Person Specification
Post:
Vice Principal Adult and Employment Pathways
Qualifications
- Educated to at least degree level or equivalent;
- A post-graduate qualification in an education and/or management related subject is desirable;
- Evidence of continuous professional development including participation in leadership & management programmes.
Skills & Abilities
- Highly developed leadership and management skills, people focussed with the ability to lead and motivate managers and staff deployed in the college, the community, and with employers;
- Able to understand and contribute to the development of an organisational culture focused on high performance;
- An enterprising and entrepreneurial outlook and track-record of identifying and exploiting business opportunities;
- A good strategic thinker, able to translate the College’s wider aims into specific strategic objectives and progress to implementation;
- Effective decision maker able to prioritise, delegate effectively and utilise the skills of others appropriately;
- Effective communication skills, written, oral and presentational; able to communicate in ways appropriate to the audience;
- Able to represent the College at a senior level at external forums and establish constructive working relations with relevant organisations;
- An effective negotiator with high-level interpersonal skills especially the ability to influence those who may not be directly managed but who impact on adult responsive provision;
- Well developed analytical skills with the ability to identify trends and determine, from both hard and soft information, action required;
- Able to effectively manage a wide range of pay and non-pay budgets, such that resources are deployed to meet the objectives of the Centre;
- Well developed IT and data analysis skills.
Experience
- Experience of working at a senior level and providing effective leadership in a large complex organisation, preferably engaged in delivering education and training;
- Experience of successfully leading change;
- Experience of implementing performance management systems ensuring that the strategic objectives of the College are achieved;
- Experience of developing successful business partnerships with external clients and organisations;
- Experience of developing robust business plans and of delivering challenging income targets.
Knowledge & Understanding
- An understanding of funding methods and national and governmental educational developments, particularly for adult groups;
- An understanding of the needs of employers both in terms of programme content and design and delivery methods;
- An understanding of the approach and role of community groups, local authorities and others in enhancing the skills and employability of adults;
- An understanding of what is required to deliver excellence for adult learners and to maximise the likelihood of success for learners, including understanding the barriers to learning and how these can be overcome;
- An understanding of different measures of productivity, performance and quality and their application in different settings;
- Able to demonstrate a strong commitment to equal opportunities;
- A clear understanding of probity and governance within publicly funded organisations.
Personal Attributes
A pro-active 'can do' approach, challenging, tough minded and resilient, reliable and dedicated, honest with personal integrity, flexible and adaptable to change, politically sensitive, collaborative, able to meet deadlines and work under pressure, willing to take on major challenges.