Chief Executive of Education Scotland

Chief Executive, Education Scotland

Glasgow

Circa £108,393 (Range £108,393 - £117,329)

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. 

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.

Individuals on any working pattern can apply for any post. We welcome flexible working. If you are interested in applying on a job-share basis, please make clear in your application if you wish to be considered as a pre-existing job-share partnership or if you are interested in moving into a job-share arrangement. We will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for the post and discuss all options with candidates.

This is a permanent, pensionable Senior Civil Service Director (SCS2) role located in Glasgow. The Scottish Government operates a flexible, hybrid approach to working but some in-office attendance will be required to meet business needs for this role. Relocation expenses may be available. 

For further details on this role and how to apply please visit

www.jobs.gov.scot (Ref: ID 2024-9627). Alternatively, please contact Peter

Morrison in the SCS Resourcing Team at SCSResourcing@gov.scot

The closing date for applications is Sunday 6 October 2024 at 23:55. 

We welcome applications from all candidates including those with neurodiversity or a disability and candidates of all ages, ethnicity and sexual orientation.