Senior Delivery Manager

Senior Delivery Manager

Directorate: Standards

Team: Workforce Development

Manager: Director of Standards

Direct reports: Education Network Manager, High Skills Performance Coach and Curriculum Lead (two colleagues)

Role purpose

The Senior Delivery Manager plays a key role in leading high-quality operational delivery across WorldSkills UK's workforce development products and services. The postholder will be responsible for contract, project and performance management, ensuring all programmes are delivered efficiently, consistently and to a high standard. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, this role leads operational systems, processes and delivery management to support effective provision for further and higher education and the skills system, raising standards of teaching, learning and assessment.

Key tasks and responsibilities

The postholder will be accountable for ensuring that workforce development programmes and services are delivered efficiently, compliantly and to a high standard, with strong operational oversight and continuous improvement.

Contract and project management:

• Lead contract and relationship management with key grant funders, ensuring compliance with funding agreements and timely resolution of delivery issues
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting, including regular performance updates and financial summaries, to support effective oversight and decision making
• Maintain strong operational governance by identifying, managing and mitigating risks, and escalating issues appropriately
• Oversee evaluation activity, ensuring evidence and insights to inform continuous improvement and future programme development

Operational management:

• Oversee data management processes to ensure accurate collection, monitoring and reporting of operational and performance data
• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of systems and tools that underpin programme delivery (e.g. CRM, dashboards, workflow)
• Design, refine and maintain operational processes that support high quality, efficient delivery and a positive customer experience across all workforce development activities

Delivery management:

• Lead the planning, implementation and delivery of workforce development products and services to ensure they meet agreed project objectives, quality standards and stakeholder requirements
• Plan and oversee high impact events and training delivery, managing the full end to end customer journey from promotion and delegate engagement, through booking and delivery, to post event evaluation
• Ensure all activity is scheduled and sequenced effectively around the academic year
• Manage and support the team of trainers and coaches to deliver high quality, consistent and impactful training and engagement activity
• Coordinate internal and external resources to ensure smooth, timely and cost effective delivery of programmes and services

General

In addition to the key tasks and responsibilities set out above, employees at this level are expected to:

• Manage, support and motivate allocated staff to successfully deliver agreed activities and tasks
• Produce specification requirements in line with procurement processes for outsourced activity
• Contribute to organisational risk and issues management processes
• Support delivery of WorldSkills UK's strategic priorities and annual business plan
• Ensure resources (staff, suppliers, partners, volunteers) are managed efficiently and effectively
• Contribute to a performance driven culture with robust monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• Demonstrate WorldSkills UK's values in all aspects of the role, contributing to a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing organisational culture
• Promote and comply with WorldSkills UK's policies, including safeguarding, health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion
• Carry out any other duty as may be reasonably assigned that is consistent with the nature of the role and its level of responsibility

Any significant changes will be made in consultation with the post holder taking account of their experience, skills and capability. Person specification Key: E Essential / D Desirable.

Qualifications and experience:

• Experience of operational, project or programme management within education, skills or workforce development E .
• Experience managing complex projects and multiple stakeholders in publicly funded or grant funded environments E .
• Experience of event management or oversight of outsourced delivery D .

Knowledge and skills:

• Strong programme and budget management skills E .
• Ability to lead operational change initiatives and embed new systems and processes E .
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and translate insights into action E .
• Excellent risk management, problem solving and decision making skills E .
• Ability to influence and motivate colleagues and partners, including those working remotely E .
• Ability to build strong and effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders E .

Personal qualities and attributes:

• Demonstrates professionalism, reliability and sound judgement E .
• Organised and methodical, with a structured approach to planning and delivery E .
• Able to work independently, using sound judgement and initiative, while collaborating effectively with others E .
• Able to identify practical solutions and improve ways of working E .
• Adapts positively to changing priorities and ways of working E .
• Works collaboratively with colleagues and partners to achieve shared goals E .
• Able to motivate and support others to deliver high quality work E .

Special circumstances:

• Able to work occasionally outside normal hours where required E .
• Able to travel within the United Kingdom, where required E . Able to undertake occasional overnight stays where required E .

How to apply

WorldSkills UK is committed to making appointments on merit by fair and open processes and use a blind recruitment approach. Please ensure that you submit your application in Word (curriculum vitae and cover letter) to help us in this process.

We recognise that no candidate is likely to meet every criterion in full. If your experience is not an exact match but you believe you can bring relevant skills and experience to the role, we encourage you to apply.

For the full details on how to apply, read the full job pack attached to the advert.

Interview process and timeline

It is intended that the interview process will have two stages:

1. Stage 1 - online via MS Teams. The interviews will be held on Tuesday 7 April 2026.
2. Stage 2 - in person. Candidates progressing to the second stage will be invited to attend an in-person interview at our office: Third Floor, 52-54 St John Street, London EC1M 4HF. This stage of the interview process will take place on Wednesday 15 April 2026.

Candidates will be asked to complete an interview task as part of this stage of the process, details of which will be provided to those invited to the interview. Reasonable adjustments will be offered to all candidates during the recruitment process. For further information please contact our Senior HR Manager, Andreea Ojog by an email.

Application deadline

The deadline for applications is Sunday, 29 March 2026 at 17:00. Please note that late or incomplete applications will not be considered.