Head of Department - Technical Industries

  • Ashford College
  • Minster, Kent
  • Feb 06, 2026
Full time Transportation Automotive

Job Description

About The Role

Lead technical education where space, ambition and opportunity go further. Join EKC Sheppey College as Head of Technical Industries.

East Kent Colleges Group is seeking an ambitious Head of Technical Industries to join EKC Sheppey College, leading and shaping a high-impact curriculum offer at a college on the rise.

As Head of Curriculum, you will lead a diverse and future-focused programme area spanning Engineering, Maths, Digital and Creative Media, and Construction for 16 to 18 learners, alongside Engineering and Digital pathways within our growing 14 to 16 Junior College provision. You will champion high standards, foster a positive and inclusive culture, and inspire teams to deliver teaching, learning and outcomes that aspire to be outstanding.

In your role as Head of Department, you will hold responsibility for the quality of provision across your curriculum area, actively driving excellence in teaching and learning, supporting staff development, and managing a delegated budget with confidence and purpose.

This is a particularly exciting time to join Sheppey College. In February 2026, our £7 million purpose-built facilities open, providing state-of-the-art spaces for Engineering, logistics, and digital design, production and development. Student numbers are growing, and our technical offer is expanding rapidly, with T Levels in Engineering and Digital and logistics apprenticeships launching over the next 12 to 24 months.

Based on the Isle of Sheppey, this role offers a rare combination of strategic influence, modern facilities and room to innovate, with the added benefit of working in a location that offers shorter commutes, open space, coastal surroundings and a strong sense of community. It is an environment where leaders can focus on impact, not congestion.

As Head of Curriculum for Technical Industries, you will have the opportunity to build something new, shape provision from the ground up, and leave a visible legacy for learners, staff and the wider community.

Benefits
  • Generous Annual Leave - 38 days FTE per annum
  • Competitive Pension Scheme - 28% employer contribution
  • Learning and Development Opportunities - 3-4 annual paid group development days and bespoke programmes e.g. Senior Leadership Development Programme and strong internal progression-1 in 3 roles are filled internally
  • Culture and Recognition - Being part of Community Days, an Annual Staff Celebration Day, and an eco-friendly organisation dedicated to reaching net zero by 2030
  • Wellbeing and Health Support - Generous sick pay, health checks, free flu jabs, free eye tests, glasses vouchers, flexible support for medical appointments and return-to-work support
  • Exclusive Discounts & Perks - Inc. restaurant, grocery, retail and holidays discounts as well as car leasing and tech purchasing schemes
  • Flexible Personal Leave - Time off for your child's first day at nursery or school, moving homes and for interviews
About You

We are seeking an experienced, innovative and proactive leader to join our management team and help shape the future of the Technical Industries department.

You will be responsible for delivering high-quality curriculum provision across all pathways, including our 14 to 16 Junior College provision, ensuring the right support is in place for learners to thrive and achieve in a dynamic teaching and learning environment.

You will bring a strong track record of raising standards, a genuine passion for technical education, and a can do approach that motivates and inspires your team. Current industry knowledge and a strong understanding of industry practice are essential.

The role includes teaching hours, primarily delivering Engineering (manufacturing and production) or Maths up to GCSE level, so experience of planning and delivering these subjects is required. A clear focus on excellence, delivery and strategic leadership is also essential.

To be successful, you will:

  • Hold a degree-level qualification and a recognised teaching qualification (DET, PGCE or CertEd)
  • Demonstrate good or outstanding teaching practice
  • Have experience of curriculum planning and development
  • Show a proven ability to lead and manage professional teams to deliver results

Applying is straightforward. No CV is required. Simply complete our short application form. You can save your progress and we will contact all candidates after the closing date.

For an informal discussion or any queries, please email .

About Us

Outstanding Ofsted Provider

East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding rated provider. It is proud to be the first General Further Education college organisation in the country to have received the Outstanding grade against each of the strands under the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of everything they do across EKC Group and this is illustrated in our 'Strong' skills grading by Ofsted.

Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities for upholding these principles.

As a designated establishment, we are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore have an obligation to carry out checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include conviction/caution self declaration, Enhanced DBS check and obtaining sufficient referencing.

It is a criminal offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so.

If you are successful in being shortlisted to interview, your suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults will be explored as part of the interview process.

Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

East Kent CollegesGroup is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of our communities. We are particularly keen to increase the diversity of our staff body and encourage applications from candidates where there is underrepresentation in our workforce.

We are proud to hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer. This confirms our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. With any successful candidate, we will explore any reasonable adjustments to a role due to a health needs or disability.

Similarly, we have a commitment to Care Leavers (Care Covenant Pledge) and to current or previous Armed Forces personnel (Armed Forces Covenant Pledge) with a commitment to interview applicants who meet the positions essential criteria and who have declared this on their application.

We welcome applications from anyone wishing to work flexibly and those considering a return to work from a career break.

We do not engage with agencies for permanent staff and have an in-house recruitment team.