A senior education leadership role, helping a trusted drug education charity grow its reach and impact

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is entering an important next stage of growth. We are looking for a Head of Education to provide strategic leadership for our education work and help ensure our programmes, curriculum, training and delivery remain evidence based, high quality and responsive to the realities facing young people.

This is a broad, influential role at the heart of our mission. Working closely with the CEO, Deputy CEO and wider senior team, you will lead and support our education team, maintain the quality of our offer, and help shape how we increase our reach and impact in a planned and sustainable way.


Who is DSM Foundation?

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation exist to make sure no harm happens to another young person through drugs or alcohol.

We work with young people, parents and carers, teachers, educators and other professionals, providing evidence-based drug education to schools, colleges and community organisations across the UK. Our work includes workshops, training, teaching resources, youth ambassadors and Theatre in Education.

What matters to DSM Foundation?

Our vision is that no harm happens to another young person through drugs or alcohol, and that all young people get to go home safely. We do this by making sure young people have the knowledge, life skills and confidence to make safer choices about drugs.

We are guided by compassion, connection and quality: caring deeply about keeping young people from harm, working closely with young people and the adults around them, and making sure everything we do is effective, evidence-based and high quality

If you join us at DSM Foundation…

You’ll be a senior leader in our education work, working closely with the CEO, Deputy CEO and wider senior team to help shape how our programmes, curriculum, training and delivery develop. You will provide strategic leadership for our education provision, support a high-quality team, and help ensure our work remains evidence based, responsive and trusted.

Alongside leadership and strategy duties, you will play a hands-on role in developing our educational offer, including talks, assemblies, workshops, training and resources for young people, parents and carers, teachers and professionals. You’ll help us maintain high standards while increasing our reach and impact in a planned and sustainable way.

Ultimately, you’ll help us protect the quality and compassion that make DSM Foundation trusted, while shaping what “Growing Well” means in practice. We look forward to welcoming you to a team guided by compassion, connection and quality, and committed to keeping young people safe from drug-related harm.

Please make sure you read our Candidate Information Pack before applying. It contains important details about the role, the Foundation, and the context for this appointment.

Don’t think you quite meet all the specifications? Please don’t count yourself out. We welcome applications from people who can lead high-quality, evidence-informed education work and contribute to the Foundation’s next stage of growth, even if your experience has been gained through different routes.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If you have a disability or require reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact us so we can support you appropriately.

Eastside People is supporting Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation in the recruitment of this role. You can apply today by submitting your CV and a cover letter, both in Word doc format.

Please use the cover letter (max 2 pages) as an opportunity to add to the information you have shared in your CV and ensure that you cover the following: 

• What interests you about the Head of Education role at Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation?
• What experience do you have of delivering evidence-based drug educational programmes?
• What do you think you would bring to the role that other applicants might not?

The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 28th September. Eastside People will conduct a short skills-based assessment interview as part of your application. If you are shortlisted, there will be a two-stage interview process, with first stage interviews scheduled for w/c 12th October and second stage interviews scheduled for w/c 19th October.

We acknowledge every application. You’ll always hear from us after taking the time to apply - we look forward to hearing from you!