Vacancy -- Office Business Manager for the National Academy for Educational Leadership

'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.

In July 2016,the Cabinet Secretary announced that a National Academy for Educational Leadership (NAEL) would be established as an arm’s length organisation separate from Welsh Government (WG) and that it would not be a deliverer of learning but would broker and quality assure a range of approved provision for the Welsh education system.

The NAEL will be responsible for the strategic oversight and direction of leadership provision to meet the needs of the education system within Wales. It will have a key role to ensure equity of access to high-quality leadership development by endorsing a range of leadership provision for all levels of educational leadership and commissioning provision where gaps are identified. The NAEL will also be charged with developing and delivering an endorsement model for leadership provision, developing system leadership across education, feeding into strategic workforce planning for leadership and acting as a conduit and focus for policy thinking, evidence gathering and research dissemination in regard to educational leadership.

“Education in Wales, Our National Mission” sets out the key actions with our 5 key objectives for our country up to 2021. Inspiring leaders working collaboratively is one of the 5 objectives. The Academy has a critical role in securing this objective.

The NAEL Business Manager will lead on operational business management for the National Academy for Educational Leadership (NAEL). This is a new and key role that will initially ensure the effective set up of the new NAEL as an arm’s length body into its full operational state. The role will provide business management support to the CEO and the NAEL Board as well as to other key roles and activities in the NAEL including providing operational support for the NAEL’s role in quality assurance and endorsement of leadership development provision in Wales. The post holder will also ensure the overall effective operation of the new NAEL office.

• To lead on establishing and ensuring the effective running of the NAEL office functions
• To lead on establishing and maintaining office management policies and procedures (e.g. standards for documentation, office resource management, customer contact, complaints management, set up and management of relevant databases, facilities management, standard/regular reports, maintenance of asset register)
• To contribute towards NAEL communication plan to ensure stakeholders understand how they can engage with the NAEL
• To support internal organisational communication between staff
• To support the CEO in establishing the new NAEL company in its full operational state
• To work with the Welsh Government internal project board and the NAEL Project Director through the transition period 
• To coordinate and support the production of the NAEL Annual Report
• To support the Chair and Board members in the running of the NAEL as a company limited by guarantee.
• To support the Chair and CEO in achieving corporate compliance
• To support and coordinate the work of the newly formed Company Board 
• To support meetings of the NAEL executive group (directors)
• To provide operational support to the quality assurance and leadership development work
• To support the NAEL Director for Leadership Development in establishing the NAEL quality assurance systems and processes for leadership development
• To provide specific operational support to the delivery of the “endorsement” process of leadership provision during the Summer term 2018
• To provide support, including coordination of key activities to promote the NAEL’s vision and values through actions, training, communications and leading by example

Key skills

• Ability to work on own initiative with strong multitasking capabilities
• Strong leadership skills and an ability to develop and implement policies and procedures
• Exceptional planning and organisational skills with ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise tasks effectively
• Ability to lead and manage change
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate clearly with a range of different stakeholders
• Excellent written communication skills with proven experience in a variety of written forms including policy documents, web content, correspondence and business cases.
• Attention to detail is essential
• Flexibility and adaptability are important
• Self-motivation and ability to work without high levels of supervision
• Ability to implement public sector regulatory requirements in an effective and efficient manner

The establishment of the Academy represents a step change in the focus on leadership in education and this role affords an opportunity to play a key role key in the establishment of this new body.

The role will provide an extensive range of opportunities for personal development including:
• Engagement with educational leaders and leadership learning across Wales and beyond
• Personal leadership development
• Leading and managing complex change
• Understanding the corporate requirements of a company limited guarantee

12/07/2018, 16:00

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

• UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

• Nationality rules – GOV.UK

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

• Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
• For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have a disability which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to a disability in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.