JOB TITLE: Education & Community Inclusion Lead
DEPARTMENT: Sale Sharks Foundation
REPORTING INTO: CEO
CONTRACTUAL STATUS / HOURS OF WORK: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week. Fixed Term. 12months Maternity cover starting 1st July 2025.
BASED: Carrington Training Ground – M31 4AB, with expected travel across local areas
SALARY: £35,000-£37,000 depending on experience
KEY RELATIONSHIPS: Key External Stakeholders, Sale Sharks Club, Media, Internal colleagues
REPORTS IN: Community Inclusion Manager, Education Officers x 3
CLOSING DATE: Sunday 23, March 2025
INTERVIEW DATE: w/c 31st March 2025
About Sale Sharks Foundation
Sale Sharks Foundation is the charity partner of Sale Sharks Rugby Club. Our Vision is to use the power of our sport to change lives throughout the North West.
We work hard every day to deliver change in our communities to people of all ages and abilities.
We work with over 15,000 people annually in three key areas: Community Inclusion, Education and Rugby Development. You can see the impact we had by checking out our 2022/ 2023 Sharks Watch Impact Report. Our highly skilled, dynamic and passionate team now deliver over 50 community projects that change the lives of a huge spectrum of people across the North West: from children and young people right through to senior citizens.
We believe in the immense power of our sport to positively transform people’s lives. We believe the North West is a home to extraordinary people like you.
This is your chance to be part of our story!
Job Summary
The Education & Community Inclusion Lead will have responsibility to develop and deliver the strategic direction of both the Education and Community Inclusion departments at Sale Sharks Foundation. This will include developing the Foundations Education department which focus’ on alternative provision in primary and secondary education as well as our Hitz program for 16–19-year-olds. They will also work closely with the Community Inclusion Manager and with team to develop and monitor project/programmes around disability, social inclusion, health and wellbeing.
The role will have a focus on developing a range of provision across both Education and Community Inclusion. Priorities for this role will include exploring the development and opportunity to expand our alternative provision offer, securing funding, developing key internal and external relationships with partners, and managing a diverse team of staff. You will also be a key part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) at Sale Sharks Foundation, reporting directly to the CEO and responsible for departmental budget you will work with the rest of the SLT team to set the strategic direction for the departments and Foundation as we look to deliver our new strategy, to be launched in the 2025/26 season. This is an exciting time for an experienced leader to join the Foundation and help us achieve our strategic direction goals across the education and community inclusion space.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Relationship Management
- Lead the strategic direction of the team, building strong relationships with internal and external organisations.
- Lead on the scope and development of a new Alternative Provision offer.
- Work with existing and new commercial partners to support key projects across the Foundation, enabling us to secure the long-term future of key programmes.
- Identify, establish, and maintain effective partnerships with key stakeholders across the Education and Community Inclusion sectors.
- Work with existing and new grant funders, building rapport and developing relationships to make sure we maintain strong relations and meet KPI objectives.
- Work collaboratively with internal teams across Sale Sharks to support wider Foundation goals and objectives.
Leadership
- To fully contribute to the Foundations Senior Leadership Team, including managing budgets, providing reports to the CEO and trustees, staff CPD and providing strategic support to the CEO on all areas of the Foundations operations.
- Line management of managers and officers within your team, as well as matrix management support for others who feed into your programmes.
- To be responsible for the Education and Community Inclusion budgets including setting, monitoring and meeting departmental targets.
- Develop, lead and manage the execution of strategic operational plans across both Education and Community Inclusion to lead the team and meet specific KPI’s
Development
- Work with your wider team to iterate, design and lead on the development of existing and new programmes and initiatives linked to Education and Community Inclusion.
- Work with department managers and officers to ensure health and safety and programme procedures are in place across all Sale Sharks Foundation activities.
- Be one of the key points of contact and work closely with the Foundation’s funding consultant in identifying and writing bid applications.
- Oversee the planning and delivery of all Education and Community Inclusion programmes, ensuring staffing and resources are effectively managed.
- Working closely with the Safeguarding lead, to support the wider department with any safeguarding concerns, make sure to follow Sale Sharks Foundation protocols.
- Undertake any other duties as required by the CEO.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Keep clear, accurate records and data collection linked to all grants and commercial funding streams.
- Overall responsible of, and supporting teams to, effectively track and deliver against agreed KPI’s associated with grant funding.
- Overall responsible of, and supporting teams to design, deliver and ensure monitoring and evaluative feedback systems are in place for all programmes across Education and Community Inclusion, linking in with wider organisational KPI trackers.
- Analyse data and produce reports to present findings to grant and funding partners, including both outcomes and outputs of social impact using industry recognised measurement tools.
- Ensure that quality assurance of Sale Sharks Foundation Education and Community Inclusion activities, working with colleagues to ensure all materials are relevant and up to date.
- Lead on and ensure your teams support the creation of content, media, news articles and case studies/good news stories to support measure the impact of events and activities for the Foundation and relevant partners.
It is expected that the role may, on occasions, include working evenings and weekends including match days. This will always be agreed in advance with time off in lieu offered.
This job description is not necessarily an exhaustive list of duties but is intended to reflect the range of duties the post-holder will perform.
It is key to this role that candidates:
- Always demonstrate the Sale Sharks Foundation values.
- Promotes Sale Sharks Foundation’s brand and ethos in a professional and positive manner.
- Be committed to applying and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion as Sale Sharks Foundation and comply with all Charity policies and procedures.
- Act in line with the Foundations code of conduct always showing professionalism in all environments we work across, acting as role models for our community.
To Apply
- To apply, please upload your CV, covering letter and completed EDI Form (available to download on the portal) through our online portal. Please follow the link provided: Sale Sharks Foundation
If you are problems with applying online, please contact foundation.hr@salesharks.com
Please do not hesitate to contact Faye Richardson, Community Inclusion Lead, via faye.richardson@salesharks.com or 07355 092119 if you would like to discuss the role in more detail.
Sale Sharks Foundation is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all sections of the community. The successful candidate will undergo an enhanced DBS check to work with children and adults at risk and employment will only be offered if a clear check and suitable references are received back.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer feedback on individual applications. Please note only candidates selected for interview will be notified. If you’ve not heard from us within 3 weeks unfortunately you have been unsuccessful this time.
Staff Benefits:
- £240 per year (Pro-rata, claimed monthly) wellbeing benefit
- 3% Pension contribution
- 2 tickets free per game (Men’s & Women’s)
- Kit provided worth in excess of £300
- 20% discount on the staff shop
- Access to Sale Sharks High Performance Gym after 4pm
- Additional leave after 3 and 5 years service
- Flexible working (where possible)
- Health insurance through Vitality which also includes free access to the Headspace app, discounted gym memberships, free weekly coffee and film rental, health checks, employee assistance as well as a wider variety of discounts on health and wellbeing products (upon successful completion of probation period)
- Annual reward and recognition awards
- Bi-annual all staff training days & Foundation socials
- Other CPD opportunities throughout the year as well as an annual budget for CPD as a team and an individual
- Access to e-learning platform
- Dogs allowed in the office/ outdoor kennels (Behaviour permitting)
- Opportunity to buy into Sale Shark performance meal prep
- Free tea & coffee in the office
- Free onsite parking
