Chief Executive of Education Scotland

As Chief Executive of Education Scotland, you will have a range of duties and responsibilities. A short summary is below but more detail can be found in the Candidate Pack at the bottom of this page.Reform and transformational leadership Lead the Agency to deliver on reform commitments, including the strategic development and corporate transformation of the Agency, with a comprehensive programme of engagement with internal and external stakeholders to inform, and ensure support for reform.Providing transformational leadership to drive a change in practice, successfully refocussing the Agency on curriculum design, improvement and innovation.Ensuring the Agency is focussed on supporting change and improvement in educational practice, based on evidence.Ensuring that colleagues have a common understanding and view of the Agency as an integral part of government and provider of national support, aligning outcomes with ministerial priorities.Playing a key role in facilitating a collaborative approach to digital transformation across the education system, as a priority.Ensuring the Agency engages with, and plays a lead role in, the Education and Skills Reform programmes, working with Scottish Government officials to review the Agencys organisational design.Delivery In line with ministerial priorities, including public sector reform, provide leadership and strategic direction to ensure that the Agency meets key delivery targets and delivers in all aspects of its remit, operating in an efficient, effective manner, and that the Agency is a high performing, continuously improving public body that is ensuring that reform is making a difference.This includes responsibility for the development of, and delivery against, organisational strategy and supporting plans, including the priorities set out in the framework document and chairing the Advisory Board.Provide independent 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.Ensure that Education Scotland is able to draw on staff and secondees with relevant experience within education settings, including those with recent frontline professional experience.Work closely with senior leaders and Chief Executives across the system to drive improvement in Scottish education.Provide organisational and national leadership and direction, to inform, share and promote approaches to improvement to close attainment gaps as set out in the National Improvement Framework.Curriculum design and development Develop and lead the Curriculum Improvement Cycle and support curriculum design and delivery.Ensuring that curriculum advice and support is clear, trusted and focussed on realising the ambitions of Curriculum for Excellence, and driving improvement across Scottish education.Develop and lead a national framework for professional learning, which will build on the existing and well-regarded national leadership professional learning programmes.Prioritise and oversee the support that the Agency gives to the education system (local authorities, schools, ELC, and other education providers/ organisations) in line with education priorities.Deployment of the Attainment Advisor and National Improvement Framework teams, who support, advise and challenge the interventions and approaches across Scotland, that secure improvements in excellence and equity.Organisational and people management Accountable Officer for the management of the Agencys operating budget, which is up to circa 40m (subject to any subsequent in-year changes) in the current financial year, until the establishment of HMIE, at which point budgets will be realigned; ensuring that all relevant financial considerations and Scottish Government guidance, including issues of propriety, regularity, efficiency and value for money, are taken into account in delivering the Agencys business.Until the establishment of HMIE and in line with the short term line management relationship with His Majestys (HM) Chief Inspector, the post-holder will have Accountable Officer responsibilities for the inspection function, overall responsibility for all employees and will be responsible for ensuring that appropriate support is in place to enable HM Chief Inspector to deliver inspections and fulfil their duties.Until HMIE is established as a body in its own right, overall responsibility for circa 380 employees.Following the establishment of HMIE, overall responsibility for circa 250/ 300 employees.Further detail on the roles and responsibilities can be found in the Candidate Pack at the bottom of this page.