Head of Department - Digital and Games

Exciting Leadership Opportunity - Head of Department: Digital and Games Technologies Digital | Computing | AI | Data | Cyber | Software Development | Games | Emerging Technologies Are you an ambitious, future-focused, and experienced leader ready to shape the next generation of digital and games talent? Do you thrive on innovation, industry collaboration, and preparing learners for fast-moving technology careers? Are you ready to lead a high-performing team into an exciting new phase of curriculum growth and employer impact? We're looking for a visionary Head of Department to lead and inspire across our Digital and Games Technologies provision, including AI, Data, Cyber, Software Development, Games Production and emerging technologies in a changing skills landscape. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to lead a dynamic department at the heart of the region's digital skills agenda, building on strong foundations and taking the curriculum, employer partnerships, recruitment, learner experience, and outcomes to the next level., You will be:

• Leading and managing a passionate, skilled team of professionals across Digital and Games Technologies.
• Driving curriculum innovation, ensuring our offer is current, compelling, inclusive, and aligned to the needs of employers, learners, and the regional skills economy.
• Building strong partnerships, not just maintaining existing relationships, but forging bold new collaborations with digital employers, games studios, technology partners, schools, community organisations, and regional stakeholders.
• Shaping a future-facing department where all learners are supported to thrive technically, academically, personally, and professionally.
• Ensuring high standards of teaching, learning, assessment, learner support, attendance, achievement, progression, and destinations.
• Using data, learner voice, employer feedback, and quality assurance to drive continuous improvement and exceptional learner outcomes.
• You'll bring the vision, credibility, and energy to lead the department into an exciting new chapter, one that redefines what digital and games education can achieve for learners, employers, and the wider region.

We're Looking for Someone Who:

• Is a proven curriculum leader/ head of department with experience in digital and or games, or a closely related technology field.
• Has an excellent understanding of the digital and games skills landscape, including current and emerging industry needs.
• Has a strong track record of working with external partners and stakeholders, including successful collaboration with employers and industry specialists.
• Is driven by excellence, innovation, and inclusion, with a deep understanding of curriculum design, delivery, assessment, and quality improvement.
• Can manage people, budgets, performance, and physical resources effectively to ensure high standards, sustainable growth, and strong learner outcomes.
• Possesses exceptional communication and leadership skills and thrives on motivating, developing, and empowering their team.
• Is passionate about learner success and committed to ensuring every learner develops the Employment Edge needed to progress into higher education, apprenticeships, employment, or further specialist training.
• Can lead change confidently, support staff effectively, and create a culture of ambition, accountability, creativity, and continuous improvement.
• Has a broad understanding of the evolving skills and funding landscape and is able to apply this to the business planning process.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
• Significant experience of curriculum leadership in digital, computing, games or a related technology area.
• Proven ability to drive quality improvement and manage change in a dynamic education or training environment.
• Strong understanding of employer engagement, technical education, digital skills, and the future skills needs of the sector.
• Experience of leading teams to deliver high-quality learner experiences and strong outcomes.
• Ready to lead a department where technology, creativity, innovation, and ambition come together?

Pulled from the full job description

• Employee assistance programme

• Company pension

• Cycle to work scheme

• On-site parking, If you share our ambition, we'd love to hear from you. In return we can offer a values-driven organisation and the chance to work with brilliant people who put students first. You'll be listened to and will have opportunities to make an impact. We prioritise health and wellbeing and your work life balance will be respected. Our inclusive culture means you're valued for being yourself and diversity is celebrated, and our commitment to being a sustainable organisation means we always try to do business the right way to make our community better for everyone. At Gateshead College we all have the opportunity to help our learners succeed and it's this clear purpose and shared effort that makes us such a great place to work; we hope you think about joining. Our Benefits:

• Generous holiday allowance of 38 days plus bank holidays.

• Mental health and wellbeing support, with 24/7 access to an employee assistance programme and counselling services.

• Career average pension with the Local Government Pension Scheme.

• Travel support including subsidised on site parking, discounted public transport scheme and cycle to work scheme.

• Retail and travel discounts.

• Volunteering Days.

At the heart of Gateshead College is our commitment to delivering Employment Edge for everyone, Industry-inspired learning that gives every learner the confidence, skills, behaviours, and experience to succeed in work and life. Our Digital and Games Technologies provision plays a key role in this mission. We work closely with employers, industry specialists, and regional partners to ensure learners develop the technical expertise and professional mindset needed for careers in software, cyber, data, games, digital production and wider technology industries. Through innovative curriculum design, real-world projects, employer engagement, digital facilities, and initiatives such as Digital Up North, we are committed to creating learning experiences that are current, ambitious, inclusive, and directly connected to the needs of industry. This is your chance to build on an already strong reputation, expand our reach, strengthen our employer and community impact, and ensure our learners are equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing digital world., * This is more than a job. It's an opportunity for a bold, forward-thinking leader who understands the power of digital and games technologies to transform lives, widen opportunity, and support the future economy within our region. * Apply now and be the catalyst for the next era of Digital and Games Technologies at Gateshead College. * Then we want you to join our outstanding management team. About Gateshead College At Gateshead College we're famous for education with Employment Edge, industry inspired education that combines high quality learning with real world skills. This means giving our students the knowledge and skills to be successful in work and life and supporting them to be the best they can be. This means putting everything we've got into making sure our students are the most employable and this is what makes our college such an exciting place to work. From bringing industry expertise into the classroom and working hand in hand with businesses, to delivering the highest quality teaching and learning and supporting students to develop personally as well as professionally, we're all about creating experiences that will set learners up for life