School Partnership Officer

Are you ready for the next step in your career? If you have strong project coordination skills, enjoy working with schools and partners, and are passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people, this could be the role for you.

As a School Partnerships Officer, you will play a key role in developing, managing and coordinating project processes that support effective school partnerships across the county.

Working closely with the Head of Service for Inclusion and Partnerships, you will act as a central point of contact for headteachers and school leaders, supporting collaborative working across primary, secondary and specialist networks. You will help shape and implement partnership delivery models, ensuring they are effective, sustainable and responsive to local needs.

You will provide project management support across a range of initiatives, including maintaining systems and processes, monitoring progress, managing risks, and ensuring high-quality reporting. You will also support communication and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, helping to drive improvement and shared practice across the education system.

This is a varied and rewarding role where you will contribute directly to improving outcomes for children and young people, particularly those most vulnerable to underachievement.

We are looking for candidates who:

• Are qualified and experienced – hold a Level 3 qualification and have experience supporting projects or programmes, ideally in education or the public sector
• Communicate with impact – engage effectively with a wide range of audiences and build strong relationships with stakeholders
• Are data confident – can analyse and present information to support informed decision-making
• Are organised and proactive – manage competing priorities, work independently and use initiative
• Are knowledgeable and values-driven – understand project management approaches and are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Please download the Job Description and Person Specification for more information.

To apply for this role, please follow the ‘Apply Now’ button above and upload your CV and a Supporting Statement. Your supporting statement is the most important part of your application as it will be used in the shortlisting process to determine if you will be invited to attend an interview so please be sure to address how you meet all the criteria in the person specification, drawing on any relevant work/life experience, education, or personal interests.

For guidance on how to write an application see our how to apply page and our statement on the use of AI.

Interviews are scheduled for Monday 20 July 2026 and will be held in person at County Hall, Lewes. We will be unable to offer an alternative date due to time constraints. Candidates who meet certain criteria are given priority when we shortlist. See our priority status page for details.

Why Join Us?

You will be joining a committed and collaborative Education Division that works to improve outcomes for all children and young people across East Sussex—particularly those most vulnerable to underachievement.

This role offers the opportunity to:

• Work closely with school leaders and system partners across the county
• Contribute to meaningful projects that impact education outcomes
• Develop your skills in project management, partnership working and strategic support
• Be part of a supportive and forward-thinking team
• A commitment to a model of reflective practice based on regular supervision to support all employees in their professional development.
• A continued professional development (CPD) programme to ensure your personal and professional skills and knowledge are enhanced and developed to support the performance of the service.
• Hybrid working, with a minimum of two office days per week at County Hall, Lewes. You’ll also benefit from a comprehensive induction, ongoing professional development, and access to a wide range of employee benefits.

We offer a diverse range of benefits to help and support you during your employment. More information can be found on our benefits page.

For an informal discussion or to find out more about the role, please contact Katie Ridgway, Head of Education: Inclusion and Partnerships, [email protected]

For work that makes a difference, choose East Sussex!

Additional Information

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced check for Regulated Activity with the Disclosure & Barring Services (previously the Criminal Records Bureau). For further information about what is required in this process please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record. Please note that we require evidence of an overseas police check if you have lived or worked abroad.

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is part-time or term-time only.

If you require sponsorship to work in the UK please let the hiring manager know this in your application so we can check eligibility for sponsorship for the role. For further information please go to https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

If you require any reasonable adjustments, due to disability, to enable you to participate fully in the process please contact the hiring manager on the contact details above.