Director of Education

The Royal College of Physicians; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 79,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Flexible working hours

Professional training and development

Cycle-to-work scheme

Life assurance

Group personal pension plan

Interest-free season ticket loan

Staff discounts

Job summary

The Royal College of Physicians seeks a Director of Education to provide strategic leadership for our education and assessment portfolio. You will shape a career-long offer with international reach, balancing educational excellence with financial and organisational leadership.

You will lead a substantial education function including digital learning, assessment, consultancy and partnerships, ensuring relevance, inclusivity, and sustainable delivery within the 2026-30 strategy.

Qualifications

• senior leadership experience in education, development or healthcare settings.
• experience delivering education or CPD services for adult professionals.
• strong financial management and governance capabilities.
• ability to influence senior clinicians and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Education Department's strategic and operational plans.
• Develop inclusive, high-quality education portfolios for UK and international audiences.
• Oversight of education quality, governance, evaluation and risk.
• Lead budgeting, income growth and financial planning.
• Develop new products, partnerships and routes to market.
• Modernise digital, online, hybrid and blended education offerings.
• Use data and market insight to improve quality and portfolio performance.
• Build relationships with NHS, universities, medical royal colleges and partners.
• Lead the Education Department and foster an inclusive culture.
• Contribute to the Professional Development unit and organisational strategy.

Skills

Senior leadership

Education & CPD understanding

Financial & commercial leadership

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decision making

Communication skills

Equality, diversity, inclusion

Education

Degree level education

Higher degree in education or related

Job description

Director of Education

Liverpool or London

£88,000

Working arrangements: 35 hours per week, with standard working hours between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. The RCP operates a hybrid working model, with staff spending a minimum of six days each month in the office. The role may be based at either our London or Liverpool site.

Contract type: Permanent

Purpose and scope

The Royal College of Physicians is recruiting a Director of Education to provide strategic leadership for our education and assessment portfolio.

This is a significant senior leadership opportunity for an experienced education professional who can combine educational excellence with strong commercial, financial and organisational leadership. Working within the Professional Development business unit, you will shape and lead a coherent, career-long education offer that meets the changing needs of physicians, healthcare professionals and health systems in the UK and internationally.

As Director of Education, you will be accountable for the strategic leadership, quality, growth and sustainable delivery of the RCP's education and assessment portfolio.

You will lead a substantial education function that includes education development and delivery, assessment-related activity, digital learning, faculty development, educational consultancy and partnerships. Working closely with clinical leaders, staff, members, fellows and external partners, you will ensure that our education is relevant, inclusive, evidence-informed, digitally enabled and financially sustainable.

The role will also make an important contribution to the delivery of the RCP's 2026-30 strategy, particularly our ambitions to ensure excellence in education, support physicians throughout their careers, and build organisational resilience and responsible growth.

Key responsibilities

You will:

• lead the development and delivery of the Education Department's strategic and operational plans
• develop a coherent, high-quality and inclusive education portfolio for physicians and other healthcare professionals across the UK and internationally
• provide senior oversight of education and assessment quality, governance, evaluation and risk
• lead financial planning, budget management and the responsible growth of education income
• develop new products, partnerships, consultancy opportunities, pricing approaches and routes to market
• modernise the RCP's digital, online, hybrid and blended education offer
• use data, learner insight, member feedback and market intelligence to improve quality, impact and portfolio performance
• build influential relationships with clinical leaders, NHS organisations, universities, medical royal colleges, specialist societies, regulators, commissioners and international partners
• lead and develop the Education Department, creating a positive, inclusive and accountable culture
• contribute to the wider leadership, performance and strategic development of the Professional Development business unit and the RCP.

About you

You will be an experienced senior leader with a strong understanding of education, professional development, assessment and professional standards. You will have successfully led a substantial department, portfolio or multidisciplinary function through strategic development, organisational change and performance improvement.

You will bring:

• substantial senior leadership experience in education, professional development, assessment, healthcare, membership, charity, commercial or professional-body settings
• a strong understanding of postgraduate medical education, continuing professional development, assessment, professional standards or health professions education
• experience of developing education or professional development services for adult professional learners
• strong financial and commercial leadership, including budget management, income generation, business planning and resource prioritisation
• experience of quality assurance, governance, evaluation, compliance or risk management
• the ability to build credibility and influence with senior clinicians, committees, partners and professional networks
• experience of using data, feedback and market insight to inform decisions and improve performancesuccessful senior-level people leadership, including leading teams through change
• excellent written and verbal communication skills
• sound judgement, political awareness and the ability to operate effectively in a complex stakeholder environment
• a clear commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

You will be educated to degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent senior-level experience. A higher degree in education or another relevant discipline, experience of medical royal colleges or healthcare education, and knowledge of digital learning, international education or high-stakes assessment would be advantageous.

Our benefits

Working at the RCP comes with a range of benefits designed to ensure that you feel valued and supported in your role.

These include:

• 29 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays
• health cash plan
• group personal pension plan with a 7% employer contribution
• interest-free season ticket loan
• life assurance
• annual pay award
• flexible working hours
• employee assistance programme
• occupational health support
• cycle-to-work scheme
• professional training and development opportunities
• enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• staff discounts, including cinema tickets and a range of high-street brands.

Closing date: 02 November 2026

Shortlisted candidates will be notified by: 09 November 2026

Interview date: 16 November 2026

The RCP positively encourages applications for suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.

The RCP is all about our people - our members, our staff, our volunteers and leaders. We educate, influence and collaborate to improve health and healthcare for everyone and know we can only do this by being inclusive, encouraging and celebrating diverse perspectives. that's why welcoming and having people who represent the 21st century medical workforce and the diverse population of patients we serve is so important to us.