Music Service Area Manager

Overview

In this role, you lead music education delivery across the South Greater Essex Music Hub, driving high-quality teaching and progression for children and young people. You will manage local tutors, support professional development, and translate strategic priorities into local provision. You’ll shape partnerships and engage communities while working within financial constraints. This is an influential leadership position in a large, mission-driven music education service. You’ll collaborate with senior leaders to expand accessible, sustainable music opportunities.

Pay / Benefits

• flexible working options
• support for unpaid carers
• disability confident employer
• employee benefits mentioned in the role description
• opportunities for career development
• working within a public service environment

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership for music education in a designated area ensuring high-quality delivery and progression
• Line manage local music tutors and enable their professional development and wellbeing
• Translate Music Service strategic plans into effective local delivery
• Quality assure tutors across the region following service-wide frameworks
• Oversee Health and Safety and safeguarding compliance with the Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Create and maintain a Regional Engagement Plan using local insights to guide activity and investment
• Grow buy-in to Music Service offerings within the local community
• Identify and develop Hub partnerships to widen and diversify musical activity
• Collaborate on countywide and cross-area projects and events (concerts, courses, tours, festivals)
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, data protection, and organisational policies

Key requirements

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience
• Strong knowledge of music education practice, curriculum development, and progression pathways
• Understanding of national music education landscape (National Plan for Music Education, Music Hubs, DfE and Arts Council England priorities)
• Proven leadership with staff and partner development, and excellent communication skills
• Experience delivering or leading music education programs in schools or communities
• Experience in performance management and staff development
• Experience in monitoring quality, evaluating impact, and using data for improvement
• Experience leading change and service improvement initiatives

• leadership and motivation
• excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• relationship-building with schools, partners and stakeholders
• quality assurance frameworks for music education
• safeguarding and health and safety compliance
• data-driven evaluation and impact measurement

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