The Department for Education has launched a recruitment campaign to appoint a new director general for its Schools Group.
A salary of £160,000 a year is on offer for the role, which leads the department’s focus on ensuring every child can thrive and achieve.
Julia Kinniburgh has been interim DG for the skills brief since January, when Juliet Chua left the position to become DG for the Economic and Domestic Secretariat at the Cabinet Office.
Kinniburgh has temporarily moved from her role as DG for the department’s Skills Group, with further education oversight director Sinead O'Sullivan stepping up as acting skills DG in the meantime.
The job advert for the role says the successful candidate will be “more than an excellent policy leader” – they will also need to bring “clarity” to reform across complex systems, champion evidence and data, and build new evidence bases through engaging with the latest research.
Another skill the department is looking for is the ability to forge strong partnerships, both across the sector and the rest of government, working closely with regional directors to ensure policy and delivery comes together seamlessly and reforms translate into better experiences and outcomes in classrooms across the country.
In a foreword to the recruitment campaign’s applicant pack, DfE permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood said the new DG will be "crucial" in turning the department’s ambitions – to raise attainment; narrow gaps for disadvantaged pupils; and ensure every child leaves school with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need for the future – into "real-world results".
“You will have the platform to drive system-wide improvement at a national scale and will be responsible for overseeing some of the most important issues in education – and wider public policy – today,” she said.
She added that she is “above all” looking for “a leader who is energised by the chance to make a tangible difference; someone who is motivated by seeing change delivered – not just designed – and has the ability to inspire talented teams to innovate and excel”.
The deadline for applications is 11:55 pm on Sunday 12 April.