Department for Education
Director - Further Education and Post-16 Reform
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Manchester, North West England, M1 2WD : Sheffield, Yorkshire and the Humber, S1 2FJ : City of Westminster, London (region), SW1P 3BT
Job Summary
This is a high-profile senior leadership role at the heart of the post-16 education and skills system. The postholder will provide strategic leadership across Further Education, 16-19 education and key post-16 reforms, ensuring that policy and delivery are coherent, evidence-based, financially sustainable and focused on improving outcomes for young people, learners, employers and communities.
The role will lead major areas of FE policy and delivery, including funding, accountability, workforce, capacity and condition programmes, while also strengthening the wider post-16 landscape. This includes participation, progression pathways, careers readiness, NEET reduction and re-engagement, post-16 SEND reform, and the alignment between education, skills, local growth, devolution and employer need.
Working closely with Ministers, the Director General, senior leaders across government and external stakeholders, the postholder will provide high-quality strategic advice on complex policy and delivery issues, balancing risk, affordability, operational feasibility and impact. They will ensure strong alignment between policy intent and outcomes for young people, while supporting the government's ambitions for opportunity, growth and prosperity.
As a Director-level leader, the postholder will be responsible for significant budgets, resources and delivery portfolios. They will provide clear leadership and oversight across a complex reform agenda, ensuring risks are identified early, delivery remains on track, and teams are empowered to achieve ambitious outcomes in a fast-moving environment.
Security clearance: Candidates should hold or be willing to obtain SC clearance.
Job Description
The postholder will:
- Provide strategic leadership across Further Education and post-16 reform, ensuring policy, funding and delivery are aligned, evidence-led and deliverable.
- Lead key FE priorities, including funding, accountability, workforce, capacity and condition programmes, supporting a high-performing FE system that delivers for learners, employers and the wider economy.
- Provide strategic oversight of careers readiness, progression pathways, NEET reduction and re-engagement, and post-16 SEND reform, ensuring effective delivery and stronger alignment between policy intent and outcomes for young people.
- Ensure risks, dependencies and delivery challenges are identified early and actively managed, maintaining confidence in delivery across the portfolio.
- Drive implementation of major post-16 education and skills reforms, ensuring effective governance, clear accountability and timely delivery against ministerial priorities.
- Lead the department's contribution to skills devolution and regional growth priorities, working with mayoral strategic authorities, Skills England and local partners to support stronger alignment between national policy, local skills needs and economic growth objectives.
- Contribute to the development of wider skills strategy, supporting stronger alignment between Further Education, labour market needs, local growth priorities and government ambitions for economic growth.
- Work collaboratively with Skills England, DWP, DBT and other partners to ensure coherence across the post-16 education, skills and employment systems.
Person specification
Applicants will be assessed against the following criteria. If we receive a high volume of applications a preliminary sifting will be done using only the top two criteria.
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It is important that, through your CV and Statement of Suitability, you provide evidence and examples of proven experience for each of the selection criteria detailed.
Essential Criteria
- Policy development and reform delivery - Proven ability to shape and deliver major policy and reform programmes in complex environments, balancing strategic ambition with operational delivery.
- Senior stakeholder advice and influencing - Proven experience of advising and influencing ministers (or equivalent) to shape policy and deliver complex, politically sensitive change and achieve sustained organisational outcomes; providing high-quality advice, including clear recommendations on risk, trade-offs, affordability and deliverability.
- Delivery, governance and risk management - Experience of leading large-scale delivery portfolios, establishing effective governance, managing risk and dependencies, and maintaining confidence in delivery performance.
- Leadership and stakeholder engagement – Proven track record of leading large-scale, high-profile reform programmes, building high-performing and inclusive teams, driving strategic change in politically sensitive environments while securing long-term organisational success.
- Financial and programme leadership - Experience of managing significant budgets, programmes and resources, ensuring strong financial stewardship, value for money and successful delivery.
Desirable Criteria
- Strategic leadership across post-16 education and Skills Systems - A substantial track record of leading complex policy, strategy or delivery portfolios across post-16 education, skills, employment or closely related public service systems at scale, including responsibility for shaping strategic direction and delivering measurable outcomes through multiple partners and stakeholders.
Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview in the event of a tie break situation to make an informed decision.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £105,000, Department for Education contributes £30,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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.
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Application
A CV (no longer than 2 sides or 1000 words) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 2 sides or 1000 words), detailing how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification section.
Should we receive a high volume of applications a preliminary sifting will be done using only the top two criteria.
Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
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.
Selection Process
Shortlisted Candidates Will
- Take part in a Stakeholder Engagement Exercise (which typically takes up to 1 hour to complete), to be held week commencing 17 September. The panel will likely consist of stakeholders from mayoral strategic authorities, further education colleges and schools.
- The panel will conduct a sift and shortlist candidates for interview. Formal panel interviews will be held on 24 September and will take place in Sanctuary Buildings, London.
- You will be asked to prepare a presentation for the interview (further information will be shared with shortlisted candidates) and you will be asked questions to further assess your Experience and Strengths using the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary.
- As part of the recruitment process we may request references. The successful candidate will also be subject to social media checks.
- Please note that at interview stage we may ask if you have any conflicts of interest to declare.
Other Information
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 upon receipt; Feedback will only be given to candidates unsuccessful following interview
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
Name : SCS Recruitment Team
Email : SCS.Recruitment@education.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : SCS.Recruitment@education.gov.uk
Further information
The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via CentralRecruitment.Operations@education.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages
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