SOUTH EASTERN REGIONAL COLLEGE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, QUALITY AND SUPPORT

APPLICANT INFORMATION PACK

JANUARY 2016

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Contents Section 1

Welcome from the Chair of the Governing Body

Section 2

About the College

Section 3

Job Description

Section 4

Person Specification

Section 5

Values and Competencies

Section 6

Terms and Conditions of Appointment

Section 7

Recruitment and Selection Process

Section 8

Equal Opportunities

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1. Welcome from the Chair of the Governing Body The South Eastern Regional College is a top UK College and remains the top performing FE College in Northern Ireland. It is a time of unprecedented change for the College and the FE Sector with a new FE Strategy just published, a challenging economic environment and a move into the new Department for the Economy scheduled for later in 2016. Following a restructuring of the Senior Management Team, the Governing Body is seeking to appoint a Director of Strategic Planning Quality and Support. This role is integral to the future success of the College and offers an exceptional opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to the College and the FE Sector in Northern Ireland. If you feel you have the skills, qualities and experience to meet this challenge, we would be keen to hear from you. I look forward to receiving your application.

Ed Jackson Chair of the Governing Body

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2. About the College SERC aims to be a world class College by 2020 and has been described as the ‘cutting edge’ College of the Northern Ireland Further Education sector. As part of this sector we are the delivery arm for government to ensure that the NI economy has the skills to grow, innovate and operate on a global platform. South Eastern Regional College was established in 2007 following the merger of the Lisburn, East Down and North Down and Ards Institutes of Further and Higher Education. We serve the population of Northern Ireland and employ just under 1,000 staff in seven main campuses with approximately 35,000 enrolments per annum.

We have our origins in the rich history of technical education, introduced in the early 20th century. The technical schools of this time were designed to respond to the needs of the local community. Courses were professional or technical including science, art and technology. We have stayed true to our roots and remain the lifeblood of the local community and economy. We have built our reputation as a trusted and respected part of our local community by delivering an industry focused curriculum. Whilst we have been better known for providing training courses we have become renowned as an innovative partner for companies seeking to improve productivity and develop new markets or products. Services such as product prototyping and business improvement consultancy help companies, large and small, to achieve their ambitions. We work with BT, Bombardier Aerospace, Nitronica, Canyon Europe, Red Raven and Coca Cola to name but a few. We are also expanding partnerships with schools to enhance their curriculum and ensure that all school children have access to vocational education. We work with over 30 secondary and grammar schools across the South Eastern region and the outskirts of Belfast. Further information on the College can be obtained from the “SERC Story” available on the College website at the following link www.serc.ac.uk/Pages/About-Us.aspx

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New SERC College Management Team Structure

PRIN CIPAL AN D CHIEF EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, QU ALITY & SUPPORT

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULU M & INFORMATI0N SERVICES

CHIEF HR OFFICER

Heads of Quality, Excellence & Development

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Head of Customer and Learning Support

CHIEF FIN ANCE OFFICER

CHIEF TRAINING AND CONTRACTS OFFICER

3. Job Description Job Title:

Director of Strategic Planning, Quality and Support

Responsible to:

Principal and Chief Executive

Responsible for:

The post-holder will have direct line management responsibility for 10 staff and overall responsibility for approximately 75fte staff in the Directorate.

