Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) Officer

Overview

Are you motivated by helping adults unlock their potential and take the next steps in their learning or career journey? We’re looking for an enthusiastic Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) Officer to join our Children’s Services team and shape an exceptional IAG offer for adult learners across the county.

This is a role where you’ll make a genuine difference every day — supporting people with their choices, strengthening our service through high-quality guidance, and helping to set standards that positively impact communities.

This is a fixed term/secondment role until 31^st March 2027.

About the role

As an IAG Officer, you’ll play a key part in developing and delivering a high‑quality guidance service that reflects learners’ needs and aligns with national standards such as Matrix, Gatsby Benchmarks and Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework.

Your work will blend direct support for learners with strategic service development. You’ll deliver tailored one‑to‑one guidance sessions, run group workshops, and help individuals map out clear pathways into skills development, qualifications, employment or career progression.

Alongside this, you’ll analyse data, identify what’s working well, and highlight areas for improvement. Working closely with the Quality Manager, you’ll contribute to quality assurance processes, inspection readiness and improvements across the service. You’ll also build strong partnerships with external IAG providers, community organisations and stakeholders.

Key elements of the role include:

• Delivering tailored IAG to individuals and groups.
• Analysing learner data and reporting on service effectiveness.
• Designing and delivering internal IAG sessions and resources.
• Supporting Matrix re‑accreditation and Ofsted preparation.
• Working collaboratively with partners and subcontractors.
• Offering training and guidance to staff to promote consistency and quality.

About you

You’ll be someone who brings professional expertise, a commitment to high‑quality guidance, and a genuine desire to help others move forward. You’ll have experience providing IAG to adults — including those facing barriers — and a strong understanding of the frameworks that define excellent guidance.

Communication will be one of your strengths, and you’ll feel confident engaging with a wide range of audiences while explaining complex information in an accessible way. You’ll also be well‑organised, proactive and able to prioritise your work effectively.

We’re looking for someone with:

• Experience delivering specialist IAG and supporting adult learners.
• Knowledge of Matrix, Ofsted and Gatsby requirements.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills.
• Good ICT skills and confidence using relevant systems.
• Strong planning, organisation and the ability to work independently.

Qualifications required:

• NVQ Level 4 / degree‑level qualification in a relevant subject (e.g., Level 5 IAG, QCG).
• A teaching qualification (DTLLS or equivalent).
• GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent).

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Other information

For more information about this role, please contact Jacqueline Wilson at [email protected]  for an informal discussion.

Closing date: Midnight on Friday 20th February

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/