ACL Project & Partnership Coordinator

Adult Community Learning (ACL) is ECC’s provider of lifelong learning experiences for Essex residents. ACL offers qualifications to help people move nearer to, enter or progress within the workplace or gain skills to enhance life chances. The service focuses many of its programmes and activities on the hardest to reach communities within Essex. ACL learners have access to a diverse range of accredited and non-accredited courses which encourage creativity, healthy lifestyles, social inclusion and engagement.  

The Project & Partnerships Coordinator is responsible for coordinating ACL's externally funded projects ensuring they are accurately monitored, reported and delivered in line with funding, audit and compliance requirements. The role works across multiple teams to track project performance, manage reporting against key performance indicators, monitor financial performance and support the production of management information for stakeholders and funders.

The postholder also plays a key role in identifying and securing new opportunities by supporting the development of bids, project plans and business cases, whilst working closely with managers, procurement teams and external partners to establish and oversee successful partnership and subcontracting arrangements that contribute to ACL's strategic objectives.

Accountabilities:

• Responsible for working with the Business Development, Marketing & Sales Manager and other ACL managers to write bids, project plans & business cases for new opportunities in line with strategic priorities and supporting with the creation of subsequent internal governance documents. 
• Responsible for taking the lead on projects where delivery spans across several ACL service areas and supporting the set up and implementation of other ACL projects with the relevant project leads. 
• Liaising with project leads to ensure all bids and projects are reported on and recorded against monthly KPIs and remain compliant with audit requirements. 
• Responsible for tracking overall progress of each project, liaise with the MIS team to ensure accurate data is provided for the monthly Management Reporting Pack and prepare and present regular reports and updates for stakeholders and funders including evaluations. 
• Responsible for reporting financial position including projections in both financial and academic years and working with ACL Funding and Finance Officers and ECC Finance Team to track payments are received by ACL.
• Responsible for working with relevant ACL managers and ECC procurement teams to run competitions for the procurement of education services. To set up the subcontracting arrangements and track progress against targets and report back monthly, whilst ensuring quality and compliance is maintained in line with DFE and Ofsted requirements. 

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Educated to Level 3 (A Levels) Or equivalent experience.
• Excellent communication skills with a proven track record of managing complex caseloads.
• Demonstrable experience of successful bid and business case writing. 
• Good understanding of post 16 funding rules, including subcontracting arrangements, and Education Inspection Framework is essential. 
• Advanced Excel skills are essential and ability to use Power BI desirable. 
• Understanding or applied working knowledge of Lean 6 sigma, Prince2, ITIL or similar is advantageous but not essential. 

To read more about our business area, please visit: Policy, Economy, Investment and Property

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email ami.fosker@essex.gov.uk

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