Chief Executive

RSA Academies is seeking a new Chief Executive to be responsible for all aspects of the charity’s strategic and business development, leading a small London-based team of RSA Academies staff and working closely with the principals and governors of the seven schools that currently form the RSA Family of Academies.

Our distinctive educational approach emphasises the arts and creativity, connections to the world beyond school, and inclusion and mental health alongside high academic standards. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the next phase of RSA Academies’ development. The new Chief Executive will be responsible for delivering a broad and ambitious education agenda at our schools. They will build RSA Academies’ position, reputation and influence in the West Midlands and more widely, ensuring that our broader approach to education is understood and increasingly influential in education circles.

RSA Academies helps children and young people to achieve their best by working with partners including schools, the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of arts, manufactures and commerce), businesses and universities to improve outcomes for children and young people. We operate as an Umbrella Trust, rather than as a MAT (multi-academy trust), which means that the successful candidate will require excellent negotiating and influencing skills, with a track record of facilitating change by working through partnership and collaboration. They will have substantial senior leadership experience in an educational or voluntary sector setting, and the interpersonal and project management skills to inspire and deliver change across a complex organisation.

This is a permanent appointment for four days a week, with consideration given to full time working if requested for the right candidate. The post will be based at the RSA’s headquarters in Central London or in the West Midlands, with travel between the two locations.

How to apply

To apply for this position please download the application pack document below and prepare your CV and a covering letter clearly addressing how you meet the criteria for the role as set out in the person specification. Please also state your current salary, notice period and where you saw this advertised (for recruitment monitoring purposes). You may address your covering letter to Sue Horner.

Please click “Apply for this job” above to submit your application online. The closing date for receipt of applications is 9am Monday 2 July 2018. Interviews are expected to take place on Friday 13 July 2018. Please note that we cannot accept late or incomplete applications. Please note that due to the volume of applications, we can only consider candidates who apply through the online application process. You will see a confirmation screen once you have applied but we do not send out confirmation emails.

Download application pack

By submitting your application to the RSA you agree to your personal information being collected and processed for the purpose of recruitment, employment administration (for new employees), equality monitoring and being kept in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Personal data of unsuccessful applicants will be kept for up to one year to fulfil our legal and monitoring obligations.

Valuing diversity is essential to the RSA's work. We aim to exemplify and promote equality legislation, recognising discrimination as a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights. All colleagues are required to ensure their behaviour is consistent with our policies. As an equal opportunities employer our commitment is to take positive measures to recruit people from underrepresented groups, and we actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. We are happy to discuss flexible working.

Registered as a charity in England and Wales no. 212424 and in Scotland no. SC037784