Overview

JOB DESCRIPTION

Post: Assistant Director, People Directorate – 3 Posts

Post 1 – HR Services and Industrial Relations

Post 2 – Corporate HR and Business Partnering

Post 3 – Organisational Development, Culture and Learning

Reports to: Chief People Officer

Assistant Directors are responsible for working flexibly and collaboratively with the Chief Executive and Chief Officers to provide corporate leadership to the Education Authority (EA), particularly in relation to progressing EA’s improvement journey and ensuring corporate alignment across the organisation.

These are challenging roles requiring proven skills in leading and working collaboratively with others to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people.

CORPORATE LEADERSHIP

Assistant Directors are responsible for working flexibly and collaboratively with the Chief Executive and Chief Officers to provide corporate leadership to EA, particularly in regard to progressing EA’s improvement journey and ensuring corporate alignment across the organisation.

In this context, the roles have responsibility for the following:

• Collectively as part of the Senior Leadership Team, optimising business structures, harnessing strengths and making EA a great place to work.
• Leading a portfolio of services to enable the delivery of high-quality services to schools and other stakeholders and/or deliver projects and programmes in line with EA's priorities and business plan.
• Working collectively with other Assistant Directors to align, agree and progress corporate priorities.
• Supporting the Chief Officers in considering the resourcing profile and organisational changes required to deliver the optimum structure for EA.
• Focusing on corporate leadership duties, offering leadership that empowers individuals managing services to focus more on operational excellence.
• Supporting the Chief Officers in leading detailed reviews of EA’s core functions and current challenges to inform a more balanced structure.
• Working towards EA’s long-term, improvement ambitions, ensuring that the future structure is aligned with its vision, purpose and strategic goals.
• Providing support to Chief Executive and Chief Officers in prioritisation of EA’s activities to determine which are essential and which may need to be discontinued, paused or reconfigured.
• Ensuring that EA lives within its annual budget allocation from the Department of Education.
• 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.
• Maximising opportunities for improvements while promoting innovation and ambition.
• Providing corporate leadership for all programmes and projects relating to improvements to service delivery models while ensuring that EA adheres to relevant legislation and standards.
• Ensuring that service delivery is shaped by service user input.
• Advising the Department of Education on policy issues and contribute to policy reviews.

The above responsibilities apply to all Assistant Directors (ADs). Whilst ADs are initially appointed to a specific post there may be opportunities to move to another AD position in any directorate, providing personal development opportunities for a wide-ranging and varied career and supporting the organisation in the most effective use of strategic leadership experience at this tier.

Post 1 – HR Services and Industrial Relations

Key Areas of Focus

The Assistant Director for HR Services and Industrial Relations is responsible for leading the division and acting as a driver of people actions required to maintain overall financial and organisational health.

Budget: £7.3 million

Staff: 138

The portfolio of services allocated to the Assistant Director for HR Services and Industrial Relations includes:

• People Services involving end to end employee life-cycle support and guidance
• Resourcing including recruitment, safer resourcing and the NI Supply Teacher Register
• HR Transformation
• Industrial Relations and Reward

This Assistant Director for HR Services and Industrial Relations holds the following high-level responsibilities, along with overall leadership for the division, fostering a culture of improvement and engagement.

• Corporate Leadership and Planning. Providing leadership to the directorate, fostering a culture of improvement, collaboration and engagement.
• People Strategy and Leadership. Collectively 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.
• Lead relationship-building with schools and provide strategic leadership 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.
• Provide leadership in the development and the establishment of first-class employment practices that will attract and retain a high-quality workforce.
• Continually improve the HR infrastructure, systems and processes to ensure the delivery of an effective recruitment strategy, policies and supporting services for teaching, non-teaching, corporate and support roles.
• Lead and develop end to end employee life-cycle HR services for a workforce of c.40,000 staff.
• Ensure that HR services are delivered in a way that create a place where people want to work, and which enables employees to do what they do best in focusing on meeting the needs of children and young people.
• Provide leadership of continuous improvement and transformational change across the HR directorate.
• Lead industrial relations activity for a workforce of c.40,000 staff working across many disciplines and in a complex contractual and employment environment.