Job Purpose: The post-holder will have overall responsibility for the leadership and management of the strategic planning, quality and support service function. Key areas of responsibility include Business Services, Marketing, International Development, Customer Services, Pastoral Care, Learning Support, Careers and Learning Resource Centres. Main Duties and Responsibilities Corporate Leadership  Deputise for the Principal and Chief Executive as required;  As a member of the College Management Team (CMT), the post-holder will be responsible for working flexibly and collaboratively with the Chief Executive and other members of the CMT to:  Ensure the College lives within its annual budget allocation from the Department;  Communicate the vision and strategic direction for the College;  Embed the College’s culture and values across all areas of the organisation;  Provide strategic leadership by bringing new and innovative approaches to achieving greater effectiveness, efficiencies and value for money for the College;  Assume overall responsibility for the efficient and effective management of one of the College’s four main campuses;  Provide strategic advice and support to the Principal and Chief Executive for the design and development of an appropriate staffing structure for the Directorate;  Ensure the efficient and effective utilisation of all resources of the Directorate, including staff. Strategic Planning  Responsible for the College Development Planning Process on behalf of the Principal and Chief Executive.  Co-ordinate relevant internal and external research that will adequately inform the development planning process.  Manage all development planning activities from action planning through to the production of the year-end Annual Report.  Ensure appropriate internal and external communication of the College’s Development Plan and Annual Report. Quality  Oversee the evaluation of the quality of the College’s provision through robust selfassessment, taking into account learner feedback to promote and develop capacity for sustainable improvement.  Ensure effective and rigorous quality assurance systems are in place to maintain high 6|Page

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standards and which identify and tackle underperformance. Participate in the Principal’s & Chief Executive’s review processes to enable the continuous development, review, training, communication, compliance and evaluation of all quality assurance policies and procedures. Oversee the monitoring and improving of the quality performance of the curriculum, ensuring successful inspection, review, audit and assessment outcomes. Working with Heads of Quality, Excellence and Development, monitor and interrogate performance by analysing and evaluating relevant statistical data on learners’ performance, progression and destinations, ensuring they are used to improve standards. Lead the production of evaluative and robust Self-Assessment reports and Quality Improvement Plans with ambitious but realistic targets and associated actions that demonstrate impact. Ensure quality assurance of sub-contracted/ franchised provision is effectively implemented and embedded into all College quality processes.

Student and Customer Services • Ensure the strategic development of student support services including learning support, learning resource centres, careers information, pastoral care, safeguarding, advice and guidance, and the development of mechanisms to receive feedback and recommendations from the student body. • Ensuring the provision of effective and efficient customer services function including admissions, reprographics, student finance and reception.  Lead the development of the structure and systems necessary to deliver a high quality student experience. • Oversee the development, implementation and review of student disciplinary procedures.  Oversee the management of student and customer feedback including responses to elected representatives and other statutory bodies and agencies.  Ensure a consistent and high quality student induction programme across the College. Marketing  Oversee the development and implementation of the College’s marketing strategy and ensure we achieve our student recruitment targets by delivering highly professional and costeffective, evidence-based promotional and advertising campaigns, including integrated digital marketing.  Ensure the delivery of high quality social media and corporate communications campaigns, initiatives and direct programs to ensure consistent and effective communications that builds the College’s reputation and recognition.  Oversee the further development of the College’s brand and external profile regionally, nationally and internationally. Business Services  Accountable for the development, delivery and performance of commercial development activities, business to business sales strategy and economic programmes such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Fusion projects, Innovation Vouchers, and Council economic engagement programmes. • Create business opportunities that increase and diversify the College’s income streams.  Lead and develop the College’s Employer Engagement Strategy which maximises the engagement with employers in the identification of their needs. 7|Page

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Lead on the development of innovative curriculum and business solutions to meet the emerging needs of clients within industry and commerce. Lead on the development of an innovation and enterprise strategy and plan for the College. Identify and secure funding for innovation through government sources as well as from private organisations.

Financial Accountability  Instil at all levels financial accountability;  Instil a high performance management culture for direct reports and human resources within the functional area of responsibility;  Actively participate in the annual budget setting process, agree and sign off Directorate budgets in advance of each financial year and ensure the management of budgets and resources within projections;  Actively hold direct reports to account for financial performance, and where variances are identified, take proactive action to ensure that financial targets are met.

This is a description of the job as it is presently constituted. The job description is intended to give a summary of the main duties and responsibilities on the understanding that these duties and responsibilities are subject to alteration to meet the changing needs of the College, following consultation between the post-holder and the Principal and Chief Executive. It is the College’s aim to reach agreement to reasonable changes, but if agreement is not possible, the College reserves the right to insist on changes to a job description after consultation with the post holder.

