Director of Education

The Diocese of West Yorkshire & the Dales is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, created on 20th April 2014 following the dissolution of the dioceses of Bradford, Ripon & Leeds and Wakefield. The diocese is one of the largest in the Church, with 656 churches and 462 parishes and extends from Barnsley in the south into county Durham in the north, taking in the cities of Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and Ripon, a number of significant towns and large rural areas. The Diocese is led by the Bishop of Leeds, with 5 episcopal areas, each led by an area bishop.

A key aim of the new diocese is to re-imagine, re-design and re-invent how a diocese in today's church works and its Education function is no exception. The education team is currently split across two offices and it has a significant remit, covering 249 schools and academies. Our new Director of Education will have a totally unique opportunity to shape and structure education services across the Diocese, to develop our education strategy and to play an influential role in delivering our complex transformation programme.

This is a high profile and critical leadership appointment and we are seeking an exceptional, self-motivated individual who will play the lead role in developing and delivering our education agenda and who will proactively contribute to the delivery of our mission and ministry. A practising Christian in communion with the Church of England*, you will have an outstanding track record of senior leadership in a large/complex educational organisation, where you have successfully raised standards and services. You will have acute political skills and judgement, with the ability to influence strategy, drive change and deliver creative and pragmatic solutions within the context of a rapidly developing organisation.

For further information and to apply, please visit www.cofeappointments.com
For a confidential discussion, please contact Katrina Paget of our advising consultants, GatenbySanderson on 0113 205 6084.

Closing date: 5pm Friday 3rd October

*Schedule 9 paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010 applies to this post