The Opportunity

Post title Chief Executive and Regional Director
Salary To £60,000 per annum
Benefits 35 days annual leave plus statutory holidays + final salary pension (local government pension scheme) + mileage
Responsible to The Board of OCNNER
Location Peterlee, County Durham. The post will include travel throughout the UK

Job Purpose

To manage the strategic development of OCNNER and to take overall management responsibility on behalf of the Board
To manage the staff and resources of OCNNER in order to ensure a quality service
To be the Regional Director for the North East on the National Open College Network (NOCN) Network Management Group and to undertake such other duties as agreed by the OCNNER Board and NOCN

Duties and Responsibilities

1. To the Board of OCNNER

To be responsible for the day to day management of staff negotiations and consultation.
To be responsible for the implementation of the Board’s personnel policies and the day to day management of personnel matters for all employees.
To manage Health and Safety matters on behalf of the Company.
To manage the financial affairs of the Company and to provide regular financial reporting to the Board, in order to ensure financial viability.
To support the Board in fulfilling its functions and to ensure that the Company meets its constitutional, financial and legal obligations.
To ensure the development and implementation of an effective business strategy.

2. To NOCN

To be a member of the Network Management Group of NOCN.
To undertake such other national responsibilities as are agreed between OCNNER and NOCN.

3. External relations

To develop and maintain external contractual relationships with existing and new partners
To build and maintain strong collaborative arrangements with all OCNNER members and potential members.
To market OCNNER to appropriate organisations to increase its membership.

4. Strategic Development

To develop, implement and evaluate a Business Plan.
To develop an annual budget and forecasts.
To develop implement and evaluate an annual Operational Plan.
To identify new areas of work and resources to support strategic development.
Prepare, implement and maintain the overall strategy and 5 year plan for OCNNER

5. Quality Management

To ensure that the Company meets its obligations to all relevant bodies, including NOCN, QCA, QAA, through the implementation of licences from NOCN and QAA.
To ensure the Company’s continued improvement and development through a continuous process of evaluation and review.

6. Human Resource Management

To ensure a robust structure of management, support and leadership for all employees.

To support staff in their personal and professional development through an effective structure of support and supervision, staff development and annual appraisal.
To ensure the Company’s policies on equal opportunities are adhered to.

7. Financial Management

To manage appropriate financial tools (cash flow, management accounts, accountancy software) to ensure the financial probity of the organisation.

To report appropriate financial information to Board members on a regular basis

To meet Charity Commission auditing procedures in preparing the Annual Report

Person Specification

Chief Executive and Regional Director

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience

The successful candidate shall be able to demonstrate the broad base of in-depth knowledge and specific leadership skills required for this role, which will have been acquired in a post with similar levels of responsibility within a related environment.

Candidates will be required to demonstrate:

First degree (or equivalent)
In depth understanding of cross sector 16+ education and lifelong learning and the ability to respond to a changing educational environment
Experience or knowledge of Open College Networks and/ or other awarding bodies
Strategic thinking, with the ability to analyse complex situations - information and to communicate effectively at all levels, engaging and empowering individuals and teams to take appropriate responsibility
Evidence of first class organisational and analytical skills
Financial and budgetary responsibility of comparable scope and scale
Motivational skills, through belief and example, for constructive team-work towards shared goals – encouraging a strong team ethic
Clear evidence of an ability to motivate staff through empowerment and positive people management
Clear evidence of delivering effective customer service including working with stakeholders
A capacity for innovative thinking and the ability to respond to a dynamic working environment
Excellent communication and advanced negotiation and influencing skills and evidence of practical delivery
An ability to identify and harness the opportunities of networking, to the benefit of OCNNER and/or NOCN
An in-depth understanding through leadership of excellent customer practice and evidence of applying it effectively to the work environment
A good understanding of IT-based administrative control systems and an ability to develop and manage administrative procedures effectively
Evidence of good understanding of health and safety management and a commitment to equal opportunities

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Knowledge of Investors in People (IiP) based on its successful application.
Post graduate or other professional qualification
Knowledge/ experience of obtaining funding
Knowledge of current education legislation and initiatives