North Northamptonshire Council

Assistant Director, Education

Salary: £84,215 - £94,521

A unique opportunity to shape a new authority for our communities.

We may be a new unitary authority, but we have bold ambitions. Formed in April 2021, we have a unique opportunity to do things differently and create an exciting future for our local communities. We are committed to tackling inequality in all its forms and levelling up our communities to ensure everyone, regardless of background, can thrive and reach their full potential.

We’ve made great progress on creating a modern, forward-thinking council, with a strong network of senior leaders and a “one team” approach to overcome our challenges and seize opportunities. We also have a brand-new Corporate Plan for 2021-2025 and are excited about the next chapter of our journey.

About the role

Reporting to the Executive Director of Children’s Services, you will be responsible for all education services, including school improvement, place planning and capital builds, virtual school, education psychology and free school meals. Whilst your focus will be ensuring the effective delivery of services for North Northamptonshire, you will closely with your counterpart in the West. Our schools are generally performing well but improvements are needed, and, like authorities across the country, we have budget challenges and pressures on SEND services.

From our members to our front-line workers, we are completely committed to improving education outcomes for our children and young people. This role is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of this journey and make a lasting impact.

As part of our “one team” approach, you will work across the whole Council whilst ensuring there is relentless focus on improving outcomes for our children and young people. To achieve this, you will work closely with Members and a wide range of other key partners including schools, the DfE, Ofsted, and the third sector to create a system-led approach. Your immediate focus will be on galvanising a new team and gaining credibility and working effectively with Head Teachers and the wider education partnership. You will be a true systems leader in its true sense.

This is an opportunity to join a Council at the start of its journey, which has children’s interests at its very core. An opportunity to do trailblazing work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. 

About you

We are looking for an exceptional leader for Education who will play a crucial role in leading and shaping our new Council to be outcome-focussed, break down silos and create an empowered culture and learning environment for our workforce. 

You’ll have a proven track record of delivering successful education services in a complex environment, as well as successfully leading organisational and transformational change. Resilient, politically astute, innovative, and outcome focussed, you’ll also be a collaborative and strategic leader who can work effectively across the system.

 With a strong financial lens, you’ll have a proven track record of making savings and achieving value for money. You’ll have the drive and creativity needed to shape services and be passionate about putting children and young people at the heart of everything you do.

If you possess the skills and experience, we seek, are excited by the unique blend of challenge and opportunity, and share our passion for improving the lives of our children and young people, we would love to hear from you. This is a truly unique opportunity to be part of something special, change lives and create a positive legacy for North Northamptonshire.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

David Weir: 07391 565064 / david.weir@tile-hill.co.uk

Chris Barrow: 07437 839048 / chris.barrow@tile-hill.co.uk

Anita Denton: 07725 554802 / anita.denton@tile-hill.co.uk

To find out more about the role, the place and how to apply, please click apply button below 

Closing date: Friday 28^th January 2022