Head – Media
Full time, Colchester and Braintree Campus

About the Role

We are seeking an Area Head – Media to join our team. In this role, you will provide effective curriculum leadership for a broad, high-quality and efficient offer across Film and Television Production, Creative Media, Esports and Digital Marketing, VFX and Animation, and Interactive Media and Games.

You will maintain and strengthen established relationships with employers, local universities and sector partners to enrich the learner experience, support progression and destinations, and ensure the curriculum remains responsive to local skills and workforce needs.

You will also manage staff and resources effectively to secure high standards in teaching, learning and assessment, improve learner outcomes, and contribute to the achievement of College performance targets.

As a member of the College Leadership and Management Group, you will participate in regular and ad hoc meetings to support college-wide and local initiatives, drive continuous improvement, and share effective practice across all aspects of the role.

You will maintain and develop your professional expertise within relevant curriculum and leadership areas to ensure knowledge and practice remain current and effective. You will also actively promote and adhere to the College’s Safeguarding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, College Values, and Health and Safety policies and practices, while undertaking any other associated duties as required by the College.

Leadership and Management

In this role, you will provide competent and inspirational leadership and management for the Area, including:

• Promoting effective communication, staff welfare and wellbeing.
• Inspiring and motivating staff through effective resourcing, recruitment, induction, lesson observations, performance reviews, target setting and wider developmental activities.
• Managing employee relations matters, including discipline, capability, absence, grievance and other related processes as required.
• Ensuring effective financial control through budget management in line with College procedures, supporting the Area to achieve agreed financial contribution levels.

Curriculum Development and Delivery

• You will lead the development of an innovative, current and responsive curriculum that meets the needs of local and national employers, Higher Education Institutions, and students’ progression aspirations.
• You will lead the coordination, planning and development of apprenticeships, including Higher Apprenticeships within the Area, working collaboratively with the Director of Apprenticeships and other stakeholders as appropriate, ensuring employer demand is met and the quality of provision remains high.
• You will manage the staffing, physical and material resources required to support high-quality curriculum delivery and ensure appropriate staff cover during periods of absence.
• You will support the effective promotion and marketing of programmes through close liaison with the Marketing team and contribute to the continuous improvement of the curriculum offer, including the implementation of new courses in response to government qualification reform and stakeholder engagement.

Student Experience

In this role, you will lead on excellence and innovation in teaching, learning and assessment within the Area, establishing high standards for student achievement, progress, progression and destinations.

• You will promote the CI7 in Action and Walk Thrus programme to ensure a strong focus on current teaching methods, modes of delivery and new curriculum initiatives, delivering staff development sessions to support these priorities.
• You will lead on the quality assurance of classroom-based, apprenticeship and full-cost programmes within the Area, including maintaining accurate self-assessment reports and developing, implementing and evaluating focused Quality Improvement Plans.
• You will take responsibility for curriculum quality across classroom-based programmes, apprenticeships and full-cost courses, including the management of student recruitment and the improvement of retention, achievement and high grades in line with College targets.
• You will respond to concerns or complaints from parents, students and other stakeholders in a timely and effective manner, seeking support from line management and the Quality Team where appropriate.
• You will also apply student disciplinary procedures as required, supporting colleagues at earlier stages and taking an active role in later stages in accordance with current College policy.

Essential Experience

• Knowledge and experience of current practices and innovations within the sector and the Further Education environment.
• Proven experience of effectively managing a team, demonstrating improvements in quality measures and success indicators to achieve excellence.
• Evidence of leading and supporting staff to develop strong teaching, learning and assessment practices, including innovative approaches that deliver measurable positive outcomes for learners.
• Experience of the effective and efficient management and deployment of staff and non-staff resources to support a high-quality student experience.
• Experience of proactive curriculum development, promotion and marketing that supports continuous improvement of the curriculum offer.
• Experience and/or knowledge of wider provision types, including apprenticeships, adult learning, full-cost provision and other income-generating opportunities that meet employer needs.

Essential Qualifications

• Education to degree level and/or equivalent.
• A minimum Level 2 qualification in English and Mathematics, including GCSE Grade 4/C or above, CSE Level 1, O-Level Grade C or above, Level 2 Adult Numeracy or Literacy, or equivalent qualifications.
• A minimum Level 5 Teaching Qualification, such as a Certificate in Education, PGCE, or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Special Requirements

• Ability to manage special projects.
• Ability to travel between campuses.

Why Join Us?

At Colchester Institute, we value our staff and invest in their growth. Joining us means becoming part of a vibrant community dedicated to excellence in education and training. If you are passionate about making a difference and inspiring the next generation, we would love to hear from you.

We do not engage with recruitment or search agencies unless they have been officially contracted in line with our PSL.