Advertised from 13 June 2025

Role

We’re on a journey to create fairer communities by facilitating 10 million social entrepreneurs globally by 2030. Do you want to help make this a reality?

We are looking for a talented and values-driven Head of Adult Learning to join our highly skilled, motivated and supportive team in a maternity cover position. 

This is a rare opportunity to join an organisation with a global footprint and a deeply local purpose — helping individuals unlock their potential and drive change in their communities. As Head of Adult Learning, you will take on a senior leadership role in shaping how we deliver transformational learning to thousands of social entrepreneurs, community leaders and changemakers.

At the Academy, we believe learning should do more than transfer knowledge — it should change how people see themselves. Our approach is built on practitioner-led, peer- learning, where skilled facilitators — who are themselves social change practitioners — create the conditions for real, human-centred transformation. We support people develop their leadership practice. Please read our manisfesto – if it chimes with you, please get in touch. This is learning that removes barriers, unlocks confidence, and helps people step fully into their purpose.

We’ve seen how powerful this can be — not just in individual growth, but in the collective impact that ripples out when people see their own potential clearly and feel equipped to act on it. Since 2004, we’ve supported over 28,000 adult learners in more than 30 countries, and our ambition is to reach 10 million social entrepreneurs by 2030.

If you have a strong grounding in adult learning and facilitation and share our belief in the power of learning to create lasting social change, we’d love to hear from you.

Job Purpose:

The role plays a pivotal role in championing, embedding, and promoting transformational learning principles, ethos, and skills internally and across the sector, positioning the Academy as a leading provider of transformational learning. 

It will lead the sales and delivery team responsible for adult learning programmes, including large-scale contracts and projects and manage key client, funder, and sector stakeholder relationships. The role will ensure the continuous innovation and impact of the adult learning offer, ensuring impactful learning and building the organisation’s reputation for learning excellence and long-term sector influence.  

The role will provide leadership, mentorship, and performance management to the Strategic Partnerships and Delivery Leads. It will play an active role in driving and supporting sales, proposals, and funding bids in collaboration with the Sustainability Lead, Strategic Partnership and Delivery Leads and CEO, including attending key sales meetings and pitches. 

The post-holder will work at a senior specialist level across the organisation, contributing to the long-term business sustainability, strengthening the organisation’s reputation, and ensuring excellence and innovation in the design and delivery of experiential learning interventions. 

Main Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team, develop and drive the Academy’s business development strategy and implementation plan.  
• Take ownership of business development targets and efforts including sales, pitches, and proposals ensuring Adult Learning function financial targets are set and met.  
• Build and maintain excellent relationships with clients, funders, partners and sector stakeholders, acting as a champion and ambassador for transformational learning and the Academy. 
• Provide strategic leadership of the Adult Learning function, ensuring sustainability, growth, and innovation.  
• Champion, embed, and promote transformational learning and development design principles and ethos both internally and across the sector. 
• Lead, mentor and manage three Strategic Partnership and Delivery Leads and the Business Sustainability Lead, ensuring high performance and professional development. 
• Oversee the quality, design, delivery and impact measurement of all adult learning programmes, ensuring they hold true to the ethos and principles of Academy learning, are impactful, and sector leading. 
• Oversee the quality, development, and effective management of the Academy’s adult learning facilitator pool, maintaining high standards of delivery and alignment with the organisation’s learning ethos and values.  
• Represent the Adult Learning function at Senior Leadership Team meetings, contributing to broader organisational strategy and decision-making. 
• Ensure excellence and continuous improvement and innovation in learning and development service delivery, design, client experience, and impact measurement. 
• Be a role model for the organisation’s values, creating a culture that encourages a growth mindset, continuous learning, and professional learning across the Adult Learning team and wider organisation. 
• Model and champion the organisation’s values, culture, and commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). 

For a full set of criteria please download the recruitment pack below.

Organisation profile:

At the Social Enterprise Academy, we believe social entrepreneurs play an essential role in changing the world. 

We strengthen their role in local communities through transformational learning programmes that will increase their community impact.

Our programmes are accredited, responsive to learner needs, and are delivered by experienced Facilitators who are social change leaders themselves. 

Since 2004, we have delivered over 1,900 learning programmes to 28,000+ learners in over 30 countries. We have also engaged over 55,000 young people around the world, using social enterprise as a tool to help them reach their full potential and create positive change in their communities.

Application notes

Complete the application form and the equality and diversity monitoring form.

Send your application form and equality and diversity monitoring form in Word document format to seahr@socialenterprise.academy by 12pm on Wednesday 02 July 2025.

Please note that interviews will take place in Edinburgh week commencing 14 July 2025.

More information available at: https://www.socialenterprise.academy/scot/join-the-team

If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments for the application or interview process e.g. application form in a different format or extra interview time please get in touch: Karen Veitch | 0131 243 2670| seahr@socialenterprise.academy

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