Regional Director - West Midlands
Department for Education
Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 15th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Regional Director for the West Midlands, one of 9 Regional Directors across the country, will be at the heart of the Department’s work within their region. They will work to improve outcomes for children, families and learners, breaking down barriers to opportunity within their region through:
- Being place-shapers and influencers, relationship-holders and the front face of many aspects of the department’s work.
- Delivering across a number of key programmes which sit at the heart of major policy priorities, particularly those that focus on Schools, Care, and SEND.
- Regulating and stewarding to deliver system improvement.
The Regional Director will lead their team to deliver locally across Children’s Social Care, SEND and schools. They will also take on a leadership responsibility across the Group through leading on one of our cross cutting National Programmes, which work to ensure the services we deliver operate consistently across our regions, and to play a key role of our Group to help shape policy across DfE to better reflect local needs and regional variation.
Job description
Within their region, the Regional Director will lead the West Midlands team to deliver on the vision set out in Government policy, aligned to Regions Group strategic priorities and informed by local context:
- Providing local leadership where appropriate for programmes and activities in support of the Government’s Opportunity Mission.
- Leading the new regional approach to school improvement, to ensure schools that most need it receive targeted support, to work in partnership to identify and respond to local and thematic school improvement priorities and to work with the schools sector to promote knowledge of and access to wider school improvement support. Working in partnership with local authorities, academy trusts, dioceses and, through them, all types of state-funded schools will be central to this.
- Leading intervention in schools where needed, generating rapid solutions via strong providers, and brokering immediate support.
- Leading improvement and intervention in children’s social care functions in local authorities, working in partnership with the sector to identify solutions to deliver rapid improvement.
- Leading follow up to area wide SEND inspections, ensuring effective challenge and support in partnership with the sector to enable areas of weakness to be remedied quickly.
- Taking decisions relating to our oversight of the academy trust system, including those linked to: trust growth, academy transfer, voluntary academy conversions and significant changes to academies and free schools; underperformance and compliance with the Academies Trust Handbook; and shaping school system provision.
- Working with local authorities to ensure every local area has sufficient places for pupils.
- Working effectively with Ministers: providing advice, briefing and support.
- Leading a strong inclusive and effective culture of delivery, effective line management and people development and wellbeing across a diverse team based across Coventry, Nottingham and Sheffield.
Person specification
Essential Criteria:
- Excellent system leadership skills gained within the education sector, local or national government; able to take a leading role in initiating action, making decisions, managing performance and promoting inclusive team working in a large-scale operation, and being part of collective leadership success.
- An exceptional understanding of and ability to build key stakeholder relationships that can demonstrate impact, enabling delivery of improvement to take place through others at regional level.
- Highly developed analytical skills, able to identify issues and make evidence-based decisions to manage change and respond promptly to critical events, and monitor success.
- Effective communication skills to be an advocate of delivery and policy development with senior colleagues and external stakeholders, ensuring that delivery impact and user need are at the core of our policy-making. As part of this, an ability to understand and absorb the implications of policy for delivery challenges.
- Experience of leading through change, including experience of delivering system improvement and transformation with good analytical skills, using performance and financial data and other intelligence to reach decisions about where to target support and initiate programmes of activity, and monitor impact.
Benefits
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances, but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Step 1: Application
To apply for this role, you need to complete an online application with the following:
1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 2 sides or 1,000 words) detailing ‘why should we consider you for this role’ (up to 500 words) and why you have chosen the Department for Education (up to 500 words). You can choose to outline any further information you believe is relevant for the role or further demonstrates your suitability for the role.
Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
If applicant numbers are excessive, preliminary sifting will be done using only the first criteria.
If you are unable to apply online please contact scs.recruitment@education.gov.uk in the first instance. Please visit our career site for further information on the Civil Service application process.
Please note the following:
- we cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date;
- applications will be assessed solely on the documentation provided;
- please refer to the advert and checklist above to ensure you have provided everything requested;
- applications will be acknowledged on receipt;
- feedback will only be given to candidates unsuccessful following interview.
Step 2:
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to:
I. a partnership engagement conversation with John Edwards and a small number of stakeholders, including a Director of Children’s Services and an Academy Trust Leader, in the week commencing 2nd December 2024.
II. take part in a virtual Staff Engagement Panel (which typically takes up to 1 hour to complete), to be held 27th November 2024.
III. a formal panel interview in w/c 9th December in person in the DfE Coventry office. Candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation for the interview (further information will be shared with shortlisted candidates) and they will be asked questions to further assess their Experience and Strengths using the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary.
As part of the recruitment process there may be an informal ministerial conversation.
Other Information
We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.
We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs
Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.
Reasonable adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
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Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SCS Recruitment Team
- Email : SCS.Recruitment@education.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : SCS.Recruitment@education.gov.uk
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