Director - Education

Reports to: Chief Education Officer

Directors are responsible for working flexibly and collaboratively with the Chief Executive and Chief Officers to provide corporate leadership to the Education Authority (EA), particularly in relation to progressing EA’s improvement journey and ensuring corporate alignment across the organisation. These are challenging roles requiring proven skills in leading and working collaboratively with others to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people.

Directors are responsible for working flexibly and collaboratively with the Chief Executive and Chief Officers to provide corporate leadership to EA, particularly in regard to progressing EA’s improvement journey and ensuring corporate alignment across the organisation. In this context, the roles have responsibility for the following:

• Collectively as part of the Senior Leadership Team, optimising business structures, harnessing strengths and making EA a great place to work.
• Leading a portfolio of services to enable the delivery of high‑quality services to schools and other stakeholders and/or delivering projects and programmes in line with EA's priorities and business plan.
• Working collectively with other Directors to align, agree and progress corporate priorities.
• Supporting the Chief Officers in considering the resourcing profile and organisational changes required to deliver the optimum structure for EA.
• Focusing on corporate leadership duties, offering leadership that empowers individuals managing services to focus more on operational excellence.
• Supporting the Chief Officers in leading detailed reviews of EA’s core functions and current challenges to inform a more balanced structure.
• Working toward EA’s long‑term, improvement ambitions, ensuring that the future structure is aligned with its vision, purpose and strategic goals.
• Providing support to Chief Executive and Chief Officers in prioritisation of EA’s activities to determine which are essential and which may need to be discontinued, paused or reconfigured.
• Ensuring that EA lives within its annual budget allocation from the Department of Education.
• Working in partnership with staff and stakeholders including partners across the education sector, governing bodies, school leaders, trade unions, elected representatives, other related agencies, the media and the public.
• Maximising opportunities for improvements while promoting innovation and ambition.
• Providing corporate leadership for all programmes and projects relating to improvements to service delivery models while ensuring that EA adheres to relevant legislation and standards.
• Ensuring that service delivery is shaped by service user input.
• Advising the Department of Education on policy issues and contributing to policy reviews.

The above responsibilities apply to all Directors. Whilst Directors are initially appointed to a specific post there may be opportunities to move to another Director position in any directorate, providing personal development opportunities for a wide‑ranging and varied career and supporting the organisation in the most effective use of strategic leadership experience at this tier.

It is intended that this postholder will initially have responsibility for the new portfolio, provisionally entitled ‘Enhanced & Alternative Learning’. The scope of the portfolio remains subject to ongoing review, and as noted the role may be transferrable. The Director is responsible for ensuring excellent and efficient service delivery that is focused on meeting the needs of children and young people. The Director will provide leadership for transformational change and implementation of new structures, strategy and processes for these services. This may include measures to achieve greater efficiency and/or savings.

At present they include:

• Alternative Education Provision: Post Primary, Full‑time ‘Education Other than at School’ (EOTAS)
• Exceptional Teaching Arrangements (ETA)
• Enhanced / Enriched Learning Services: PeacePlus
• ASPIRE Programme
• Music Service
• Education Library Service
• Community and Schools Service
• Magilligan Outdoor Learning Service
• AmmA Centre
• Creative Schools & Creative Connections Programmes
• Area Planning

This Director also holds the following high‑level responsibilities, along with overall leadership for the division, fostering a culture of improvement and engagement.

Providing leadership, fostering a culture of improvement, collaboration and engagement. Contributing to the development of a clear vision for the role of EA in the future of education in Northern Ireland. Providing strategic leadership in the development and implementation for Alternative Education Provision, Enhanced/Enriched Learning Services and Area Planning Service.

Driving initiatives for continuous improvement in teaching and learning, promoting inclusivity, addressing the needs of Children and Young people to improve education outcomes for all. Providing strategic leadership in the development and implementation of improvement strategies, delivering enhanced educational outcomes and strengthening support for leadership teams.

Develop, build and maintain professional relationships with key stakeholders to enable effective engagement on education‑related matters acting as a spokesperson for these services. Influencing policy development and strategic direction through effective stakeholder engagement, ensuring services are responsive to emerging educational priorities and needs.

Any other duties related to the role which may be required from time‑to‑time by the Chief Executive and the Board. In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), be expected to promote Good Relations, Equality of Opportunity and pay due regard for Equality Legislation at all times. This job description will be subject to review considering changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works.

• Minimum of three years’ experience in a senior management role successfully leading services across several areas and having an impact on multiple people.
• Experience of working collectively across a senior team to align goals, resources, policies and processes to optimise use of the organisation’s resources to deliver maximum value for the public/customers.
• Experience of leading, empowering, championing excellence and establishing momentum for continuous improvement that has delivered improved outcomes for the public/customers.
• Strong communicator with proven skills to engage across a range of stakeholders, demonstrating successful impact.
• Proven ability to achieve targets and objectives within a demanding and pressurised environment against significant challenging deadlines and through the engagement of teams.

• Demonstrates an understanding of the potential along with the challenges of delivering education and support services to ensure high‑quality and equitable access for schools.

Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery.

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointment to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. You will be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre‑employment stage. Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.

For more information, the candidate information pack can be viewed. To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, please refer to the relevant resources. The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.