Senior Education Manager (Student Experience and Operations)
The King's Foundation
42,500 per year
Dumfries House, Cumnock
Full-time
10th April 2026
Listed today
Position: Senior Education Manager (Student Experience and Operations) JOB DESCRIPTION Reports to: Executive Director for Education Salary: £42,500 - £46,500 Dependent on Experience Location: Dumfries House, Cumnock The King’s Foundation The King’s Foundation is a charity founded by King Charles III and was first formed in 1990. Inspired by the vision and values of His Majesty, the Foundation focuses on creating better communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony. The charity offers education courses for over 15,000 students annually, health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people every year, and spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings. The King’s Foundation is headquartered at its flagship regeneration project, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, and acts as custodian of other historic Royal sites including the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland, and Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire, which are open to visitors. The Foundation also carries out its work at educational and cultural hubs in London, based at The King’s Foundation School for Traditional Arts in Shoreditch, Trinity Buoy Wharf on the River Thames and the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea. The work of The King’s Foundation is underpinned by our Founder His Majesty The King’s philosophy of harmony: that by understanding the balance, the order and the relationships between ourselves and the natural world we can create a more sustainable future. We have a diverse and inclusive workplace, creating a welcoming, safe space for everyone. This means that every member of our team can bring their whole self to work. We encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply to and join The King’s Foundation and bring their valuable skills and experiences. The Foundation is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees, including the provision of workplace adjustments. We do not tolerate discrimination based on protected characteristics (age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership) or other difference such as socio-economic background or social origin. Education Delivery across The King’s Foundation The King’s Foundation’s educational philosophy is rooted in promoting harmony with nature, protecting traditional craft skills, and fostering sustainable, resilient communities. It aims to help people of all ages access learning that develops traditional skills, environmental understanding, and practical abilities that support personal development and future careers. The fourteen curriculum areas span the arts, food production, science and craft industries. Education Delivery at Dumfries House: Dumfries House is the headquarters of The Kings’ Foundation and is home to eight different curriculum programmes. Due to the nature of the site, many of the activities take place in the natural environment or utilise natural materials and sustainable design principles to inform regenerative practice. 10,000 learners take part in an activity annually ranging from day visits for primary and secondary school pupils, through to entry level skills training, community programmes and artisan level craft training. A residential centre brings learners from further afield. Our programmes are unique in their approach to cross-disciplinary practice, focusing on solutions from multiple viewpoints. A calendar of open days, conferences, festivals and industry round tables run alongside the courses. The Role: The King’s Foundation education programmes are designed to be flexible and adaptable to the ongoing needs of industry and the planet with the opportunity to develop innovative and exciting workshops to fill current gaps. This role will suit an individual keen to make a positive impact on education approaches with an interest in innovation in curriculum delivery and experience managing projects with multiple stakeholders and small teams. The Senior Education Manager will provide operational leadership to ensure the smooth day‑to‑day running of education delivery at Dumfries House. The post holder will also convene a cross-curriculum education policy group responsible for standardisation across the sites. Key Tasks Operational • Oversee daily operations of education programmes delivered on the Dumfries House Estate. • Lead a team of education managers to deliver a coordinated innovative portfolio of interdisciplinary activity from school age learners through to trainees, postgraduates and professionals. • Ensure budgets are set appropriately and adhered to in line with reporting requirements. • Maintain robust systems for bookings, reporting, evaluation, and compliance. • Ensure facilities, equipment, and learning environments are maintained to high standards. • Oversee appropriate risk assessment processes are carried out and ensure adherence to safeguarding and safety requirements. Policy Coordination • Working alongside the Compliance Manager regularly convene an education policy committee to manage frameworks for evaluation, recruitment, quality assurance, and continuous improvement in line with organisational and statutory requirements. Safeguarding and Prevent • Working with the Executive and Education Directors, take a lead role in ensuring Safeguarding Policies and Procedures are adhered to across all Foundation sites including working with appointed Safeguarding Leads and Advisors. Development • Support the Executive Director with long‑term planning and development of educational programmes at Dumfries House, with school education as a priority area. • Support the Education Director by maintaining and building partnerships with schools, authorities, and industry bodies. • Working with the Education Director and Education Managers ensure accurate reporting to funders, governance, and stakeholders. Team Leadership • Line manages education managers and coordinators. • Promote a positive culture of inclusivity and professional excellence. Person Specification The essential skills, knowledge and experience required are: Essential • Experience in a management level role within education or charity settings. • Qualified to degree level in a relevant subject area with significant experience in the education sector. • Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills. • Strong understanding of quality assurance, safeguarding, and compliance. • Experience in working to quality assurance standards. • Ability to lead teams and manage performance. • Experience engaging with learners and working on curriculum innovation. • Experience in managing external partners. Desirable • Knowledge of curriculum development in areas aligned with the Foundation’s programmes. • Understanding of the Harmony philosophy in education. Other: • The post will be based at Dumfries House Estate, Cumnock, KA18 2NJ with the requirement to travel on occasion. • Your working hours will be 37.5 hours per week with occasional evening and weekend work. • You must have the legal right to work in the UK. • This post is considered to be a regulated activity therefore any offer will be subject to a satisfactory disclosure check with the Disclosure Scotland. Applications: Please submit a cover letter and CV (please note one A4 page maximum each for CV and letter) to Gordon Watson, email address: - hr.recruitment@kings-foundation.org and request an application form. Closing date for applications: Friday 10th of April 2026 at 1pm.