Senior Manager: Specialist Teaching Services

Are you ready to lead specialist teaching within the local authority? 
We are seeking an exceptional leader to join our forward-thinking Education Division. This is a unique opportunity to shape and drive countywide priorities focused on improving and securing better outcomes for children and young people, within our Specialist Teaching Service. 

As a key member of the SEND leadership team, you will report directly to the Head of Education: SEND.  You will be part of the broader leadership team for education and will be responsible for the delivery of our strategy for high quality, inclusive education across the county. You will lead the delivery of our specialist teaching services which supports children and young people with additional and special educational needs and disabilities. 

You will lead the development and delivery of our services that provide teaching and learning for children and young people who have significant barriers to accessing education and responsibility for our central teaching teams within the local authority.  A key focus is to ensure we can continue to secure better outcomes for children and young people.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the delivery of the specialist teaching services ensuring we meet our statutory duties in relation to supporting children with additional and special education needs and disabilities (SEND). 
• Provide strategic leadership across the service area. 
• Build strong, collaborative partnerships across education, children’s services, schools, health services, and families.
• Manage resources, and ensure high-quality service delivery and an ability to work across teams/organisations

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Proven leadership experience in education.
• Expertise in using data to evaluate performance and drive improvement.
• Confidence and skill in challenging underperformance and securing better outcomes.
• Experience leading large, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Energy, drive, and resilience to make a lasting impact.
• Integrity and a strong moral purpose to work collaboratively with partners.
• A track record of improving outcomes for children and young people.

Please download the Job Description and Person Specification for more information.

To apply for this role, please follow the ‘Apply Now’ button above and upload your CV and a Supporting Statement. We will be using your Supporting Statement to shortlist so please be sure to address how you meet all the criteria in the person specification, drawing on any relevant work/life experience, education, or personal interests.

For guidance on how to write an application see our how to apply page and our statement on the use of AI. 

Interested?

If you have the vision and expertise to lead our Specialist Teaching Services into their next phase of development, we’d love to hear from you.

Interviews will be held in person on Friday 25 September 2026 at County Hall, Lewes and will include:

• A formal interview panel
• Data and prioritisation tasks 
• Opportunities to meet key colleagues

Candidates who meet certain criteria are given priority when we shortlist. See our priority status page for details. 

Why Join Us?

We offer a diverse range of benefits to help and support you during your employment. More information can be found on our benefits page.

For an informal conversation prior to applying, please contact Sarah Speedie – Head of Education: SEND - by email:   [email protected]

For work that makes a difference, choose East Sussex!