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About Us

Central YMCA is transforming. This is an exciting time to join us as we look forward toward growth and progression and focus on our purpose to advance the education, health and wellbeing of our communities. We want to create improved access to life-changing opportunities and enable everyone to achieve their potential, live a fulfilled life and contribute positively to society.

What we offer

• Performance related bonus
• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – 4% employer contribution
• Life Insurance
• Hybrid work
• Family Friendly Policies
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – a wide range of free and confidential services for you and your immediate family (including counseling sessions)
• Employee Discount Scheme
• A forward-thinking approach to EDI where individuals are encouraged to be their authentic self at work.
• A real opportunity to impact change in the community through your work.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Central YMCA is open to applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to championing equity, acceptance, and inclusion, and provide everyone who works with us the opportunity to reach their potential.

Our doors are open to all and if you connect with our mission, vision, and values, we welcome you to come and be part of our team.

If you require any support or reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be happy to assist.

About the Role

We are a charity with five operations: YMCA Club, YMCA Awards, Central YMCA, YMCAfit and YMCA Training. We are arguably the most recognisable and iconic of all global charity brands – trusted throughout the world to deliver outstanding, innovative and socially responsible activities and services for young people, families and the wider community.

We now seek a new Director of Education and Training to provide strategic leadership across our funded and commercial education and training provisions within YMCAfit and YMCA Training.

YMCAfit

Because we believe in helping people become more fulfilled, we give people the opportunity to develop their careers – or find a rewarding new career – by training as a health and fitness professional.

YMCAfit is our fitness training provider. Through YMCAfit, we want to produce outstanding instructors who go the extra mile and inspire everyone to improve their health and fitness.

We founded the award-winning company in 1984 and back then, created the first Exercise to Music course. Since then, we’ve trained more than 120,000 people in subjects as diverse as sports massage therapy, exercise for older adults and postnatal exercise.

YMCA Training - Education & Skills

As a registered official training provider, our Education and Skills teams deliver a range of education and employment pathways across various vocations and business sectors, from early years and childcare, health and social care to business administration, team leadership and the fitness industry.

Formerly a separate charity, YMCA Training was established in the late 1970s and merged with Central YMCA in 2013, expanding our education and training provision. Our Education and Skills teams work closely with individuals, employers and local authorities, supporting all by delivering tailored courses to suit their needs and requirements. While both teams deliver our offer nationally, we focus on areas of deprivation in which we can make a greater impact for those who face barriers in the more traditional education and employment pathways

The Director of Education and Training will be responsible for maximising existing income streams, securing new contracts, and ensuring growth to support our vision of creating education and employment opportunities for all. You will ensure we are seen as a beacon of quality and the go-to training provider for post-16 education opportunities in its fields of expertise. Crucially, you will be instrumental in ensuring we remain actively engaged in national, regional and local level discussions regarding the delivery of education and training provisions.

About You

We seek someone with proven experience in winning, developing and managing funding contracts and operations at a strategic level.

You will be commercially minded with a proven track record in managing large and complex budgets. Extensive experience of delivering high-quality services within the post-16 and adult education environment will be key, alongside demonstrable achievements in both people and programme management. You must be able to influence, inspire and motivate others to achieve exceptional results.

To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, which can be viewed here, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.

Please ensure that your application is emailed to [email protected] inserting “Central YMCA, Director of Education and Training” into the subject field.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about this opportunity you can email our advising consultants at Peridot Partners to arrange a call:

• Katy Lennon (E: [email protected] or M: 07496 885 125)

Central YMCA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to successfully completing pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure, the receipt of satisfactory references, relevant original ID documentation and examination certificates.

Regulated activity: This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Charity is therefore permitted to ask shortlisted applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) to assess their suitability to work with children. Should you be shortlisted, you will be required to complete a disclosure form prior to interview.