Deputy Director Pedagogy, Leadership and Professional Learning Division

Terms of Appointment
This appointment is offered on permanent basis or as a secondment for up to 5 years.

The post holder may work from any of the Welsh Government offices in Wales.  However, weekly travel to Cardiff will be essential to liaise with Ministers and Senior Officials.

Education in Wales :

Our national mission builds on both the 2014 Qualified for Life plan and the 2015 review of curriculum and sets out how the school system will move forward over the period 2017-21 securing implementation of the new curriculum with a focus on leadership, professional learning, and excellence and equity within a self-improving system.   This plan focuses on raising standards for all, reducing the attainment gap, and delivering an education system that is a source of national pride and public confidence.   To do this we will require a high-quality education workforce that is vibrant, engaged and committed to continuous learning for all.   Our teaching profession, with an emphasis on strong leadership and professional learning, will help deliver on the high expectations we all share for our learners, schools and education system.

Pedagogy, Leadership and Professional Learning Division is responsible for a range of policies which aim to ensure our education system provide the best possible outcomes for our children and young people but will also adapt and ensure we keep abreast of international developments.

The Deputy Director will provide strategic and operational leadership to a newly formed division at a time when education in Wales is undergoing considerable change. The post holder will work with the Education Directorate Team to ensure that the above challenges are supported by a civil service that is increasingly attuned to continuous, structured stakeholder engagement and, in its inward operations, is committed to a more joined-up approach to the alignment of policy implementation.  In addition to the inward facing role of working with teams across the directorate to ensure well-informed practice, the post holder will be expected to provide the Department with a strong practitioner-influenced external facing function, which underscores that ability to be outward facing, and should be able to engage effectively with practitioners, local authority and regional leads, and where possible, with global partners.

The post holder will need to be able to balance complex and often competing priorities, be able to operate both strategically and operationally and negotiate and influence in order to deliver. The post holder will also need to be able to respond to and contribute to the wider reforms of curriculum and assessment and teacher professional development to ensure that the principles of inclusion and the interests of all learners are considered and reflected throughout all policy.

This is an important role in the senior leadership team reporting directly to the Director of Education – Welsh Government and the post holder will be expected to possess professional expertise and judgement that will be relied on by senior colleagues and Ministers.

Additionally the post holder will lead and manage a team of staff across Wales.

This role presents an opportunity to be involved in delivering a high profile and high impact agenda. The post holder must have a proven track record of success and creativity as a leader in the Education field with significant recent and relevant school and support services expertise, coupled with a strong understanding of international research and innovation.

If this sounds like you, and you are interested in this vacancy and you would like to find out more about the role, and how to apply please visit the Welsh Government website at:  https://cymru-wales.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-2/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/6/opp/3876-Deputy-Director-Pedagogy-Leadership-and-Professional-Learning-Division/en-GB

The closing date for applications is 27 November 2017.

Interviews will be held at Welsh Government Offices, Cathays Park, Cardiff on 19th December 2017.

A large print, Braille or audio version of this advert can be obtained by request on 029 20825454.