Apprenticeship Programme Manager

As the UK's leading Social Enterprise, we move lives forward every day by building, managing and supporting thriving Communities. From new homes, social housing and student accommodation to leisure, education and Community initiatives, our work makes a positive difference to millions of People across the UK. And that takes People who care about doing the right thing. People who are ambitious, ready to grow and motivated to make a difference through the work they do.

We're looking for Colleagues who bring energy, curiosity and ownership. People who enjoy being challenged, support those around them and want to keep raising the bar. Because when we perform at our best, we create more opportunities to invest in our Customers, our Communities and each other.

Experience matters, but it's only part of the story. If you share our values and want to build a career where your work has real impact, we'd love to hear from you.

More about your role

The role will primarily based in Derby whilst you complete training and you will then get the option to work Hybrid.

At PfP Thrive, we're passionate about unlocking potential and creating opportunities for people to grow, develop and succeed. We believe learning changes lives, strengthens organisations and helps build thriving communities.

As our apprenticeship provision continues to grow, we're looking for an experienced Apprenticeship Programme Manager to help us create the strong foundations that enable both learners and colleagues to succeed.

This is a pivotal role within the business. You'll work across quality, compliance, funding and operations, turning complex requirements into clear, practical processes that support an outstanding learner experience whilst protecting the integrity and sustainability of our programmes.

You'll lead the development of policies, guidance, templates, systems and ways of working that help colleagues deliver with confidence. Working closely with tutors, operational teams and leaders, you'll provide support, challenge and coaching to embed best practice and ensure quality and compliance become part of everyday delivery rather than standalone activities.

Whether you're improving learner journeys, enhancing our learner management systems, strengthening documentation, preparing for audits or identifying opportunities for improvement, your focus will always be on creating processes that work for people and support positive learner outcomes.

You'll be a visible leader, building relationships, influencing decisions and helping colleagues navigate change with confidence and clarity.

What you'll do

This is your opportunity to shape how we deliver high-quality apprenticeship programmes at scale. You'll:

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of quality, compliance and funding processes.
• Translate complex funding and regulatory requirements into practical guidance, tools and resources.
• Support colleagues to understand and embed quality and compliance requirements with confidence.
• Work closely with tutors and operational teams to improve learner journeys and learner outcomes.
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, templates and documentation.
• Oversee learner management systems and records, ensuring they remain accurate, compliant and effective.
• Coordinate audit activity, quality reviews and external assurance requirements.
• Use data and insight to identify risks, opportunities and areas for improvement.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and learner-focused practice.
• Contribute to the sustainable growth and future development of apprenticeship provision across PfP Thrive.

More about you

You might come from an apprenticeship, education, quality, compliance or operational background, but above all we're looking for someone who is passionate about helping people succeed.

You'll understand that quality and compliance are about more than rules and processes. They're about creating the right environment for learners, tutors and colleagues to thrive.

Essential criteria

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Operational experience working within apprenticeships, education, quality, compliance and funding.
• Strong knowledge of apprenticeship funding, quality and regulatory requirements.
• Experience developing or improving processes, systems or ways of working that support learner success.
• Experience using learner management systems (LMS) and managing learner records and documentation.
• The ability to translate complex requirements into clear, practical guidance and support.
• Experience working collaboratively with teams to implement change and continuous improvement.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and a commitment to high-quality outcomes.

Benefits 

You'll be:

• Learner-focused – always considering how decisions, systems and processes impact the learner experience.
• Supportive – helping colleagues build confidence, capability and consistency in their practice.
• Collaborative – working positively with teams, stakeholders and partners to achieve shared goals.
• Organised and detail-focused – maintaining high standards and taking pride in getting things right.
• Curious – looking for opportunities to improve systems, solve problems and simplify complexity.
• Accountable – taking ownership and following through on commitments.
• Influential – able to build trust, bring people with you and embed meaningful change.
• Positive and resilient – bringing energy, enthusiasm and a solutions-focused mindset.
• Adaptable – able to respond to changing priorities whilst maintaining quality and compliance standards.

Above all, you'll enjoy helping others succeed. You'll get satisfaction from improving processes, supporting colleagues and knowing that your work ultimately helps learners achieve their goals and realise their potential.

We know rewarding work deserves rewarding benefits. That's why, alongside a competitive salary, you'll have access to a package designed to support you at work and beyond.
You'll receive:

• Pension with matched contributions up to 7%
  • Bonus scheme for colleagues at 2%
  • 35 days holiday (including bank holidays) with the option to buy or sell days
  • Healthcare cashback plan for everyday medical costs, with private GP and health support services available
  • Comprehensive wellbeing support including counselling, flu jabs, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and access to our Wellbeing Hub, supporting your mental, physical and financial wellbeing
  • Access to Our Place Rewards, offering discounts and savings on groceries, travel, shopping, home products and other lifestyle purchases
  • Ongoing training, professional qualifications, internal development programmes and career progression opportunities
  • Recognition programmes including Star Awards and Colleague Awards, celebrating achievements and recognising great work
  • Strong focus on inclusion, wellbeing and colleague engagement
  • Free membership to Places Gyms
  • Life Assurance to provide financial security for your loved ones, alongside access to will writing services to help you plan for the future with confidenc

What's next?

If you meet the criteria and are ready to make the next step in your career then apply following our simple 5 minute application process, upload a CV and a supporting statement which demonstrates how you meet the requirements of the role. If you have any questions please email the recruitment team View email address on careers.placesforpeople.co.uk

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we offer a guaranteed interview to candidates who are disabled, neurodiverse, or have served in the Armed Forces, provided you meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in your application. 

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview experience, please let us know. We're happy to work with you to ensure you have the opportunity to perform at your best.

If you are a Places for People customer and you're looking for support with your application, please contact our skills and employment team on View email address on careers.placesforpeople.co.uk . 

Please note that we may bring the closing date forward, if we receive a large number of quality applications. If you are interested in this role we would advise applying immediately to avoid disappointment.

If you are using a mobile device such as an iPad then ensure your CV is stored in the cloud, we currently support Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox.

W e understand the importance of a supportive and inclusive work culture so please talk to us at interview about flexibility you may need. We can't promise to give you exactly what you want, but we promise not to judge you for asking. For this role we are open to discussing the possibility of reduced hours, flexible start and finish times or compressed hours.  

If you are a recruitment agency please note we operate a PSL and do not take cold calls

Safeguarding

At Places for People, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to creating safe communities for our customers and colleagues by protecting children, young people, and adults at risk from harm, abuse, and neglect. 

We follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring all employees, volunteers, and contractors uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability. Our recruitment process includes pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where applicable, to promote a safe and secure working environment. 

By joining Places for People, you are expected to contribute to our safeguarding culture, following our policies and reporting concerns to protect those in our communities