Director of PSTE and Quality Improvement

The Ruskin Mill Trust Group currently operates three colleges and associated residential provision in Nailsworth, Stourbridge and Sheffield as well as associated sites in Pembrokeshire and Darlington, an independent specialist school in Sheffield, and is setting up a new provision in Birmingham as well as looking at new opportunities potentially overseas.  We provide innovative and experiential education for children and young people with special learning needs, developed out of the inspiration of Rudolf Steiner, William Morris and John Ruskin.

The Ruskin Mill Trust Group is growing and we are now looking to recruit to this new post of Director of PSTE and Quality Improvement, based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire but with regular travel to our other sites.

You will lead the strategic direction of the Trust’s educational provision (including all associated residential provision) in response to direction from the RMT board of trustees and in collaboration with the Executive Team. This will involve identifying development opportunities available to the Trust, and providing effective direction and line management to the principals of the RMT colleges and head teachers of RMT schools.

You will provide educational inspiration and leadership that will ensure that the RMT colleges and schools make the highest possible quality of provision for the children, young people and adults placed in their educational and residential facilities, and that they recognise and rise to the challenges and opportunities open to them in relation to local, national and international commissioning. You will be a highly effective ambassador for the Trust, representing its interests with local, regional, national and international groups.

You will be expected to research, critique, embrace, articulate and work with the Trust’s objectives, vision, values, purpose and method. This involves maintaining and extending the Trust’s work with biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophical medicine and practical skills education, which is informed by Rudolf Steiner.

To be able to undertake this role you must have a degree level education, ideally also holding a Masters level qualification.  You must have a full teaching qualification and have successful experience of leading and managing change to deliver improved performance; Be able to give evidence of innovative and successful performance management; Be able to demonstrate experience of having led, or significantly contributed to the success of an organisation through its leadership, ethos, teaching and results; Able to demonstrate a track record of success within a comparable complex, multi-site setting; Have a strategic mind-set, able to align functional strategies and operational objectives with those of the organisation; Evidence of successful business development within the education sector, which may include looking at alternative funding sources or via increasing student recruitment from varying sources; Able to evidence experience of designing, leading and successful implementation of quality assurance processes to address concerns or identified areas of improvement across a whole College or School; and ideally being able to become the nominated individual for the College based residential provisions and have experience of leading or undertaking regulatory body inspections.

In addition you must have an up to date knowledge of the legislative frameworks which impact on this 24 hour provision; Experience of working within a complex organisation; Knowledge of Rudolf Steiner Holistic Education with particular reference to the works and insights of John Ruskin and William Morris; Be adaptable, show initiative with high levels of personal, emotional and social intelligence and have excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with stakeholders internally and externally at all levels. 
In return we offer significant personal development opportunities to work within a holistic organisation that is complex and growing.

Only those with an outstanding commitment to excellence should apply.

Closing date: midnight on the 30 April 2015

An application pack can be downloaded from our website at www.rmt.org/jobs or by contacting Katy Harrington, Director of Human Resources on katy.harrington@rmt.org

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Level Disclosure. The Trust is committed to becoming an equal opportunities employer.