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4. Person Specification Essential Criteria Candidates must, at the closing date for applications, be able to demonstrate on their application form that they meet the following essential criteria: Qualifications and Experience 1. A degree or equivalent qualification. 2. A minimum of two years’ experience in the last five years at senior management* level of leading, managing and developing at least one of the following areas:  Student Services  Quality  Strategic Planning  Business Services/Contracts  Marketing/Communications 3. A minimum of two years’ experience of managing human and financial resources in an organisation that has a budget of at least circa £10 million and employs in excess of 250 staff. 4. Demonstrable senior management* experience of leading and motivating teams to maximise performance in order to achieve business objectives. 5. Demonstrate senior management* experience of analysis and problem solving with a track record of managing change effectively. 6. Possess excellent IT skills with knowledge and experience of the full range of Microsoft packages including, Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint. 7. Hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a car or a form of transport to meet the requirements of the post. (* Senior Management is deemed to be reporting to a Director or Chief Executive, i.e. a Tier 1 or Tier 2 individual.)

Desirable Criteria 1. Hold a postgraduate qualification in management or leadership. 2. Knowledge and understanding of private and public sector funding. 3. Knowledge and understanding of quality and performance management systems in Further Education.

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5. SERC Values and Competencies VALUE SOLUTION FOCUSED

EXCELLENCE DRIVEN

DESCRIPTOR We focus on providing creative and innovative solutions for our customer rather than academic theories. We invest in pioneering developments to make our offering customer led and take a similar approach to our internal processes and systems to avoid bureaucracy, focusing always on the end users’ needs.

Our Culture of Excellence underpins everything that we do, focusing on the activities which add value for customers. Our standards are recognised at an international level and we take pride in the levels of professionalism, expertise and industry experience of our staff. We are and aim to be outstanding and help our customers to achieve the same

RESPONSIVE

We are responsive to the needs of our students, colleagues, businesses, economy and local communities.

COLLABORATIVE

We nurture relationships with stakeholders and are open to new partnerships. We create partnerships with organisations such as schools to ensure that our local community has access to the very best of education. This also includes working with others within the FE sector.

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COMPENTENCIES Leading Through People Develops, empowers and sustains individuals and teams to fulfil the vision, mission and strategic priorities of the College. Willing to hold others to account, but is supportive to ensure continuous improvement. Works across College boundaries and functions in order to encourage mutual trust and cooperation. Driving Transformational Change Embraces opportunities for change, and engages with others to make change happen and evaluate its effectiveness. Understands and manages the political, bureaucratic and resource barriers to change. Creates a climate in which people want to do their best and commit to required changes. Thinking and Acting Strategically Demonstrates the ability to develop or translate a vision, then to follow through by leading others to meet the vision. Sees beyond the short-term targets to ensure the longer-term sustainability of the College. Constantly looking to improve, and to work in partnership with others to deliver. Delivering Results Ensures that day-to-day work is being delivered effectively, and that the appropriate plans, processes and systems are in place to facilitate this. Recognises the need to be effective, efficient and economic while maintaining quality. Strategically leads and monitors financial requirements and optimises the use of technology to enable the College to meet its objectives. Performing to Succeed Draws on personal qualities and skills to meet successfully the demands of the job and the College. Uses data-driven evidence to make decisions and understands the culture of the College and the needs of different stakeholders to appreciate what can and cannot be done. Understands the needs of different audiences and manages the message accordingly, building rapport and working positively with others. Identifying and Optimising Opportunities Takes an entrepreneurial focus in order to optimise the commercial and income generation opportunities available to the College. Develops and maintains cooperative, collaborative and mutually beneficial external relationships that promote the College and the success of all students

6. Terms and Conditions of Appointment Length of Contract: This role is offered on a permanent basis. Salary: The salary scale for this post is £74,766 to £78,963 per annum. Progression on the salary scale will be dependent upon the achievement of pre-agreed performance objectives. Pension: Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme for Northern Ireland or the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme is available. Annual Leave: The annual leave entitlement for the post is 35 days per annum. In addition, there are normally 12 public and extra statutory holidays in any leave year. The annual leave year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Hours: This is a full-time role. The post-holder will be required to work the necessary hours to successfully carry out the duties of the job. Location: The base for the post can be discussed and agreed with the Principal and Chief Executive. Travel: Travel across Northern Ireland (and on occasion further afield) will be required in order to attend meetings and fulfil the full range of duties and responsibilities. Contract: A contract of employment containing full Terms and Conditions will be issued to the appointed candidate.

