Director of Further Education & Skills

Job details

College

Buxton & Leek College

Responsible to

Provost (Learning & Teaching)

Location

Buxton & Leek College (Buxton/Leek Campus)

Salary

£90,726 to £113,408 per annum

Closing date

Monday 19 February 2024

Contract type

Permanent

Post type

Full-time

Reference

0012-24

About the role

The University of Derby is seeking to appoint a dynamic and experienced academic leader who can shape the future of their FE and skills provision as part of the University Leadership Group, and lead the senior management team of Buxton & Leek College.

About the role

Reporting to the Provost (Learning & Teaching), our Director of Further Education & Skills will be responsible for providing inspirational leadership to staff across the University Group and Buxton & Leek College, to achieve outstanding outcomes across our FE provision.

Responsible for providing strategic vision, clear business planning, and leadership of all FE provision across the University of Derby — including classroom and workshop-based taught programmes and level 2 and 3 apprenticeships — we seek a talented academic leader of FE who will work with us and deliver strategies and plans for improvement and growth.

If appointed, you will enable the delivery of the University’s vision and mission, inspiring and motivating staff to achieve excellent outcomes for students and apprentices. As the most senior leader responsible for FE, you will ensure that FE and skills education and training are excellent in all aspects, and responsive to student and employer expectations across Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

The settled ambition is to grow and develop FE and skills at the University of Derby. With this in mind, the person appointed will work closely with their senior team at Buxton & Leek College, and a broader group of University leaders, to develop plans which take advantage of funding and partnership opportunities which enable sustainable growth.

The post holder must ensure that the highest possible standards are consistently applied across all sites, and FE and skills at the University of Derby are considered by students, employers, and partners to be high quality and enable increased participation in further and higher education.

Continuing to ensure that students are safe and well whilst they study through us, the post holder will be accountable for FE safeguarding through the University governance structure.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking to recruit an inspirational and ambitious FE leader with a background in teaching and learning. You will possess the necessary sector leadership experience and drive to develop Buxton & Leek College into a centre of excellence. As an influential leader and FE curricula expert with the ability to develop people and maximise funding potential, you will create a culture of excellence and innovation, aligned with the vision and values of the University of Derby. Your key drivers will be delivering exceptional high-quality learning and teaching across relevant and ambitious curricula, developing an inclusive student experience, and ultimately providing our students with the very best outcomes for their future aspirations.

You will need to be adept and confident in your ability to foster relationships across the university, providing influence and direction on the development of the college and its future curricula in line with the needs of the local and regional communities, employers, stakeholders and national policy. As part of this, you will be looked upon to shape the College’s new strategic plan, working with your leadership team, the Provost (Learning & Teaching), and the University’s Skills Committee (a sub-committee of the University Governing Council).

As a post-16 technical and vocational curricula expert you will need to put in place plans to enhance areas deemed to already good, whilst improving those areas which require change and improvement. As a people leader, you will need to build strategic capacity, invest in developing your current and future leaders, and implement a positive culture of success and accountability for the benefit of all stakeholders through the delivery of a high-quality, relevant, and responsive curriculum, strategic portfolio and student experience.

Principal accountabilities

Accountable for the overall strategic and academic leadership of FE at the University including the strategic and operational leadership of Buxton & Leek College, all FE provision, and Levels 2 and 3 apprenticeships, ensuring that the needs of students, employers, the community, and other stakeholders are met.

Provide inspirational leadership to develop a culture of ownership and accountability which maximises both people and funding potential through creating a culture of excellence and innovation, aligned to the vision and values of the University and that delivers excellent learning and teaching and student outcomes.

Make proposals to develop the educational character, activities, and mission of FE and Skills, in line with the University’s strategic ambitions, harnessing the opportunities of the University model and delivering a vision which will inspire and motivate staff, students and stakeholders.

Translate strategy into operational plans which support the delivery of strategic objectives, institutional success measures and ambitious performance indicators. Ensure appropriate targets are set and agreed throughout FE and Skills and performance against them is monitored and that targets are met or exceeded.

As a member of the University Leadership Group (ULG) and other University senior committees, contribute to the strategic management and development of the University and lead on/chair cross-University activity, committees, initiatives, and projects.

Leadership of the effective recruitment, induction, management, development, and appraisal of staff within FE and Skills in line with the University’s People Experience & Culture policies and procedures, promoting effective people management practices that ensure staff are engaged and aligned to achieve effective outcomes in pursuit of the University’s strategic ambition.

Take leadership and management responsibility to ensure compliance with all relevant legal, statutory, and regulatory (including funding) requirements and with University

Ensure that FE and Skills meets the requirements of quality agencies such as Ofsted and act as a nominee during any external quality assessment processes and inspections.

Lead on the annual self-assessment process, identifying improvement areas and setting actions for improvement through the annual quality improvement plan.

Apply expertise of legal and statutory requirements, sector best practice and local/national policy developments when working collaboratively with colleagues across the University / FE to develop strategy, policy, and procedures. Ensure that FE and Skills policies and procedures are compliant and regularly monitored and reviewed.

