Interim Chief Inspector – Education Scotland

Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Livingston

Applications are invited for the position of Interim Chief Inspector – Education Scotland.  This is an 18 month Fixed Term Appointment at Senior Civil Servant Payband 1 (SCS1), with a starting salary of £86,400.

The Scottish Government is looking for an individual who is passionate about focussing on the needs of learners and those who support them, including parents, and the prioritisation of equity, equality and rights. Your defining mission will be to ensure improved outcomes for Scotland’s learners.

In March 2022, the Scottish Government’s response to Professor Ken Muir’s independent report on education reform, including the replacement of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, a new education agency for Scotland, and the establishment of an independent inspectorate of education. 

The aim is for the independent inspectorate to be established in 2025.  In the meantime, it is vital that inspection continues to effectively play its role in supporting quality improvement and assurance in Scottish education and that work on the future vision for inspection, within the new inspectorate, begins with stakeholders.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Interim Chief Executive of Education Scotland, you will provide strategic leadership to the current inspection function within the organisation, enabling it to deliver on behalf of Minsters and maintaining the integrity of inspection as a constructive, evidence-led process, independent of all of the main interests.  In doing so you will:

•  Provide overall leadership to the Scrutiny Directorate within Education Scotland (currently around 100 staff), including in relation to its on-going business and in respect of the transition to an independent inspectorate, ensuring that that these aspects are aligned.

• Provide guidance and oversight to the Strategic Director for Scrutiny in their role to publish and take forward an annual programme of inspection.

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) for Education Scotland, ensure that it provides strong collective leadership to the organisation through this period of change.

• Build and maintain excellent senior working relationships across the education system to ensure confidence in the strategic direction of the inspection function.

You will provide strategic direction and support to colleagues leading work to develop and build a new independent inspectorate by:

•  Providing strategic guidance to the Delivery Director for the inspectorate as they lead further development and refinement of a target operating model for the inspectorate, including significant stakeholder and user engagement on the services that it will provide.

• Drawing on strategic partner relationships, lead and support colleagues to ensure that foundational work on different models of inspection for the independent inspectorate to take forward are developed in line with the shared vision for Scottish education.

Essential Criteria

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their experience in the following:

• A senior education professional, registered (or eligible for registration) with an appropriate professional body, with evidence of having secured decisive improvement in relation to both excellence and equity – raising the bar, and closing the attainment gap.
• Evidence of the delivery of whole system change, shaping and influencing national policy on education and the delivery of education services.
• A strong understanding of quality improvement in education and emerging developments and changes in Scottish education and inspection, and direct experience of undertaking inspection.

Leadership Criteria

Leading Collectively

• Taking an effective whole system approach to complex, dynamic issues; actively developing wide networks internally and externally, breaking down and collaborating across barriers to deliver outcomes.
• Seeking out voices which often go unheard, engage with the communities we serve, collaborate and co-produce policy and delivery approaches.
• Being comfortable leading in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment.

Developing others

• Understanding the strengths, values and motivations of those you lead.
• Embedding an inclusive, learning culture in your teams, trusting and empowering others and enabling high performance and innovation.
• Ability to actively manage wellbeing and create an environment where diversity of thinking and perspective is both valued and nurtured.

Leading Others

• Inspiring others through a compelling vision, create a sense of collective purpose and manage risk and resources to deliver results.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build visibility and awareness with partners and stakeholders.
• Experience of influencing internal and external partners to collaborate and work across boundaries to make change happen and embed new ways of working.
• Creating space for innovative and creative thinking, supporting and empowering others to try new ideas and challenge the status quo.

Understanding, Managing and Developing Self

• Understanding how your personal background and life experiences impact on your thinking, values, behaviours and biases.
• Being comfortable sharing your experiences and challenges with others.
• Embracing accountability and willingly go beyond what is expected of you to have a positive impact.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 18 months. An assignment duration
is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them
to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through
building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

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Job contact :

• Name : SCSHR@gov.scot
• Email : SCSHR@gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : SCSHR@gov.scot