Job Information
Director of Education, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and Skills
£130,906 - £140,656 (Senior officer salaries are appointed to a specific spot point within the salary band, with no automatic incremental progression)
The role of Director of Education, SEND and Skills as a system leader is pivotal across a large rural county. The role works closely with the Executive Director for Children, Young People and Education and the Director of Children Young People and Families as the Leadership Team for Children’s Services.
Working in partnership is a key attribute for this role. To be able to navigate Education, SEND, Health and wider partnership relationships to benefit children and families is crucial for the needs of our population today.
The importance of credible and visible leadership is required to build further upon the successes in Northumberland to date and cannot be underestimated. SEND remains a key focus for the Local Authority and working with our parents, carers and young people advocating with systems and services to support their needs in a county where we want our children to access education that meets their needs as close to home as possible. Relationships with our school leaders and communities, DFE and regional authorities will unlock the ability to co produce, work together and to achieve so much more collectively.
Strong financial understanding to work with schools and settings is very beneficial supported by our schools and corporate finance team, advising on models of operation, supporting challenging fiscal landscapes with school budgets and advising the wider system on good investment proposals should be expected.
Our new Director will have a strong focus on performance and will be able to analyse and understand the aspects of today’s performance that will to focus on improvement to deliver better future outcomes. Working across the age and stage ranges with Children, young people, schools, settings and skills will ensure out medium term goals are met, more children ready to start school, move through their key stages and are well prepared for adulthood, further study and or employment leading to a contribution to our economic society.
We are very proud of the achievements to date and are looking for an exceptional leader to join the team and work with us to achieve even more for our Children, Young People, Families, schools and Skills settings.
This is a rare opportunity to take on one of the most influential education leadership roles in Northumberland and make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people, families and communities across our county.
About you
We are looking for a credible and influential leader with:
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent.
- Proven achievement of leadership success in an organisation of comparable scale and complexity
- Senior management experience in school improvement in schools and other establishments concerned with education learning and skills.
- Knowledge of current educational policy especially in relation to curriculum, teaching, assessment, leadership and management and school improvement.
- Wide ranging knowledge of education and skills sectors and national policy development relating to improved learning, participation and employability.
- Ability to operate sensitively in a political environment, developing relationships with all members gaining respect, trust, and confidence and being accountable for effective delivery within a challenging financial environment.
- Experience of leading major change that challenges existing ways of working, and different service delivery models
- Evidence of success in personally leading the development of external relationships and influential partnerships
You will bring strategic insight, resilience and innovation, with the ability to navigate complexity and deliver meaningful change across a large and diverse system.
For more information on this role, please see attached job description.
Further information
This is a permanent post with a start date to be agreed.
Any interested candidates should contact Anita Bingham on Anita.Bingham@northumberland.gov.uk, to arrange an exploratory call with Audrey Kingham, Executive Director of Children, Young People and Education
This role is based at County Hall, Morpeth, and requires regular on-site attendance, together with a willingness to travel across Northumberland on a very regular basis. A blended working approach is supported however our successful candidate will be expected to work in line with the Council’s WorkSmart principles, which guide how, when and where work is delivered based on organisational need.
Closing date of advert is 30th September at noon.
Assessment Centre - 14th and 15th October.
To be considered for this post, you must use the Supporting Information section of the application form to demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role.
Please note that CVs will not be accepted.
Why choose us?
Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities’, for current and future generations. We believe there is no better place to live and work.
We have some outstanding benefits and perks to offer you, including:
- 26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
- Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
- A collaborative, supportive and forward-thinking environment where your leadership will have a lasting impact.
- Employee Wellbeing support for mental and Physical Health
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Additional Information
For guidance on completing your application and for information about our Equality and Diversity principles, please see the attached guidance notes.
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.
Alternative application format:
British Sign Language: northumberlandcc-cs.signvideo.net
For those with speech difficulties or hearing loss: Text relay service dial 018001 01670 623930
