Head of Service - Northamptonshire Adult Learning - Internal Applicants Only

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About the role

This vacancy is open to internal applicants at North Northants Council Only

This is a senior management post for a Head of Service – Adult Learning for North Northamptonshire Council covering both North and West Northamptonshire. You will provide effective strategic direction, management, and leadership for the Adult Learning Service, including a 16-19 Study Programme.

The overall purpose of the post is to create an integrated adult learning service for the residents of North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) and West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). This service must be responsive to community needs, meet the requirements of the funding agency (ESFA) and Ofsted framework, and offer value for money by supporting the skills development and wellbeing of the people of Northamptonshire.

What will you be doing?

As the Head of Service, your key responsibilities will involve strategy, leadership, partnership, and compliance:

• Lead the Adult Learning Service by developing and implementing the strategy and systematically review progress to ensure timely delivery.

• Manage a large staffing team including appraising work and developing workforce and staff development plans to achieve high standards.

• Contribute to the overall management of North Northamptonshire Council by participating in or leading specific cross-cutting projects.

• Report to a Strategic Board that includes Council members, senior leaders, and partner agencies.

• Take a lead role in developing effective operational partnerships, exploring and developing opportunities for service integration (both internal and external) to benefit the customer and improve cost-effectiveness.

• Manage, allocate, and monitor resources to deliver the agreed business plan, ensuring value for money in accordance with the Council Constitution, financial regulations, and ESFA rules.

• Ensure the requirements of Ofsted are met to assure continuing good standards and performance.

About you

We are looking for a credible, experienced, and resilient senior leader with a passion for and knowledge of adult learning and a strong focus on compliance and strategic delivery.

• Degree level qualification or equivalent. 

• Significant senior management experience with a broad work history over a range of management roles in education.

• Detailed knowledge of government policy directions and best practice in adult learning, sufficient to meet the requirements of Ofsted, external regulators, and funding organisations.

• Experience in effective budget and data management, achieving efficiencies while managing service improvement and meeting DfE/DWP outcomes.

• Experience of managing staff teams and individuals through change programmes, maintaining motivation and high performance.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our Key Commitments

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council’s pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)