Engagement Manager

Location: Home-based (North East/North West) with travel nationally as required

Reports to: Head of Partner Engagement

Closing Date: 24th February 2026 (or earlier if required)

Here at CMI, working in partnership is part of our DNA. Our Partner Engagement Team works to support our continued growth through building and maintaining strong partnerships with our partners.

Due to CMI’s continued success, we are looking for an Engagement Manager to join our team covering England with a focus on HE partners in the North of England. Working directly with our Relationship Managers, the focus will be on providing the key support required to help identify, and carve out new and innovative ways to engage and foster growth amongst our partners, with the ultimate goal of aiding them reach their full potential.

This role would suit someone who possesses the ability to build strong professional relationships and compelling presentation skills, ready to inspire the next generation of managers and leaders.

The Engagement Manager role will support a mix of Higher Education partners. This role will involve travel to partner locations.

Our new Engagement Manager will manage the operational relationship and take the lead on the contract implementation across a portfolio of partners, including ongoing project management, helping to increase partner engagement through:

• Providing a point of contact and escalation for the partner across CMI
• Championing the partner with key stakeholders across CMI and seeing problems through to solution
• Delivering contract implementation through the creation of business and engagement plans, for a portfolio of partners, within agreed service levels
• Tracking contract implementation through accurate registration forecasting
• Maximising usage of CMI’s resources through face to face and virtual inductions
• Providing expert support and guidance to the partner in collaboration with relevant subject matter experts across CMI
• Helping to identify new opportunities and leverage relationships with partners to pass over to the relevant Relationship Manager
• Achieving internal targets and KPI’s set on a quarterly basis

We are an inclusive employer and welcome all diverse backgrounds, where individuality is celebrated, creating both a forward-thinking team and a supportive space for everyone in the CMI team. We actively invite applications from diverse cultures and experience.

• We are looking for someone who can enhance our culture and align with our core values. We want someone who is ‘Passionate’ in making a positive difference to the skills of managers and leaders, ‘Practical’; with the ability to make quick and smart decisions, ‘Progressive’ about creating a better future and maintaining a ‘Professional’ code of conduct, through being accountable and ethical in everything that we do.
• A confident and competent communicator, who is well versed in verbal, written and digital delivery
• You will be an engaging presenter, with the ability to present to partner staff and students both face to face and virtually
• You will be data driven and possess strong project management skills
• Exceptional relationship building skills with the ability to broker dynamic working relationships both internally and externally
• A solid team player with a genuine, can-do attitude and naturally collaborative in your approach
• Naturally curious, you won’t be afraid to ask questions and will have the tenacity to pursue something if you sense an opportunity. You will also be comfortable to push back and challenge requests to ensure they are aligned to the wider engagement strategy
• Willingness to learn and an appetite for Continuing Professional Development
• Ability to travel nationally to partner meetings, so a full driving licence is required
• Experience in a similar stakeholder management role
• Good understanding of the higher education and apprenticeship market
• Chartered Manager status or willing to work towards it

Are you looking to join a dynamic and ambitious organisation? At CMI, new leadership and management strategies are at the fore-front of what we do. We know the importance of fresh ideas and encourage new…