Director of Community Education

Location : Manchester (with regular travel to London, Dundee and other UK locations)

Salary : £48,000 per annum

Contract : Full-time

Start Date : September 2026

About Rekindle Collective

Rekindle Collective exists to create a UK filled with Compassionate Critical Thinkers .

Rekindle believes education should do more than prepare people for exams or employment. It should develop individuals who think critically, act compassionately and work collectively to transform their communities.

Our work is built around four interconnected pillars:

• Learning – creating transformative educational experiences.
• Community – strengthening relationships across generations and cultures.
• Activism – equipping people to challenge injustice and create change.
• Compassion – placing humanity, belonging and care at the heart of everything we do.

Alongside our flagship Rekindle Supplementary Schools , we are expanding our work into new forms of community education, intergenerational learning and community-based educational provision across the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our senior leadership team during a period of ambitious growth.

The Role

The Director of Community Education is responsible for leading the strategic development and operational delivery of Rekindle Collective’s community education programmes across the UK.

Initially, this includes oversight of our Supplementary Schools in Manchester and London, alongside the development of an innovative new educational provision in Dundee.

The successful candidate will ensure every programme embodies Rekindle’s educational philosophy whilst supporting growth, innovation and excellence across all sites.

Working closely with the Founder CEO and the other senior leaders, the Director of Community Education will help shape the future direction of Rekindle Collective’s educational work, developing models of practice that can be replicated nationally and contribute to wider conversations about education, equity and community.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the strategic development of Rekindle Collective’s community education programmes.
• Develop a coherent educational vision across all existing and future provision.
• Ensure every programme reflects Rekindle’s values of compassion, critical thinking and community.
• Work with the CEO to identify opportunities for sustainable national growth.
• Contribute to organisational strategy as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Champion innovation in community education, continually reviewing and strengthening our educational model.
• Provide overall leadership for Rekindle Supplementary Schools in Manchester and London.
• Lead the establishment and development of Rekindle’s new educational provision in Dundee.
• Ensure consistently high-quality educational experiences across all locations.
• Develop systems that enable programmes to grow while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Create clear frameworks for curriculum, safeguarding, quality assurance and impact measurement.
• Ensure programmes remain responsive to local communities whilst maintaining Rekindle’s shared ethos.
• Lead, inspire and develop Programme Managers, educators and volunteers.
• Foster a collaborative, reflective and compassionate organisational culture.
• Recruit, manage and support high-performing teams.
• Create opportunities for professional development and leadership progression.
• Promote wellbeing, inclusion and belonging across all teams.

Partnerships & Community Engagement

• Build strong relationships with schools, local authorities, community organisations, universities and funders.
• Represent Rekindle Collective at regional and national events.
• Develop partnerships that strengthen educational opportunities for
  children, families and communities.
• Work alongside community leaders to ensure programmes respond to local needs.

Educational Innovation

• Lead the design and continual improvement of Rekindle’s educational approach.
• Develop new community-based learning models that reflect emerging needs.
• Embed intergenerational learning and critical thinking across programmes.
• Ensure educational practice is evidence-informed, creative and impactful.
• Support the development of resources and training that enable future scaling.
• Develop systems to monitor quality and evaluate impact across all educational programmes.
• Use data, research and participant voice to inform continuous improvement.
• Produce reports demonstrating educational outcomes and organisational learning.
• Ensure safeguarding, compliance and risk management remain of the highest standard.

Financial & Operational Leadership

• Contribute to funding applications and programme reporting.
• Ensure resources are deployed efficiently to maximise impact.
• Work closely with colleagues to support sustainable organisational growth.

Person Specification

We are looking for someone who:

• Has significant leadership experience within education, youth work or community learning.
• Has successfully managed multiple educational programmes or sites.
• Is passionate about educational equity and social justice.
• Has experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Has excellent partnership-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Understands safeguarding and educational compliance.
• Is an outstanding communicator who can inspire colleagues, communities and partners.
• Is highly organised with strong strategic planning skills.
• Shares Rekindle Collective’s commitment to compassion, inclusion and community.
• Experience of alternative or supplementary education.
• Experience working with diverse and underserved communities.
• Experience managing grant-funded programmes.
• Knowledge of policy relating to education and community development.
• Experience contributing to organisational growth or scaling.
• Understanding of impact measurement and educational research.

What We Offer

At Rekindle Collective, you’ll join an ambitious, values-led organisation committed to reimagining education.

We offer:

• Salary of £48,000
• Flexible working arrangements
• A supportive and compassionate working culture
• The opportunity to shape a growing national organisation
• The chance to contribute to a movement transforming education and communities across the UK

Diversity & Inclusion

Rekindle Collective is committed to building an organisation that reflects the communities we serve.

We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who are underrepresented within the charity and education sectors.

Support us

By making a donation to Rekindle, you’ll be supporting the young people who attend the supplementary school.

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