Director - Further Education and Post-16 Reform

Job summary

This is a high-profile senior leadership role at the heart of the post-16 education and skills system. The postholder will provide strategic leadership across Further Education, 16-19 education and key post-16 reforms, ensuring that policy and delivery are coherent, evidence-based, financially sustainable and focused on improving outcomes for young people, learners, employers and communities.

The role will lead major areas of FE policy and delivery, including funding, accountability, workforce, capacity and condition programmes, while also strengthening the wider post-16 landscape. This includes participation, progression pathways, careers readiness, NEET reduction and re-engagement, post-16 SEND reform, and the alignment between education, skills, local growth, devolution and employer need.

Working closely with Ministers, the Director General, senior leaders across government and external stakeholders, the postholder will provide high-quality strategic advice on complex policy and delivery issues, balancing risk, affordability, operational feasibility and impact. They will ensure strong alignment between policy intent and outcomes for young people, while supporting the government's ambitions for opportunity, growth and prosperity.

As a Director-level leader, the postholder will be responsible for significant budgets, resources and delivery portfolios. They will provide clear leadership and oversight across a complex reform agenda, ensuring risks are identified early, delivery remains on track, and teams are empowered to achieve ambitious outcomes in a fast-moving environment.

Security clearance: Candidates should hold or be willing to obtain SC clearance.

Job description

The postholder will:

1. Provide strategic leadership across Further Education and post-16 reform, ensuring policy, funding and delivery are aligned, evidence-led and deliverable.

2. Lead key FE priorities, including funding, accountability, workforce, capacity and condition programmes, supporting a high-performing FE system that delivers for learners, employers and the wider economy.

3. Provide strategic oversight of careers readiness, progression pathways, NEET reduction and re-engagement, and post-16 SEND reform, ensuring effective delivery and stronger alignment between policy intent and outcomes for young people.

4. Ensure risks, dependencies and delivery challenges are identified early and actively managed, maintaining confidence in delivery across the portfolio.

5. Drive implementation of major post-16 education and skills reforms, ensuring effective governance, clear accountability and timely delivery against ministerial priorities.

6. Lead the department's contribution to skills devolution and regional growth priorities, working with mayoral strategic authorities, Skills England and local partners to support stronger alignment between national policy, local skills needs and economic growth objectives.

7. Contribute to the development of wider skills strategy, supporting stronger alignment between Further Education, labour market needs, local growth priorities and government ambitions for economic growth.

8. Work collaboratively with Skills England, DWP, DBT and other partners to ensure coherence across the post-16 education, skills and employment systems.

Person specification

Applicants will be assessed against the following criteria. If we receive a high volume of applications a preliminary sifting will be done using only the top two criteria.​

It is important that, through your CV and Statement of Suitability, you provide evidence and examples of proven experience for each of the selection criteria detailed.

Essential Criteria: ​

• Policy development and reform delivery - Proven ability to shape and deliver major policy and reform programmes in complex environments, balancing strategic ambition with operational delivery.
• Senior stakeholder advice and influencing - Proven experience of advising and influencing ministers (or equivalent) to shape policy and deliver complex, politically sensitive change and achieve sustained organisational outcomes; providing high-quality advice, including clear recommendations on risk, trade-offs, affordability and deliverability.
• Delivery, governance and risk management - Experience of leading large-scale delivery portfolios, establishing effective governance, managing risk and dependencies, and maintaining confidence in delivery performance.
• Leadership and stakeholder engagement – Proven track record of leading large-scale, high-profile reform programmes, building high-performing and inclusive teams, driving strategic change in politically sensitive environments while securing long-term organisational success.
• Financial and programme leadership - Experience of managing significant budgets, programmes and resources, ensuring strong financial stewardship, value for money and successful delivery.

Desirable criteria:

• Strategic leadership across post-16 education and Skills Systems - A substantial track record of leading complex policy, strategy or delivery portfolios across post-16 education, skills, employment or closely related public service systems at scale, including responsibility for shaping strategic direction and delivering measurable outcomes through multiple partners and stakeholders.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview in the event of a tie break situation to make an informed decision.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £105,000, Department for Education contributes £30,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (p