His Majesty's Inspector of Education and Training

Wales

Job Summary
We are looking for the brightest and best leaders from all backgrounds to join us in achieving excellence for all learners in Wales. The role of an His Majesty's Inspector (HMI) is an exciting and varied one that gives you a unique view of education and training in Wales. Our HMI come from a diverse range of leadership backgrounds in education and training. Whatever path your career has taken so far, you will have a strong track record of improvement with experience of innovating at a strategic level. You will also understand the wider education and training landscape and the role that inspection plays as a force for improvement.

Job Description
HMI play a vital role in improving education and training by leading inspections, reporting on standards, and sharing best practice. These roles involve travel across Wales, working from home between inspections, and engaging directly with schools, colleges, and training providers. You'll help ensure that inspection is fair, evidence-based, and focused on learners. It's a unique opportunity to experience and absorb practice in a large number and variety of providers and other educational settings; their ethos, character and approach to curriculum and innovation. Where providers are struggling, you will develop a keen insight into challenges and how improvements can be made.

HMI play a vital role in improving education and training by leading inspections, reporting on standards, and sharing best practice. These roles involve travel across Wales, working from home between inspections, and engaging directly with schools, colleges, and training providers. You'll help ensure that inspection is fair, evidence-based, and focused on learners. It's a unique opportunity to experience and absorb practice in a large number and variety of providers and other educational settings; their ethos, character and approach to curriculum and innovation. Where providers are struggling, you will develop a keen insight into challenges and how improvements can be made.

Person specification

Our HMI come from a diverse range of leadership backgrounds in education and training. Whatever path your career has taken so far, you will have a strong track record of improvement with experience of innovating at a strategic level. You will also understand the wider education and training landscape and the role that inspection plays as a force for improvement.

You May, For Example, Be

• a senior leader in a secondary school or secondary senior leader in an all-age school
• a senior leader in a primary school or primary senior leader in an all-age school
• a director/assistant director of a school improvement service or a school improvement partner
• a quality manager or leader in a work-based learning apprenticeship provider
• a vice-principal or director of learning in a further education college
• a senior leader responsible for Initial Teacher Education provision across a Higher Education Institution partnership

For this recruitment we are looking for people with a background in:

• Primary Education, where Welsh language skills are desirable
• Secondary Education - Two posts are available. Welsh language skills are essential for one of these posts and desirable for the other
• Post-16/Further education colleges, where Welsh language skills are essential
• Initial Teacher Education, where Welsh language skills are desirable

Qualified teacher status (QTS) is an essential requirement for all posts, except Post-16/Further education colleges.

Licences

Current driving license

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification or equivalent.
• Qualified teacher status (QTS) is an essential requirement for all posts, except Post-16/Further education colleges.

Languages

Some posts are Welsh essential, please see information pack for further details.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Alongside your salary of £73,978, ESTYN contributes £21,431 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

At Estyn, you'll join a collaborative and inclusive organisation that values professional growth and wellbeing.

Benefits Include

• Generous holiday entitlement – 41 days away from work each year (made up of 31 days of annual leave, plus 10 public/privilege holidays (pro-rated for those who work part-time).
• Wellbeing time – Inspectors accrue 6 days off for wellbeing time per year, in addition to holidays (pro-rated for those who work part-time).
• Support for your wellbeing - We also provide an employee assistance programme, free annual health checks, seasonal flu jabs, a free eye care scheme and access to Health Insurance Plans through Civil Service Healthcare.
• Excellent pension – access to the Civil Service Pension scheme. We contribute 27.9% of your salary which equates to £21,431 per year.
• Support for your family life – Generous family friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption leave.
• Tax-free savings – Access to a cycle to work scheme.
• Special offers and discounts – Access to a range of discounts and exclusive offers through the Civil Service Social Club

Selection process details

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

The Selection Process Includes

• Initial sift of applications: The panel will consider all complete applications. The information you give us in your application is important in deciding whether we will invite you to the next selection stage.
• Assessment: You will be asked to complete a series of tasks as part of a work-based written exercise. These tasks will assess the extent of your knowledge and understanding of your selected sector(s). They will also provide an opportunity to demonstrate your capacity for analysis and evaluation, as well as your ability to communicate with clarity and precision. For Welsh essential posts, we will test your communication skills in both Welsh and English during the assessment.
• Short-listing: The panel will consider the assessment scores and create a short-list to invite to interview.
• Interview: We use the Success Profiles framework. During the interview, you will be asked about your skills and experience and how you meet the criteria for the role (including behaviours). The interview will include a short presentation. For Welsh essential posts, we will test your communication skills in both Welsh and English during the interview.

Interviews and assessments will be held face to face in our Cardiff office.

• Closing date: 10:00am Wednesday, 7 January 2026
• Shortlisting: January 2026
• Assessments: January 2026
• Interview: February 2026
• Anticipated start date: 1 September 2026

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : People Team
• Email :
• Telephone :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information