Post 2 – Corporate HR and Business Partnering

Key Areas of Focus

The Assistant Director for Corporate HR and Business Partnering is responsible for leading the division and acting as a driver of people actions required to maintain overall financial and organisational health.

Budget: £4.5 million
Staff: 55

The portfolio of services allocated to the Assistant Director for Corporate HR and Business Partnering includes:

• HR Business Partnering
• Health and Wellbeing and Attendance Management
• Employee Relations
• HR Business Services

This Assistant Director for Corporate HR and Business Partnering holds the following high-level responsibilities, along with overall leadership for the division, fostering a culture of improvement and engagement.

• Corporate Leadership and Planning. Providing leadership to the directorate, fostering a culture of improvement, collaboration and engagement.
• People Strategy and Leadership. Collectively 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.
• Lead relationship-building with schools and provide strategic leadership 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.
• The design, implementation and leadership of a highly capable regional model of HR business partnering to support EA and over 1000 schools across Northern Ireland in the management and development of their school-based teaching and non-teaching workforces including support of the management of change.
• Cross functional collaboration with other sectoral employers, ALB’s and legal services for the effective leadership of strategic or high-risk employment matters.
• Ensuring the effective management of strategic or high-risk external employment cases where required.
• Leadership and development of employee welfare, workplace health and wellbeing and attendance management services.
• Leadership of a single model and expert team for employee relations case management.
• Development and improvement of corporate HR policies and procedures as required by legislation or in line with best practice and continuous improvement objectives.
• Leadership and management of an environment of good industrial relations for EA through effective partnership working and good relationships with teaching and non-teaching trade unions.

Post 3 – Organisational Development, Culture and Learning

Key Areas of Focus

The Assistant Director for Organisational Development, Culture and Learning (ODCL) is responsible for leading the division and acting as a driver of people actions required to maintain overall financial and organisational health.

Budget: £1.63 million
Staff: 26

The portfolio of services allocated to the Assistant Director for ODCL includes:

• Organisational development strategy - including vision, values, culture and change
• Professional development
• Employee experience and engagement
• Talent management and talent strategies
• Digital learning strategies
• Performance management
• Equality

This Assistant Director for ODCL holds the following high-level responsibilities, along with overall leadership for the division, fostering a culture of improvement and engagement.

• Corporate Leadership and Planning. Providing leadership to the directorate, fostering a culture of improvement, collaboration 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.
• Lead relationship-building with schools and provide strategic leadership 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.
• 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.
• Delivering EA’s five-year People Plan, with a focus on one culture for EA.
• Leading the professional development of staff, with a focus on skills and capabilities.
• Provision of strategic leadership in the development and implementation of a strategic workforce plan for the education sector.
• Provide strategic leadership for the on-going design, development and implementation of EA’s policy framework for equality and promote and embed an equality culture that places equality at the core of EA’s policy making, policy implementation and review.

Other

• Any other duties related to the role which may be required from time-to-time by the Chief Executive and the Board.
• 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.

This job description will be subject to review considering changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Candidates must demonstrate on their application form that they meet the following essential criteria.

Factor Essential Criteria Method of Assessment Experience

A minimum of three years’ experience in a senior management role* successfully leading services across several areas and having an impact on multiple people.

Experience of working collectively across a senior team to align goals, resources, policies and processes to optimise use of the organisation’s resources to deliver maximum value for the public/customers.

Experience of leading, empowering, championing excellence and establishing momentum for continuous improvement that has delivered improved outcomes for the public/customers.

Strong communicator with proven skills to engage across a range of stakeholders, demonstrating successful impact.

Demonstrates an understanding of the potential and the challenges of delivering HR, talent and OD functions on a significant and challenging scale

*Senior management role includes providing advice or being party to decisions affecting strategic issues concerning the organisation in which the individual is working.

**Significant and challenging is defined as cross-cutting across a number of business area, stakeholders or organisations and having an impact on multiple people.

Application Form

Presentation

Interview

Other

The successful candidate will be required:

to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion;

OR

be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion.

Application Form

Factor Desirable Criteria Method of Assessment Professional Membership

A minimum of Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or equivalent.

Our Values

Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.

In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.

Further information can be accessed at the NI Direct website or the Department of Justice.

APPLICANT GUIDANCE NOTES

To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here.

For more information, the candidate information pack can be viewed here.

To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, click here

The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.