Principal Service Lead - Education

Wmjobs; Dudley; Hybrid; GBP 79,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

Dudley Council is seeking an inspirational Principal Lead – Education to drive outstanding outcomes and shape education and inclusion across the borough.

This strategic leadership role requires delivering transformation, working with the Associate Director, and guiding statutory functions to ensure every child and young person can access high‑quality education with strong partnerships.

Qualifications

• Strategic, politically astute leader with experience in education transformation.
• Ability to lead inclusive teams and ensure statutory education functions.
• Proven track record of partnership working with schools and partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality strategic and operational leadership across education functions.
• Lead inclusive teams and ensure services meet governance and safeguarding requirements.
• Translate strategy into operational delivery across a diverse education system.
• Support the development and delivery of improvement plans with a focus on financial responsibility and service excellence.

Job description

Salary:Grade 16 - £79,125 - £84,055

Location: Dudley, West Midlands – hybrid Contract: Permanent, full time

Are you an inspirational, values‑driven professional with a passion for improving the life chances for children and young people? Dudley Council is embarking on a bold and ambitious transformation journey, and we are seeking an exceptional and visionary Principal Lead – Education to play a vital role in driving outstanding outcomes and shaping the future of education and inclusion across our borough.

This is a pivotal position at the heart of our Children and Young People service. It is an opportunity for a strategic leader with a passion for education, inclusion and partnership working to influence educational excellence. With your Associate Director and colleagues, you will drive Dudley’s strategic approach to education, providing high-quality leadership across the portfolio alongside inclusion and SEND, ensuring the delivery of statutory education functions while ensuring that every childand young person, whatever their needs or background can access high‑quality education, support and opportunity.

In this strategic leadership role, you will:

• Provide high quality strategic and operational leadership and management across a broad portfolio of education functions, ensuring high-quality, inclusive and compliant services that improve outcomes for children, young people and families through the Education Strategy.
• Lead and manage inclusive teams fostering high performance and ensuring services are compliant, meet legal, statutory and governance requirements, including Safeguarding.
• Translate strategic intent into effective operational delivery across a diverse education system, working collaboratively with schools, partners, and stakeholders.
• To support the development and delivery of the Children & Young People Services Improvement Plan embedding a culture of financial responsibility, a children and family focus and service excellence.

Whowe arelooking for:

A strategic, politically astuteleaderwith a track record of delivering transformation in complex organisations. Someone who inspires teams, builds strong partnerships, understands education legislation and policy, and brings energy, integrity, and ambition.

If you are driven to make a real impact for children, families, and schools across Dudley, we want to hear from you.

Applications close: Midnight Sunday 4th October 2026

Workplace Attendance: Working in the office 3+ days a week (pro-rata) or Onsite full time

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK.

Please note: Dudley MBC does not currently offer sponsorship for candidates without the Right to Work in the UK.

The Council will check the information that you have provided against any details already held for accuracy and completeness. The Council will check, share and cross match your information both internally within the council and with external organisations to protect public funds and prevent or detect crime, only where the law allows us to do so.

The Council’s full Privacy and Disclaimer Statement can be accessed on the website at https://www.dudley.gov.uk/privacy-disclaimer-statement/

N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised date should we receive a large number of applications