Director of Excellence and Learner Experience

Corndel is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking individual to lead our new Excellence and Learner Experience Team. Maintaining high standards is a key priority for Corndel, as it builds on solid foundations and continues to grow.  The post-holder will be responsible for leading Corndel’s Excellence and Learner Experience Team.  This is an exciting opportunity to develop and lead an enabling service which plays a central role in ensuring that every learner is provided with an outstanding learning experience.

As part of the Corndel’s Leadership Team, you will have a significant role promoting an ethos of excellence and high achievement across the organisation. 

You will join a company which is breaking new ground and offering a more intelligent, dynamic, and achievable way of developing people through a world class programme of vocational learning. Corndel delivers a range of programmes, including Leadership and Management, Project Management, Data Analytics, DevOps, and Software Development.  This is your opportunity to work with some of the largest and highest profile businesses in the UK, helping them and their staff succeed.

You will evidence a commitment to the values of Corndel and an understanding of the transformational impact of education.

We particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within our organisation at this level.

You will:

• Work in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team to develop and deliver the strategic vision for excellence incorporating quality, teaching and learner experience. 
• Keep up to date with relevant strategic, policy and service innovations to inform best practice and continually drive excellence.
• Ensure that Corndel is at the forefront of delivering a world-class learner experience. 
• Promote continuous improvement. Working collaboratively and in consultation with key stakeholders across the business to ensure services are learner focused, sector leading, and ensure continuous improvement is implemented across the business. 
• Develop and embed Corndel’s Continuous Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to drive improvement across provision.
• Direct innovative and effective delivery of teaching and learning of a consistently high standard across the business. 
• Lead and develop the Corndel Excellence and Learner Experience Team and ensure plans are implemented and maintained to support the business.
• Lead Corndel’s Excellence Committee which is key to effective governance.
• Make sure Corndel are thoroughly prepared for external regulation. Advise and lead on preparing and meeting deadlines to comply with requirements for Ofsted, Matrix, Leaders in Safeguarding and other relevant regulatory requirements.
• Achieve and maintain Ofsted grade 2 as a minimum.
• Use qualitative and quantitative information to drive decision making, improvements and improvement planning.
• To be able to engage with policies actively and ensure that strategies are in place to position Corndel appropriately for any changes and potential risks or opportunities. 
• Ensure Corndel meets the required standards for Safeguarding, Prevent and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion requirements. 
• Facilitate the sharing of good practice across the business.

Personality and Attitude 

• A can-do and upbeat attitude to work, colleagues, and clients
• A self-starter and self-manager who can get things done and work systematically and thoroughly  
• Excellent communication and people management skills, with an empowering and positive leadership style that inspires staff at all levels of an organisation
• Natural leader with a strong growth mind set 
• Ambitious for self, team and the business as a whole
• An inquisitive mind, able to find things out and problem solve.  Solutions focussed with detailed attention to both the outcomes and the inputs to secure them
• The ability to prioritise, plan contingencies and adapt to changes at short notice
• Acts with integrity and standards that mirror those of Corndel – where people and success matter 

Skills 

• Highly organised, able to prioritise well and work at speed and under pressure
• Ability to motivate and inspire people to adopt a growth mind set 
• A good communicator who listens well, can explain things clearly and presents information in a simple and coherent way 
• Ability to make evidenced based judgements 
• Good attention to detail with a ‘get things right first approach’ 
• A natural completer finisher, with thoroughness and accuracy  
• Proven ability to set and meet deadlines in a calm and efficient way 
• Able to use judgement and escalate issues as and when required 
• Ability to analyse and interpret quantitative data to inform judgements and recommendations
• Ability to think strategically to align recommendations and solutions to future business priorities 

Knowledge and experience 

• A track record of senior leadership and management within a further education or related educational setting
• Excellent understanding of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework
• Experience of working within a regulated environment, ideally with experience of Ofsted inspection
• Knowledge of external quality kitemarks such as Matrix, Investors in People