Director - Further Education and Post-16 Reform

This is a high-profile senior leadership role at the heart of the post-16 education and skills system. The postholder will provide strategic leadership across Further Education, 16-19 education and key post-16 reforms, ensuring that policy and delivery are coherent, evidence-based, financially sustainable and focused on improving outcomes for young people, learners, employers and communities.

The role will lead major areas of FE policy and delivery, including funding, accountability, workforce, capacity and condition programmes, while also strengthening the wider post-16 landscape. This includes participation, progression pathways, careers readiness, NEET reduction and re-engagement, post-16 SEND reform, and the alignment between education, skills, local growth, devolution and employer need.

Working closely with Ministers, the Director General, senior leaders across government and external stakeholders, the postholder will provide high-quality strategic advice on complex policy and delivery issues, balancing risk, affordability, operational feasibility and impact. They will ensure strong alignment between policy intent and outcomes for young people, while supporting the government's ambitions for opportunity, growth and prosperity.

As a Director-level leader, the postholder will be responsible for significant budgets, resources and delivery portfolios. They will provide clear leadership and oversight across a complex reform agenda, ensuring risks are identified early, delivery remains on track, and teams are empowered to achieve ambitious outcomes in a fast-moving environment.

Security clearance: Candidates should hold or be willing to obtain SC clearance.

The postholder will:

1. Provide strategic leadership across Further Education and post-16 reform, ensuring policy, funding and delivery are aligned, evidence-led and deliverable.

2. Lead key FE priorities, including funding, accountability, workforce, capacity and condition programmes, supporting a high-performing FE system that delivers for learners, employers and the wider economy.

3. Provide strategic oversight of careers readiness, progression pathways, NEET reduction and re-engagement, and post-16 SEND reform, ensuring effective delivery and stronger alignment between policy intent and outcomes for young people.

4. Ensure risks, dependencies and delivery challenges are identified early and actively managed, maintaining confidence in delivery across the portfolio.

5. Drive implementation of major post-16 education and skills reforms, ensuring effective governance, clear accountability and timely delivery against ministerial priorities.

6. Lead the department's contribution to skills devolution and regional growth priorities, working with mayoral strategic authorities, Skills England and local partners to support stronger alignment between national policy, local skills needs and economic growth objectives.

7. Contribute to the development of wider skills strategy, supporting stronger alignment between Further Education, labour market needs, local growth priorities and government ambitions for economic growth.

8. Work collaboratively with Skills England, DWP, DBT and other partners to ensure coherence across the post-16 education, skills and employment systems.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.

To apply for this role, you need to complete an online application via the Civil Service Jobs portal. Applications will be accepted until 23:55 on Sunday 6th of September 2026

Application

1. A CV (no longer than 2 sides or 1000 words) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.

2. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 2 sides or 1000 words), detailing how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification section.

Should we receive a high volume of applications a preliminary sifting will be done using only the top two criteria.​

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

If you are unable to apply online, please contact scs.recruitment@education.gov.uk in the first instance. Please visit our career site for further information on the Civil Service application process.

Please note the following:

• We cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date;
• Applications will be assessed solely on the documentation provided;
• Please refer to the advert and checklist above to ensure you have provided everything requested;
• Applications will be acknowledged upon receipt;
• Feedback will only be given to candidates unsuccessful following interview

Selection Process​

Shortlisted candidates will:

Take part in a Stakeholder Engagement Exercise (which typically takes up to 1 hour to complete), to be held week commencing 17 September. The panel will likely consist of stakeholders from mayoral strategic authorities, further education colleges and schools.

The panel will conduct a sift and shortlist candidates for interview. Formal panel interviews will be held on 24 September and will take place in Sanctuary Buildings, London.

You will be asked to prepare a presentation for the interview (further information will be shared with shortlisted candidates) and you will be asked questions to further assess your Experience and Strengths using the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary. ​

As part of the recruitment process we may request references. The successful candidate will also be subject to social media checks.

Please note that at interview stage we may ask if you have any conflicts of interest to declare.

Candidates with disabilities

As an employer we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all our colleagues and applicants. The Department for Education uses the Disability Confident scheme (formerly the Guaranteed Interview scheme) to help widen employment opportunities for disabled people. Applicants with disabilities who meet the essential criteria, as stated in the person specification, the Civil Service nationality requirements and indicate they are applying under the Disability Confident scheme will be guaranteed an interview.

Employment scheme for Veterans

The ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans scheme’ makes it easier for veterans to join the Civil Service. If you opt into this scheme and meet the minimum criteria, you’ll progress to the next stage for most roles – whether that’s an interview or an online test.

To apply under the scheme, please contact scs.recruitment@education.gov.uk.

What nationality do I need to hold in order to apply?

To be eligible for employment to this role you must be a national from the following countries:

• The United Kingdom
• The Republic of Ireland
• The Commonwealth*
• A European Economic Area (EEA) Member State
• Switzerland
• Turkey Certain family members of EEA, Swiss and Turkish nationals are also eligible to apply regardless of their nationality.

(*Commonwealth citizens not yet in the UK, who have no right of abode in the UK and who do not have leave to enter the UK are ineligible to apply.) For further information on whether you are eligible to apply, please visit Gov.UK.

For an accessible version of the candidate pack, please contact scs.recruitment@education.gov.uk

For more information on how to apply, please visit How to Apply , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Other Information

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Department of Education via scs.recruitment@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.