JOB DESCRIPTION
Reports to: Chief Executive
Strategic Leadership
As a member of the Corporate Leadership Team, Chief Officers are responsible for working flexibly and collaboratively with the Chief Executive and other members to provide strategic leadership to the Education Authority (EA), particularly in regard to progressing EA’s improvement journey and ensuring strategic alignment across the organisation.
In this context, the roles have responsibility for the following:
1. Collectively as part of the Corporate Leadership Team, optimising business structures, harnessing strengths and making EA a great place to work.
2. Leading a functional review of each Directorate to ensure clarity and focus on the statutory responsibilities and strategic priorities EA is responsible for delivering.
3. Working collectively with other Chief Officers to align and agree functions under the new leadership structure.
4. Considering the resourcing profile and organisational changes required to deliver the optimum structure for EA.
5. Focusing on strategic leadership duties, offering overarching leadership that empowers individuals managing services to focus more on operational excellence.
6. Leading detailed reviews of EA’s core functions and current challenges to inform a more balanced structure.
7. Working towards EA’s long-term, improvement ambitions, ensuring that the future structure is aligned with its vision, purpose, and strategic goals.
8. Ensuring focus on the core purpose of the organisation to ensure clarity of mission and objectives.
9. Leading prioritisation of EA activities to determine which are essential and which may need to be discontinued.
10. Aligning functions under a new structure, as well as consideration of the resourcing profile and organisation changes required in support of any future change agenda.
11. Ensuring that EA lives within its annual Budget allocation from the Department of Education.
12. Working in partnership with staff and stakeholders including partners across the education sector, governing bodies, school leaders, trade unions, elected representatives, other related agencies, the media and the public.
13. Maximising opportunities for improvements while promoting innovation and ambition.
14. Providing strategic leadership for all programmes and projects relating to improvements to service delivery models while ensuring that EA adheres relevant legislation and standards.
15. Ensuring that service delivery is shaped by service user input.
16. Advising the Department of Education on policy issues and contribute to policy reviews.
Key Areas of Focus
The Chief People Officer is responsible for leading the human resources, talent and organisational development functions and acting as a driver of people actions required to maintain overall financial and organisational health
Budget: £22 million
Staff: 346
This Chief People Officer role includes the delivery of the following three high level responsibilities along with providing overall leadership to the directorate, fostering a culture of improvement and engagement.
People Strategy and Leadership: Implement and regularly review EA’s People Plan while leading the creation and execution of a strategic, multi-disciplinary workforce plan to identify and address staffing needs for the short and long term.
Culture and Employee Experience: Cultivate a positive and inclusive EA workplace culture that aligns with the organisation’s values and purpose, and implement initiatives to improve employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
Professional Development: Develop and oversee professional development programmes to enhance employee skills and career growth, ensuring alignment with EA goals and employee needs.
17. Delivering EA’s five-year People Plan, with a focus on one culture for EA.
18. Provide leadership on the development of strategic workforce planning for varied roles in EA.
19. Provide leadership in the development and the establishment of first-class employment practices that will attract and retain a high-quality workforce.
20. Responsible for relationship-building with schools and responsible for the effective operation of the employing authority role for all teachers and other school-based staff, providing advice, support and assistance to schools and employees as necessary.
21. Leading the professional development of staff, with a focus on skills and capabilities.
22. Responsible for the provision of EA’s corporate services and its professional legal advice and the management of insurance, claims and legal administration.
Other
23. Any other duties related to the role which may be required from time-to-time by the Chief Executive and the Board.
24. In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), be expected to promote Good Relations, Equality of Opportunity and pay due regard for Equality Legislation at all times.