Music Service Manager

Are you a passionate leader with a commitment to transforming young people's lives through music? Hillingdon Council is seeking an exceptional Music Service Manager to lead and develop the highly regarded Hillingdon Music Service (HMS), ensuring that children and young people across the borough have access to high-quality, inclusive and inspiring music education opportunities.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the strategic direction of the service at an exciting time for music education nationally and locally. You will lead the operational and strategic delivery of the Music Service, managing a dedicated central team and a wider workforce of specialist music tutors. You will also act as the public face of the service, championing music education with schools, families, partners and stakeholders across Hillingdon and beyond.

As Music Service Manager, you will:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Hillingdon Music Service, ensuring excellent outcomes for children and young people.
• Develop and communicate a clear vision for music education, fostering a positive and productive team culture.
• Strengthen relationships with schools, educational leaders, families and community partners to increase engagement and participation in music learning.
• Ensure the service continues to grow its reach and reputation, increasing participation and traded income while maintaining excellent standards of delivery.
• Represent Hillingdon Music Service within the London West Music Hub (LWMH), contributing to regional and national music education developments.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement by exploring new partnerships, funding opportunities and emerging best practice across the music education sector.
• Ensure safeguarding, inclusion and equality remain at the heart of all service provision.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking leader who is passionate about music education and understands its power to enrich lives and improve outcomes for young people.

To be successful in this role, you should have:

• A formal qualification in Music and/or Education at degree level or above.
• Significant experience of strategic and operational leadership, ideally within an education, cultural, public sector or charitable environment.
• Experience of managing public and/or charitable funding and delivering against financial and performance targets.
• Proven people management skills, with the ability to motivate teams, set clear expectations and address underperformance where necessary.
• Experience of building and developing teams, creating positive cultures and leading through change.
• Strong financial management skills, including responsibility for large budgets and traded income.
• A strong understanding of the education system in England and the role of music education within it.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with schools, partners, families, elected members and senior leaders.
• A commitment to inclusion, safeguarding and delivering outstanding services for children and young people.

Additional Information

Please upload your CV and complete the two questions within the application form, outlining your suitability for the role. Candidates who do not provide responses to both may not be shortlisted.