Scottish Government

Chief Executive of Education Scotland

We are seeking an outstanding individual for the role of Chief Executive, Education Scotland.

This is an exciting time for Scottish education as we implement significant reform to secure better outcomes for children and young people across Scotland.  The Chief Executive will play a pivotal role in working with leaders across the sector to refocus the work of Education Scotland and to help strengthen the education and skills system and how it works.

Education Scotland plays an important role in creating the conditions for children and young people to thrive.  As part of our reform commitments, the work and approach of Education Scotland is to be transformed to strengthen national support for improvement in Scottish education, with a new primary focus on curriculum design, delivery and improvement, including the provision of resources to support high quality learning and teaching.

Responsibilities

We are therefore looking for a transformational leader who, within the context of our education and skills reform commitments, can rapidly refocus the work and approach of Education Scotland. They must ensure that it is able to drive greater improvement in Scottish education, bringing a stronger focus on curriculum design, improvement and innovation, whilst building an increasingly confident, respected and influential public body.

As Chief Executive you will have responsibility for leading circa 380 employees until His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) exists in its own right.  Following which, responsibility will be for circa 250/300 employees, across a range of professions (all employees are Civil Servants, some of whom have professional backgrounds in teaching, early learning and childcare, community learning and development and corporate services), working across buildings located in Livingston, Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness, and Aberdeen.  You will provide significant national leadership, delivering professional advice, information and evidence to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government officials, on all aspects of education policy.

Reporting to the Director General for Education and Justice, the Chief Executive is a Director within the Scottish Government, has direct line management for Education Scotland’s Senior Leadership team, which includes Senior Civil Servants, and is a member of the Director General’s senior management team.

Qualifications

A professional education qualification is desirable, but not essential.

Success Profile

It is essential that you can provide evidence in your application of the professional experience and skills required for this role. In addition, candidates applying for roles with the government, agencies and public bodies in Scotland are assessed in line with the Success Profiles framework that is used across the Civil Service. This means that as well as evidencing the specialist criteria you will also be expected to evidence the behaviours at the level required for this Senior Civil Service role.

Technical

• An education background with practical experience and a proven track record of leading and delivering improvements in excellence and equity is essential.

Experience

• Experience of operating successfully at board or senior level using strong political acuity, in a complex organisation, delivering cultural and high-profile programmes of change, with a strong track record of analysing evidence and drawing on personal expertise and resilience, to provide advice that drives improvement, through challenge where necessary.

Behaviours

Evidence of the following behaviours is required at Level 6.

• Leadership
• Developing Self and Others
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

More information can be found at: Behaviour levels – Success profiles: candidate guide – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)