Are you an exceptional administrator who enjoys bringing people together, solving problems and ensuring things run smoothly? Do you want to play a vital role in supporting the development of the next generation of teachers?

We are seeking an experienced and highly organised Programme Administrator to join our regional Initial Teacher Education (ITE) team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a growing and ambitious organisation whose mission is to improve the quality of education for all children through great teaching.

At NIoT, we believe that great work happens when people are curious, collaborative and committed to continuous improvement. As a key member of our regional team, you will play an important role in supporting high-quality programme delivery, building positive relationships and helping colleagues do their best work.

Working closely with the Regional ITE Programme Manager you will help coordinate and support the planning, delivery and administration of our ITE programmes across the North and West region. You will also collaborate with colleagues across the National Institute of Teaching, helping to create a seamless experience for trainees, mentors, schools and partners.

Candidates must live within commuting distance of our campus in Blackburn. The role is hybrid with a minimum of 3 days a week on campus, which must include a Thursday. Occasional travel will also be required as will travel and overnight stay for our annual staff away days.

If you are a proactive administrator who enjoys working as part of a supportive team, values learning and collaboration, and wants to contribute to an organisation making a difference to children's lives, we would love to hear from you.

Closing date for applications: 26 August 2026

Interviews will be held online on 02 September 2026 and in person on 07 September 2026

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Administering our ITE programme within the North and West.  

To be a key point of contact for our regional programme participants and programme manager, supporting them with responses around programme logistics and administration:   

Programme and Trainee Administration 

• Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date trainee records, in line with data protection and organisational requirements. 

• Assist in ensuring all internal and external records are accurate and current, including the Single Central Record, the DfE Register, mentor attendance records, and distribution groups. 

• Support the Registry team with registering trainees for Student Finance, ensuring applications are accurate and systems are updated to reflect new applications, changes, deferrals, and withdrawals. 

• Assist the Registry team in ensuring accurate record‑keeping and the smooth administration of our NIoT’s PGCE programme

Event and Programme Support 

• Provide administrative support for ITE Core, ITAP, and subject days, including timetable coordination, communications, attendance tracking, and evaluation processes. 

• Support the administration of Regional Development Days, managing logistics, bookings, and follow‑up actions. 

• Support the organisation and administration of twilight sessions, including invitations, attendance monitoring, and post‑session administration. 

• Coordinate administrative arrangements for school visits, liaising with partner schools and internal teams. 

• Set up and support key programme events, including drafting materials, printing, venue booking, and on‑the‑day support such as managing sign‑in and attendance records. 

• Draft, circulate, and post programme updates and communications for trainees and colleagues via Microsoft Teams, Outlook and other platforms as required. 

Observations and Quality Assurance 

• Administer Specialist Subject Observations Visits, coordinating schedules, documentation, and data recording. 

• Support the administration of Reasonable Adjustment Plans, ensuring processes are followed and records are accurately maintained. 

• Provide administrative support for Student Staff CC, including meeting organisation, agendas, minutes, and related communications. 

• Support quality assurance and audit readiness through accurate documentation and record maintenance. 

Data and Systems Management 

• Assist the ITE data administration processes, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with organisational and regulatory requirements. 

• Maintain and manage appropriate access to digital systems and platforms, including Microsoft Teams tiles, apprenticeship documentation, IRIS, and other external portals, ensuring stakeholders have correct and timely access. 

• Produce and maintain reports, trackers, and monitoring data to support programme oversight and quality assurance. 

• Support continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline administrative processes. 

Stakeholder and Senior Leadership Support 

• Act as a professional point of contact for trainees, tutors, school partners, associate colleges, and internal teams. 

• Respond to enquiries promptly and escalate issues appropriately. 

• Support effective communication and coordination across ITE programmes, including School Direct, PGTA, and Assessment Only routes, and related work across ITE, ECTP, and NPQ programmes. 

• Provide administrative support to the Regional Principal, Head of ITE, Associate Head of Programmes, and ITE Programme Manager, including organising key meetings and managing associated documentation. 

• Provide diary management and PA support as required. 

Essential Criteria 

• A commitment to the aims of the National Institute of Teaching. 

• An interest in the education sector and a belief in the value of teachers and school leaders. 

• Previous administrative experience.

• Exceptional interpersonal and written communication skills.    

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.    

• Proficient in the use of MS Office software packages, such as Word, Excel and Outlook, as well as search engines and online databases.   

• A pro-active approach that focuses on solutions.  

• Highly proficient in managing and monitoring processes which drive successful reporting.   

• A sensitivity to the requirements of different audiences and an ability to adapt style appropriately.  

• A track record of, or the potential to co-ordinate key events or programmes (ideally in the education sector).   

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience of working in a remote and geographically distributed team.   

• Previous experience in the education sector.   

• Experience of using management information systems and/or various online learning environments, particularly Microsoft Teams.   

• Previous team co-ordination/PA experience.  

Working at the National Institute of Teaching

Contract: Permanent. Full time. (0.8 FTE will be considered for the right candidate)

Salary: £28,598 per annum plus benefits 

Key Benefits: 

• Highly competitive pay and pay progression opportunities. 

• Flexible start and end working times.

• At least 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays) rising to 33 days after five years’ service (with an annual discretionary office shutdown between Christmas and New Year).   

• Entry to the highly valued Local Government Pension Scheme.

• Excellent opportunities to develop your skills and experience

• A stimulating, supportive and rewarding working environment with a dedicated team of likeminded professionals. 

Diversity and Inclusion:

The National Institute of Teaching is committed to creating a diverse environment and ensuring that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices and are open to job shares, secondments, part-time, and flexible working schedules.

We think a wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you to be successful in this role. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities.

Notes:  

• To ensure a fair and robust selection process, we expect all application responses to be based on your own original thoughts, skills and experience. Our system includes functionality to identify AI-generated content, and applications where responses appear not to be the candidate’s own work may be disregarded.

• We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. 

• Candidates must already have the right to work in the UK, as we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

• As a condition of employment  this post requires a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) with a Children’s Barred List Check and an Occupational Health Check.

• This document is an overview of the role.  

• The responsibilities will include but will not be limited to those listed above and it is anticipated that the role will evolve over time and as such the duties may change.