Working with the University Designated Safeguarding Lead, be accountable for FE safeguarding through the University governance structure ensuring that practices and procedures are in place and maintained for safeguarding students and staff.

Demonstrate inspirational leadership with a clear focus on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and student experience.

Work closely with the Local Authorities, local schools, and employers to develop the most effective response to the FE and Skills agenda. Deliver an outstanding, innovative, and inspiring curriculum strategy and portfolio which is responsive to local, regional, and national needs and which has a wide range of education and training opportunities for students.

Ensure that there are effective strategies and operations in place for the recruitment of students.

Accountable for student achievement through high quality curriculum delivery models and approaches and effective and inclusive teaching and learning practices.

In collaboration with the University Leadership Group and the Student Performance and Engagement teams within the Provost (Learning & Teaching) portfolio, optimise resources and drive forward innovative pedagogical practice, outstanding performance, and an excellent holistic student experience across FE and Skills.

Ensure that there are systems in place for the effective quality assurance of teaching, learning and assessment to provide a basis for improvement.

Empower students to take ownership of their learning and improving their life chances.

Please refer to the Job Description for a full list of accountabilities. 

Person specification
Essential Criteria
Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree or significant equivalent related experience
• Recognised teaching qualification
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience

• Extensive demonstrable experience of contributing to, or leading, successful, and responsive curriculum development strategies basing decisions on evidence of need and demand to establish clear intent.
• Significant senior leadership experience in FE with substantial experience of leading and managing staff and motivating and developing teams and individuals.
• Experience of leading culture change and implementation of new and innovative approaches to academic delivery to drive up standards.
• A successful record of leadership on the student experience, student outcomes, and quality assurance.
  Experience of developing and delivering an excellent student experience supported by effective student services and efficient processes.
• Demonstrable experience of leading on strategies to improve the standard of learning and teaching and the outcomes of students.
• Experience of defining operational plans and ensuring strategic development in line with corporate goals, with an associated demonstrable track record of their successful delivery.
• In-depth knowledge and experience of safeguarding relevant to the needs of children and vulnerable adults, including the Prevent duty.
• Considerable experience of leadership in a highly regulated environment which also requires strong governance, compliance, and assurance.
• Experience of being the nominated lead (nominee) for inspection or contributing significantly during an inspection.
• Experience in building partnerships and working with stakeholders to the benefit of the organisation.

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• Ability to communicate the University vision of the future and the ability to translate and operationalise that vision, inspiring and drawing on the support of staff.
• In depth understanding of academic quality, learning, teaching, and student experience.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing and to consult and negotiate effectively on a wide range of issues with different stakeholders internally and externally at a local and national level.
• Ability to use and interpret numerical and statistical data to inform decisions and contribute to discussion and decision making.
• Strong knowledge of student performance measures.
• Strong business skills and commercial acumen and ability to manage budgets.
• Excellent people leader with a proven ability to develop a high-performance culture and lead by example.
• Comprehensive understanding of external quality assurance processes i.e. Ofsted.
• In depth knowledge of current developments in FE and Skills, including funding methodologies, organisation, curriculum, and governance.
• Ability to proactively promote a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and development.

Business requirements

• Upon appointment, this role will require a Fit and Proper Persons check. For more information, please refer to this guidance.
• Completed DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check with child barred list.
• Prohibited from Teaching check
• Ability to travel nationally for University business
• Undertake work outside of normal office hours

Desirable Criteria
Qualifications

• PhD
• Leadership/Management qualification

Skills, knowledge, and abilities

• Knowledge and understanding of the HE sector

Benefits

As well as competitive pay scales, we offer generous holiday entitlement. We also offer opportunities for further salary progression based on performance, and the opportunity to join a contributory pension scheme.

Find out more about pay and benefitsFind out more about pay and benefits

How to apply

Peridot Partners have been exclusively retained for this appointment. Please visit their website for further information: Director of Further Education & Skills un-jobs.net University of Derby (peridotpartners.co.uk)

Peridot and the University of Derby are, together, committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.

For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:

Sarah Atkins-Boal un-jobs.net [email protected]  un-jobs.net 07841 017043

To contact Drew Richardson-Walsh please make an appointment with Abbie Johnson un-jobs.net [email protected]  un-jobs.net 07398 140 818

Important information

Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

Whilst this role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route, we recommend that you assess your individual eligibility before applying for this position.

Visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa for more information.

To be eligible for sponsorship you must provide evidence that you hold all essential qualifications listed on the job description. Please note, equivalent experience will not be accepted as evidence of the essential qualifications.

DBS check

Buxton and Leek College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post is subject is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. An enhanced DBS check will be required, depending on the nature of the role. Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.

To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

A university that celebrates youA university that celebrates you

Further details

Download Director of Further Education & Skills job descriptionDownload Director of Further Education & Skills job description

Why join Derby?

Challenging, interesting and constantly changing, the University of Derby is an extraordinary place to learn and an incredibly rewarding place to work.

Find out more about working at the UniversityFind out more about working at the University

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect everyone who works for us to also share this commitment and to treat people with courtesy and respect.