Head of Professional Standards

Your new company
A respected public sector organisation in Northern Ireland is seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to join its Senior Management Team as
Head of Professional Standards. This is a leadership role with both strategic and operational responsibilities, offering the opportunity to shape the future of professional standards in teaching.

Your new role
As Head of Professional Standards, you will play a key role in the strategic leadership and governance of the organisation. Reporting to the Interim CEO/Registrar, you will lead a multi-functional team responsible for teacher registration, regulation, qualifications, and data analysis. You will also contribute to corporate planning, risk management, and policy development.Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the organisation's professional standards functions, including teacher registration and qualifications oversight.
• Managing regulatory processes and contributing to the development of future legislative frameworks.
• Overseeing data quality and reporting to support strategic decision-making.
• Advising senior leadership on professional standards and policy matters.
• Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders across the UK and Ireland.
• Supporting internal governance, audit, and performance management processes.

What you'll need to succeed
You will be a strategic thinker with a strong background in education, regulation, or public sector leadership. Essential criteria include:

• Educated to degree level, or relevant equivalent experience.
• A relevant professional qualification (e.g. teacher, lecturer, membership of a professional body).
• Proven track record in a senior management/leadership role.
• Experience of working as an educator in NI.
• Experience of managing operational functions and projects.
• Good understanding of the education system in NI.
• Ability to deputise for the CEO
• Ability to work at a strategic level and be 'hands-on'
• Excellent leadership and management skills.
• Excellent planning and implementation skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• A demonstrable commitment to customer focus and service improvement.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office suite.
• A strong presence, with the ability to represent the organisation
• Well-developed interpersonal, diplomacy, negotiation and influencing skills.
• A demonstrable commitment to excellence, quality and continuous improvement.

Desirable

• A relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g. PGCE, Masters in Education, Educational Leadership qualification).
• Experience of working the NI public sector and/or regulation.
• Experience of budgeting, procurement, tendering, contractual arrangements and monitoring.
• Experience of preparing and implementing strategic and operational business plans and managing performance targets.
• Knowledge of policy development within the teaching profession in NI.

What you'll get in return
You will join a forward-thinking organisation committed to excellence in education and public service. This role offers:

• £29.75 per hour
• Hybrid working arrangements.
• 6-month temporary position initially with opportunity to move to a fixed term contract
• The chance to make a meaningful impact on the teaching profession in Northern Ireland.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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