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Director of Engagement and School Partnerships, THE DIFFERENCE
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Director of Engagement and School Partnerships, THE DIFFERENCE
Director of Engagement and School Partnerships
The Difference is seeking a Director of Engagement and School Partnerships to grow our traded relationships with schools and sector partners while building the systems and team to deepen impact at scale.
This senior role ensures partnerships, delivery, and learning align as one coherent cycle—from first contact to long-term partnership.
Key Responsibilities
- Grow traded relationships: Build and convert a pipeline of trusts and Local Authorities (LAs) into our programmes.
- Build a sequenced pipeline: Turn initial engagements (from press, events, and outreach) into sustained, deeper partnerships.
- Design the partner journey: Map and refine the journey from first contact through onboarding, renewal, and scaling.
- Develop CRM and systems: Track relationships and revenue with precision and efficiency.
- Org-wide leadership: Ambassadorship for the organisation and active collaboration with the leadership team.
About The Difference
Every day, 5,500 children are suspended in England’s schools, doubling their likelihood of becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training) by age 24. The Difference tackles this through:
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- Whole-school inclusion training for leaders
- Research on effective interventions
- Policy translation converting insights into action
Our vision: reducing lost learning nationally by 2030.
About You: Essential
- A shared commitment to children most affected by lost learning and our mission.
- Credibility with schools, trusts, and local authorities to influence partnerships.
- Expertise in designing end-to-end partner engagement journeys.
- Ability to hit income targets while maintaining quality and honesty.
- Education sector knowledge (school improvement, inclusion, or leadership) to collaborate with programme experts.
- Skills in building and scaling delivery systems—ensuring consistent outcomes.
- Experience with CRM or sales pipelines to guide strategic decisions.
- Strong relationship management—expectation setting, risk mitigation, and progression planning.
- Strategic judgement to balance short-term delivery with long-term value.
- People management experience—fostering clarity, care, and accountability.
- Ability to act as a critical friend while contributing to senior decision-making.
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Desired
- Background in partnerships, engagement, account management, or business development.
- Experience scaling programmes while preserving quality standards.
- Ability to develop business cases tailored for school and education stakeholders.
- Proven track record in designing renewal or progression models for partnerships.
- Previous experience with school trusts, Local Authorities, or education charities.
- In-depth knowledge of children affected by exclusion, poverty, or special educational needs (SEN).
Note: Please refer to the full Job Description for complete details. We are committed to diversity and encourage applications from under-represented groups. All applications are assessed blindly, redacting names and protected characteristics.
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