Service Manager

Oxfordshire County Council is committed to delivering educational excellence for our children and young people through continuous and innovative improvements across our educational system. Our ambitious transformation programme, “Delivering the Future Together”, aims to make us an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice. As the sector looks ahead to the biggest structural change in half a century, can your educational leadership expertise contribute to the legacy Oxfordshire County Council delivers for future generations? We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking leader to join its senior team as Service Manager for Schools and Governance. This vital role offers an exciting opportunity to ensure that our schools and settings have access to high quality governance and school improvement as well being a key liaison between the local authority and our educational establishments. Oxfordshire Central to the role will be a commitment to support our most vulnerable children and young people and to supporting our services to become more inclusive. As a Service Manager, you will take strategic responsibility for managing the workflow of governance and services for our schools across the County. Working collaboratively with colleagues, schools, multi-academy trusts, regulators and other key stakeholders, you will ensure that Oxfordshire’s education infrastructure keeps pace with the county’s performance, standards and effectiveness, responding to ever changing demographic needs with efficacy. You will lead on the organisation of school improvement , including our traded services programmes and respond innovatively to the deployment of advisors, partners and programmes across the county. This role requires an in-depth understanding of educational regulatory bodies such as Ofsted and its revised framework, a commitment to understanding the changing demands of schools and their community’s county wide. You will also be responsible for working closely with the Assistant Director on the financial portfolio picture of our schools across the county. Your ability to build strong partnerships and influence at the highest levels will be critical, as will your capacity to manage complex teams out in the field and ensure that governance at a statutory level is compliant and well managed. You will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, balancing competing priorities and ensuring that Oxfordshire’s children and families benefit from the highest quality learning environments. The successful candidate will be a highly skilled leader with a proven track record in education, school improvement, governance, or a related field. You will bring a strategic mindset, exceptional communication skills, and a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing local authorities in delivering school effectiveness. Most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of Oxfordshire’s residents. This is a brand new but immensely rewarding role, offering the chance to make a real difference to the educational landscape in one of England’s most vibrant and dynamic counties. We are seeking an education leader who will drive a high-performance, cost-effective service that delivers outstanding educational outcomes. Everyday you’ll be challenged in a new way, supported by your team, in an organisation that is free thinking, flexible, and helps people achieve their ambitions. We’re not afraid to do things differently and our dynamic culture means this is a place where new ideas are embraced, and innovation thrives. We believe that together, our differences make us stronger, and that diversity is the foundation for innovation. Here, you can create a unique career for yourself – while raising the bar for the future of UK public services. Our Agile Working Policy ensures you enjoy flexible working arrangements, allowing you to balance your professional and personal life effectively operating on a hybrid model, based in Oxford.