Head of Apprenticeships

About La Fosse

At La Fosse, our mission is to make careers, and the lives they transform, more accessible to all. For over 18 years, we’ve partnered with some of the UK’s most innovative and ambitious organisations to build and scale high-performing technology and digital teams.

La Fosse Academy sits at the centre of this mission. We equip individuals with the skills and confidence to thrive in digital careers, while helping organisations unlock long-term value through upskilling, reskilling, and early-career talent programmes.

Our new apprenticeship provision is a critical next step. It expands our impact to support people already in work to progress into new roles, while enabling employers to deliver real business outcomes through high-quality, compliant, and scalable talent development built to last.

About the Role

The Head of Apprenticeships is accountable for the end-to-end setup, launch, operation, and scalable growth of La Fosse’s apprenticeship offering.

This role will lead La Fosse through provider readiness and accreditation, establish robust quality, compliance, and data foundations, and then run apprenticeships as a core growth pillar of the Academy.

You’ll build a commercially viable, quality-led, and operationally excellent apprenticeship model that integrates seamlessly with La Fosse’s wider Academy propositions (Associates, Reskilling, Upskilling), while remaining compliant, auditable, and scalable.

This is a senior leadership role working closely with Training, Engagement, Sales, Finance, Legal, and People teams to ensure apprenticeships are delivered successfully, safely, and sustainably.

Key Accountabilities

Apprenticeship Setup & Provider Readiness

• Lead La Fosse through full apprenticeship provider setup and readiness, including requirements across ESFA, DfE, and Ofsted.
• Own governance frameworks, policies, operating models, and decisions around direct delivery vs subcontracted provision.
• Build and deliver a clear mobilisation roadmap, ensuring readiness is achieved before scale.
• Act as the senior internal authority on apprenticeship regulation, funding rules, and compliance obligations.

Running the Apprenticeship Operation

• Own day-to-day operational performance of the apprenticeship provision once live.
• Ensure all programmes are compliant, well-governed, accurately funded, and delivered with high learner and employer satisfaction.
• Oversee learner onboarding, lifecycle management, ILR processes, and funding flows through Data and Compliance leadership.

Scaling & Growth Enablement

• Design and implement a scalable operating model that supports growth without increasing risk.
• Lead capacity planning, team structure design, and systems maturity as volumes increase.
• Identify and resolve scale blockers early across people, process, systems, and compliance.
• Enable multi-cohort, multi-client growth while maintaining delivery quality and regulatory confidence.

Quality, Compliance & Data Oversight

• Line-manage the Quality & Compliance Manager and Data Manager.
• Ensure continuous inspection readiness, strong audit outcomes, and funding integrity.
• Embed a quality-first culture focused on continuous improvement, not reactive compliance.
• Provide clear dashboards and reporting to senior leadership.

Commercial Enablement

• Partner closely with Sales and Client Partners to shape propositions that can be sold safely and credibly.
• Work with the Head of Training to ensure curriculum alignment, delivery feasibility, and quality outcomes.
• Input into pricing models, delivery assumptions, margins, and commercials.
• Ensure apprenticeship propositions are clear, viable, and aligned to La Fosse Academy’s broader offer.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Act as the internal apprenticeship SME across La Fosse.
• Contribute to Academy strategy, long-range planning, and risk management.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with Finance, Legal, People, IT, and Delivery.
• Set clear direction, expectations, and standards for specialist teams.

Requirements

You’ll bring senior, hands-on experience leading apprenticeship provision, with a track record of accountability across setup, delivery, compliance, and scale.

• Proven leadership experience within an apprenticeship provider environment.
• Deep, working knowledge of ESFA funding rules, Ofsted frameworks, and ILR/data compliance.
• Demonstrable experience setting up apprenticeship provision from the ground up, including governance, policies, and inspection readiness.
• Strong operational mindset, with experience running live provision and managing regulatory risk.
• Experience leading specialist teams across quality, compliance, data, and operations.
• Commercial awareness and confidence partnering with sales and delivery teams to shape viable propositions.
• Comfortable operating in growth environments where clarity, structure, and strong decision-making are essential.

This role is not suited to candidates new to apprenticeships or seeking a first step into provider leadership.

What Success Looks Like

0–6 months

• Provider readiness achieved with confidence.
• Clear operating model, governance, and leadership team in place.
• First apprenticeship cohorts launched safely and compliantly.

6–12 months

• Apprenticeships operating as a repeatable, predictable delivery model.
• Strong learner and employer feedback.
• Clean audits, accurate data, and confident internal teams.

12–24 months

• Apprenticeships established as a scalable growth engine for the Academy.
• Increased volumes supported without compromising quality or compliance.
• Clear contribution to Academy margin, retention, and long-term customer value.

Benefits

Benefits:

🌴 Annual Leave: Enjoy up to 30 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, your birthday off, and a Christmas closure period.

🏙️ Hybrid Working Model: We work 4 days a week from our London office, with 2 weeks per year to work from anywhere, whether that’s by the beach, in the countryside, or closer to family.

🎿 Annual Company Ski Trip: Hit the slopes with the team, our all-company ski trip is open to everyone.

💆 Wellness Perks: We subsidise your gym membership to help you stay active and energised, and offer weekly in-office massages for a midweek recharge.

🧠 Mental Health Support: Access to professional support and resources to help you prioritise your wellbeing.

👶 Enhanced Maternity Pay: We provide enhanced maternity packages to support you through life’s important milestones.

🎉 Incentives & Socials: Regular team socials, performance incentives, and rewards to celebrate your success.

🦷 Private Health & Dental Discounts: Take advantage of discounted private healthcare and dental plans, because your health matters.

The Interview Process:

We want to make sure this role is the perfect fit for both you and us. Here’s what to expect:

• Call with our TA team: To learn more about you and to tell you more about us!
• 1st Stage Teams Interview: A commercial-focused conversation with the hiring manager or team lead.
• Psychometric Assessment : A short online assessment to help us understand your working style, preferences, and strengths.
• Final Stage Interview - in person: An opportunity to meet the team, learn more about La Fosse and dig into what your first 6 months could look like.

At La Fosse, we believe diverse teams create better outcomes. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. If this role excites you but you don’t tick every box, we still encourage you to apply!

🔗 Ready to be part of something bigger? Apply now and let’s grow together.