Employer Engagement Team Leader

Employer Engagement Team Leader 

Site: Colindale / Ponders End / Hemel Hempstead (and future sites, working flexibly as required 

Reports To: Recruitment, Partnerships and Marketing Manager 

Line Reports:Employer Engagement Officers 

Hours: 35 hours per week 

Salary Band: £35,000 – 39,000 (based on skills and experience appropriate to the organisation). 

Overall Purpose of the Job:

The Employment Engagement Team Lead will oversee and drive the performance of the Employment Engagement (EE) team to secure high-quality apprenticeship and work experience opportunities for First Rung learners. 

This role is responsible for leading employer engagement strategy, managing team performance against targets and ensuring a consistent, high-quality approach to employer communication. The post holder will motivate the team to maximise business development opportunities, increase employer partnerships, and promote the benefits of apprenticeships and work experience placements. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Leadership & Team Management 

• Lead and support the Employment Engagement Officers to achieve individual and team targets.  
• Lead by example and model best practice in engaging with employers to secure apprenticeship and work placement.  
• Set clear KPIs, monitor performance, and provide regular feedback.  
• Drive team motivation, accountability, and a high-performance culture.  
• Ensure consistency in messaging, employer engagement approach, and quality of delivery across the team.  

Employer Engagement & Business Development 

• Develop and implement effective employer engagement strategies to generate new apprenticeship and work placement opportunities.  
• Drive proactive outreach activity including cold calling, networking, events, and digital engagement.  
• Support the team in building and maintaining strong employer relationships.  
• Lead on securing new business opportunities with both Levy and non-Levy employers.  
• Promote the benefits of apprenticeships and work experience to employers, ensuring a strong and consistent value proposition.  
• Manage existing partnerships with employers to maximise repeat business. 

Performance Monitoring & Reporting 

• Monitor team activity including calls, outreach, meetings, and conversion rates.  
• Analyse performance data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.  
• Ensure accurate reporting of employer engagement activity and pipeline.  
• Track progress against apprenticeship and work experience targets and implement improvement strategies where needed.  

Quality & Compliance 

• Ensure all employer engagement activity meets funding, compliance, safeguarding, and health & safety requirements.  
• Oversee employer onboarding, ensuring all employers meet Health & Safety requirements and that necessary documentation is completed accurately and in line with requirements. 
• Ensure consistency and accuracy of information provided to employers across the team. 

Collaboration & Internal Engagement 

• Work closely with curriculum, recruitment, and centre teams to align employer opportunities with learner needs.  
• Support marketing and promotional activities including events, campaigns, and employer showcases.  
• Contribute to strategic planning for employer engagement and growth.  

Operational Responsibilities 

• Oversee employer pipeline management to ensure a consistent flow of opportunities.  
• Use effective sales strategies to engage directly with employers and develop leads for apprenticeship and work placement vacancies to be followed up. 
• Support employers with apprenticeship processes including Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) where required.  
• Ensure all records and systems are updated accurately and in a timely manner.  
• Contribute to continuous improvement of processes and systems. 

General Responsibilities 

• Contribute to achieving First Rung’s overall performance and quality targets.  
• Comply with GDPR, safeguarding, Prevent, Equality & Diversity and Health & Safety policies. 
• Ensure employers comply fully with First Rung Safeguarding, Prevent, Equality and Diversity, Health, and Safety, and GDPR policies.  
• Always Act as an ambassador for First Rung. 
• Undertake any other duties as required by senior management.