Job Description
Head of Engineering (Higher Educatoin)
Application Deadline: 17 July 2026
Department: HE Engineering
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Wigan & Leigh College
Compensation: £57,141 - £64,285 / year
Permanent, 37 hours a week.
£57,141 to £64,285 (points 43 to 47), negotiable at the top for an exceptional candidate
Engineering moves fast, so teaching it well means keeping up. We’ve invested millions into spaces where our students learn, so they get to work on technologies they'll meet in industry. Additive manufacturing, robotics, a future energy zone, facilities built to mirror what happens in the real world. As Head of Higher Education Engineering, you'll lead a portfolio that works, our achievement rate sits ten points above the national average, and our apprenticeships have just been named the best in the region. We’re looking for the person who’s ready to take it further.
What you'll do
- Lead our Higher Education Engineering provision, setting our direction and turning strategy into clear delivery plans.
- Lead a portfolio including higher apprenticeships, Pearson Higher Nationals, and university-partner provision.
- Develop new provision led by student demand, employer need, and our regional skills priorities.
- Monitor recruitment, retention, achievement, progression and student satisfaction, leading quality improvement.
- Lead and develop our great staff, work with leading employers, universities, and awarding organisations.
- Manage budgets, resources and our specialist learning environments.
What you'll bring
- A degree or relevant higher-level qualification in Engineering or a related subject
- A recognised teaching qualification
- Significant experience teaching and leading Higher Education Engineering
- Experience managing higher-level programmes and a track record of improving student or apprentice outcomes
- Strong knowledge of higher apprenticeships, gateway and end-point assessment
- Confidence working with employers, universities, awarding organisations, and external partners
What you're like
- Ambitious. You want Higher Education Engineering to stand out, recognised as a brilliant career path creating considerable change.
- Credible. You can hold your own with employers, academics, and senior leaders.
- Strategic. You see where provision needs to go and can build the plan to get us there.
- Driven by quality. You use evidence to improve outcomes and act early if something slips
- Industry-aware. You keep our provision connected to current technology and the needs of industry.
Essentials
- You'll need an enhanced DBS check, if you get the job, we'll do this for you.
- You're committed to safeguarding, inclusion and standing by our values.
- You can work across our campuses and external partner locations.
- You're flexible and happy to work beyond standard hours when it’s needed.
Why work for us
Engineering is central to the future of our region, and we're closer to that centre than any other college in the North-West.
We're the lead FE partner in the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology and The North-West Construction Technical Excellence College. That’s something only we can claim. You'll lead our provision, teaching on industry-standard kit, backed by a college still investing heavily.
Time to recharge
- Generous annual leave entitlement, including bank holidays (depending on your role)
- Family-friendly leave policies
Wellbeing as well as work
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Medicash healthcare plan
- Occupational health support
- Confidential counselling
- Specsavers eye test vouchers
- A culture where people look out for each other
Financial peace of mind
- Teachers' Pension Scheme
- Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to Work, buy tech)
- Railcard & Tusker Green car scheme
- Local and national discount schemes
Clear progression routes
- Opportunities to step up, specialise, or move across departments
- Leadership pathways
- Support to gain teaching qualifications
Read more about
our benefitsIf you've got the ambition and you want the backing to match it, apply today.
Please complete our application form in full. We can't accept CVs.
About Wigan & Leigh CollegeGreat people. Change lives.At Wigan & Leigh College, everyday moments, from small conversations to tiny acts of encouragement, have real impact. We're a centre of technical educational excellence, committed to raising aspirations and helping our community thrive socially and economically. Here, your work shapes the futures of our students and the wider region, while giving you meaningful opportunities to grow, develop, and make a difference.
