Job opportunities

Professional Development Specialist

Part-Time – 2 or 3 days a week. Hours can be spread over 5 days if preferred

Salary: 32k FTE, actual salary for 3 days: £19,200pa or for 2 days: £12,800pa

Location: Home-based, anywhere in England. Occasional travel required.

Start date: ASAP

Application deadline: Noon, Monday 6th January 2025.

Online interviews: TBC.

To apply, we ask the applicant to include a cover letter and CV that highlights their strengths in relation to the following key elements:

• • a sound knowledge and understanding of the education field, in particular around mental health and well-being,
  • a creative approach to problem-solving particularly in relation to growing the number of students engaging in the programmes we offer,
  • an ability to support students academically at all levels
  • experience in coaching/mentoring/supervision of colleagues in an educational setting

Minds Ahead is an innovative Social Enterprise reshaping school mental health, by equipping schools with the knowledge, skills and networks to make sustainable improvements. Here’s our track record since inception, in 2017:

• • • • Co-founded the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – the UK’s first university Centre for Mental Health in Schools
      • Research and designed a national mental health in schools’ quality award, now used by over 2500 schools to evaluate and improve their practice
      • Designed and delivered the world’s first Master’s in School Leadership of Mental Health, now in its sixth year
      • Designed and delivered innovative mental health training programmes to over 5000 school colleagues, in the UK and internationally
      • Working with our partners, Leeds Beckett University, we are the national quality assurance lead for all DfE-funded Senior Mental health Leadership programmes
      • Researched, designed and run a series of school mental health Qualifications, accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health
      • Chaired and spoke at multiple national mental health in-school conferences
      • Won several awards from Social Enterprise UK, UnLTD and SE100

We relentlessly focus on the needs and realities of schools. We know that schools and colleges, their governors, leadership, teachers and other colleagues are doing great work which improves the mental health of the next generation. We also know that schools need quality support, resources and training to improve, learn from each other and develop this new approach. It is our mission to provide these.

As the Professional Development Specialist, your passion will be to grow our school mental health qualifications by ensuring that high numbers of school staff are attracted to and sign up to purchase our qualifications and professional learning opportunities.

You will design and deliver some of these opportunities to our customers, who are colleagues working in various roles in schools. You will be committed to driving innovation within school mental health, focused on quality and evidence-based solutions that tackle the mental health challenges schools and colleges face.

Purpose of the role:
As an integral member of the professional development team, the professional development specialist will have a positive impact on reshaping mental health in education by making a significant contribution to the commercial and reputational strength of Minds Ahead.

You will ensure income targets are met for the RSPH-accredited suite of professional development qualifications by leading marketing activities that attract a high number of suitable customers to the programmes.
You will contribute to the vision and mission of Minds Ahead by designing, delivering and assessing high-quality programmes and resources which are effective so that customer and partner satisfaction is high.

The Professional Development Specialist will:

• • • • Ensure the programmes are highly effective, meet relevant quality standards, meet the needs of learners, and take action to address challenges/issues as they arise.
      • Work collaboratively with the professional development lead and coordinator contributing to the recruitment, retention and learning for students on all programmes.
      • Contribute to and manage the curating of programme literature, blogs, case studies and other material that supports the positioning of Minds Ahead within the field of school mental health.
      • Play an active role in contributing to the securing of new income-generating opportunities to grow the business by suggesting and developing potential collaborations, partnerships, bidding and other opportunities to increase the uptake of programmes.
      • Provide high-quality programmes, learning experiences and resources which are effective so that customer and partner satisfaction is high
      • Ensure that programme content is up-to-date, relevant and evidence-based, for the programmes or units for which they are assigned the delivery of assigned programmes, events and resources online and face-to-face, ensuring that expected outcomes are met and student satisfaction is high.
      • The delivery of professional learning experiences such as coaching conversations, dissertation supervision and other similar models of support.
      • Contribute to the improvement of, and adherence to, quality assurance policies and processes.
      • Work collaboratively and effectively as part of a micro-business and a small virtual team to support the overall success of the social enterprise.

We want the right person. If that is you, we want to discuss how we can work together. 

We are a flexible employer, committed to good mental health, diversity, service excellence, family and challenging the status quo. If the fit is right, we can make it work. 

Find out more: www.mindsahead.org.uk 

For further information, please email: claire.sewell@mindsahead.org.uk

If you wish to apply for this role, please submit a cover letter explaining the strengths you could bring to the role, highlighting your experience and why you believe you would be a great addition to our team.
Please also send your CV including the names of 2 referees (we would only contact them if you were successful at the interview and before starting the role) to claire.sewell@mindsahead.org.uk