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7. Recruitment Process Submission of Completed Applications Completed application forms must be submitted to the College’s Human Resource Department by 12:00 noon on Friday 5th February 2016. Completed applications can be emailed to [email protected] Applications can also be submitted by post or hand delivered to: Human Resources Department South Eastern Regional College Church Road Ballynahinch BT24 8LP It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the form is received by the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted unless there are extenuating circumstances. Applications must bear the correct amount of postage as any shortfall may lead to a delay in delivery and the closing date may be missed. Candidates are reminded that the application form must be fully completed. Incomplete application forms will not be considered. Faxed applications will not be accepted. CVs, letters or any other supplementary material will not be accepted in place of, or in addition to, completed application forms. Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered. It is therefore essential that applicants indicate on their application form how and to what extent their qualifications, skills and experience are relevant to the selection criteria outlined. Any candidates who are experiencing difficulties completing their application form because of a disability or who have any queries regarding the recruitment process should contact the Human Resources Department via email ([email protected]) or by telephone on 02891276730. Applications will normally be acknowledged by email. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within three working days of submission, please contact the Human Resources Department.

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Guidance for Applicants The post is open to any individual who meets the essential criteria set out in this booklet. It is therefore imperative that all applicants demonstrate on their application form how and to what extent they meet these criteria. If you do not provide sufficient detail, including any appropriate dates needed to meet the requirements, your application will not be shortlisted. Only those whose responses meet the highest standard expected for this role will be shortlisted.  

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Do not use acronyms or complex technical detail. Write for the reader who may not know your role, department, unit or job. Write down clearly your personal involvement in any experience you quote. Write “I” statements e.g. I planned meetings, I managed a budget, I prepared a presentation. It is how you actually carried out a piece of work that the panel are interested in. The examples you provide should be concise and relevant to the criteria. It is your unique role the panel are interested in, not that of your team or department. Only Part B of the application form detailing the selection criteria sections will be made available to the panel at shortlisting. In preparing your application form you may wish to think about having a clear structure for each of your examples, such as:

Situation – briefly outline the situation; Task – what was your objective, what were you trying to achieve; Action – what did you actually do, what was your unique contribution; and Result – what happened, what was the outcome, what did you learn. Selection Process 1. Initial Screening All applications received by the closing date will initially be screened by the HR Department to check they have been properly completed. Any applications which have not been properly completed will be deemed invalid. 2. Shortlisting The selection panel will meet to review the completed application forms in relation to the essential qualifications and experience criteria. The information you provide in relation to the essential knowledge and experience criteria will be assessed to determine to what extent you meet these requirements. Only those applicants whose responses meet the highest standards expected for this role will be invited to the next stage.

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3. Interview Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a panel interview and unseen exercise designed to assess the competencies as set out in Section 5 of this booklet. If deemed necessary, the College reserves the right to use preliminary interviews before final interview.

Anticipated Timings The intention is to have completed the shortlisting activity by mid-February 2016, and to hold interviews week commencing 22nd February 2016. These timings are indicative, however, you will be given as much advance notice as possible at each stage of the process. Please note that you must be available to undertake each stage of the selection process by the planned date of completion. It will not be possible to reorganise any stage of the selection process because of unavailability of applicants. Please note it is College policy not to reimburse candidate’s travel costs or expenses incurred as a result of participation in the recruitment and selection process.

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8. Equal Opportunities The South Eastern Regional College, as an employer, is fully committed to the promotion of equality of opportunity in employment to all, irrespective of sex, marital status, pregnancy or maternity leave, civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religious belief, political opinion, race, disability, age and trade union membership or non-membership.

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