Nick Heard-Jones
Chief Operating Officer @Damar Training
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WORK HISTORY
Chief Operating Officer @Damar Training
Manchester, GB
I lead the operational performance of Damar Training, working with the CEO and Board to ensure we deliver high-quality outcomes for apprentices and employers while growing sustainably in a fast changing skills and apprenticeships landscape.My role brings together delivery, curriculum, quality, business development, marketing and business support with a focus on creating clarity, pace and consistency across the organisation.A big part of my focus will be strengthening operational grip: making sure we are clear on what matters most, using data intelligently, and following through at pace so that improvement activity translates into real impact for our learners.My drivers are- Operational leadership & performance: Aligning teams and priorities- Apprenticeship delivery & quality: Ensuring strong learner progress, achievement and timely completions- Data-driven improvement: Using performance data and insight to identify risks early and intervene effectively- Process & systems improvement: Simplifying workflows, improving reporting and strengthening systems to support scale- Risk & compliance: Maintaining a strong grip on funding rules, safeguarding and regulatory expectations- People & culture: Building a high-performing, values-led culture where colleagues are supported to succeed- Growth readiness: Ensuring the organisation can scale without compromising quality, culture or workload.I am particularly interested in the intersection between strategy and delivery, translating ambition into something that actually works on the ground, through exceptional team behaviours and performance.At Damar, that sits alongside a strong commitment to the Damar Difference, a values led approach that puts people, professionalism and long-term impact at the centre of what we do.
EDUCATION
St Marys University
PGCE, Physical Eduaction
St Marys University
Master of Education - MEd, School Improvement & Management for Change
St Marys University
Bachelor's degree, Sport Science & English
ABOUT NICK HEARD-JONES
To book a meeting or grab a coffee, cut and paste this link: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/5••••••••@damartraining.com/meetingtype/Ejt-oiUZPE-UF6Ou1fLJaw2?anonymousNick is relentless in his pursuit of excellence, building relationships and high-performance team cultures. He has recently joined Damar Training as their Chief Operating Officer, he lives high performance behaviours in service of fantastic learning design and performance for individuals, teams and their organisations.Nick lead Programme Design and transformational leadership development at ioda Training and believes every leader should have the space, tools, and supportive community to turn bold improvement ambitions into lasting change. Formerly, the National Director of System Leadership at Shaw Education Trust, he accelerated leadership development and enhanced school improvement and ensured that leaders were equipped with the skills, mindset, and capabilities needed to drive significant progress across their schools.When Chief Engagement Officer of Captiva Learning, his tenure was marked by the development of high-impact educational programs and advisory roles in talent management. Nick works at a strategic level with top leaders to co-construct learning programmes and cultures which enable golden thread workforce development and rapid organisational change through targeted people engagement and motivation.While Chief Learning Officer and Head of College at the NCE, Nick led and grew a team designed to support schools and local authorities to utilise the apprenticeship levy. This was in order to maximise the impact on colleagues and the young people in the communities they serve. Nick was responsible for the driving the growth of NCE which increased the number of learners from 140 to 3500 and turnover to over £10 million during his tenure.Nick is passionate about helping young people and is relentless in his desire to see them succeed. By encouraging them to realise their potential by becoming successful - as academics, entrepreneurs, innovators or employees- Nick drives high performance in order to accelerate ambition and provide opportunities for all. Nick had also served as an Additional Inspector for OFSTED. Nick has additionally developed the coaching hub in order to support organisations (schools, MATs and businesses) to nurture high performance cultures.
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