Vice Principal, Chief People Officer

Transforming lives through education. Shape the people, culture and services that will drive South & City College Birmingham's journey towards becoming an exceptional college.

Location: West Midlands

Applications close: 9 a.m. Monday 19th October 2026

About South & City College Birmingham

At South & City College Birmingham, education changes lives. As one of the largest further education colleges in the region, we serve thousands of learners across Birmingham and play a vital role in developing the skills, aspirations and opportunities that strengthen communities and support economic growth.

We are ambitious for our students, our staff and our future. Guided by our vision to become an outstanding college, we are focused on creating an organisation where excellence, innovation and inclusion underpin everything we do. Our strategic plan sets out a clear commitment to delivering exceptional learner experiences, building strong partnerships and ensuring the College remains responsive to the changing needs of employers, communities and the wider economy.

This is a pivotal moment in our journey. Significant developments across the education sector, including qualification reform, workforce challenges and changing legislative requirements, require us to think differently about how we attract, develop and support our people. At the same time, we are committed to strengthening organisational effectiveness, embedding a high-performance culture and ensuring our talented staff have the opportunity to thrive.

About the role

Our governors and executive leaders recognise that achieving our ambitions depends upon investing in our people. As a result, we are creating additional executive leadership capacity and making a significant commitment to organisational development, culture and workforce transformation. This is an organisation with a strong educational mission, a collaborative leadership culture and a genuine desire to improve. For the right leader, there is a unique opportunity to make a visible and lasting impact on the College’s future direction and success.

Leading the people agenda across a large, diverse and values-driven organisation, you will champion a culture of high performance, inclusion and continuous improvement, ensuring our staff are empowered to deliver exceptional outcomes for learners and communities across Birmingham.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a strategic, influential and inspirational people leader with a proven track record of organisational development, cultural transformation and executive leadership within a complex environment. Above all, you will be passionate about people and excited by the opportunity to create a lasting legacy in an organisation where education changes lives every day.

Experience within further education would be advantageous, but we are equally interested in outstanding leaders from higher education, healthcare, local government, multi-academy trusts and other large, values-driven public sector environments. What matters most is your ability to lead transformation, build organisational capability and influence culture at scale.

Most importantly, you will be motivated by the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. You will see beyond improving HR processes and recognise the opportunity to shape organisational culture, strengthen leadership capability and influence the future direction of the College. This is a role for someone who wants to make a meaningful difference, not only to an organisation, but to the thousands of learners and communities it serves.

Peridot Partners and South & City College Birmingham are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.

Please click on the link to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the role and how to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 19th October 2026.