Strategic Education Planning & Investments Leader | Hybrid

Gloucestershire County Council; Bradley Stoke; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Local Government Pension Scheme

Career development opportunities

Family-friendly benefits

Job summary

Gloucestershire County Council’s Education Planning and Infrastructure Service is seeking a senior leader to direct statutory admissions, school place planning and sufficiency, home-to-school transport, and free school meals, alongside a major education capital investment programme.

You will lead negotiations with developers and planning authorities, manage significant budgets, and provide strategic guidance to senior officers and elected members in a hybrid-working environment.

Qualifications

• Breadth of leadership experience overseeing complex statutory and customer-facing services.
• Experience balancing competing priorities in a complex political and partnership environment.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness.
• Influential communication and skilled negotiation with senior stakeholders, developers and planning authorities.
• Resilience, creativity and leadership to develop innovative solutions in a changing environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across school place planning and sufficiency, coordinated admissions, home-to-school transport and free school meals, and education capital investment
• Lead delivery of the council's statutory admissions responsibilities, ensuring fair access to school places
• Oversee home-to-school transport and free school meals policy and service delivery
• Lead plans responding to changing demand, housing growth and the needs of children, including those with SEND
• Oversee the statutory approvals needed to change sufficiency provision
• Oversee a significant education capital investment programme delivering value for money
• Lead education input to the planning process, negotiating Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions with developers and planning authorities
• Develop innovative, cost-effective solutions with the council, schools, academy trusts, dioceses, government departments and partners
• Lead and develop high-performing teams
• Manage significant budgets
• Provide clear advice to senior officers and elected members

Skills

Leadership experience

Strategic insight

Financial acumen

Negotiation

Communication

Resilience

Job description

Gloucestershire County Council’s Education Planning and Infrastructure Service is seeking a senior leader to direct statutory admissions, school place planning and sufficiency, home-to-school transport, and free school meals, alongside a major education capital investment programme.

You will lead negotiations with developers and planning authorities, manage significant budgets, and provide strategic guidance to senior officers and elected members in a hybrid-working environment.