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Regional Manager - Inspiring Governance
education and employers charity

Job Description

Overall Purpose of role

We are currently recruiting for a fifth regional manager to join an existing team of four working on Inspiring Governance. Regional Managers are at the forefront of our work with employers (private/public and third-sector) and governor recruiters in their regions. As part of the Education and Employers charity and working closely with our key partner the NGA, you will be responsible for recruiting and placing suitably qualified people from the world of work into governance roles through the highly successful Inspiring Governance digital platform.

This new Regional Manager post will involve being the face of this exciting recruitment service in the North-West. The successful candidate will work closely with the central, London-based team to achieve pre-defined targets, increasing volunteer recruitment through new and existing national/local employer relationships in your region. Working closely with the NGA, who are responsible for driving up demand for the service, the Regional Manager will support governing boards to encourage them to recruit skilled volunteers to ensure their boards are effective.

The Inspiring Governance recruitment service uses an online technology. This is complemented by tailored recruitment – providing specialist help to boards with urgent or high-priority vacancies and in regional priority areas. The role will include extensive liaison with employers and professional bodies as well as individual volunteers to ensure that the service is successful in meeting its targets.

We are looking for a self-starter with proven capabilities in developing and maintaining strong relationships and a record of achieving demanding targets within a comparable context, for example: education-business partnership working, fundraising, sales and/or marketing. Ideally, the successful candidate will have experience of working with both employers and schools and an understanding of the value of employer engagement in education as well as the importance of high-quality governance to improving educational outcomes.

The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of their local corporate sector/school landscape and awareness of the mutually beneficial partnership opportunities available, excellent project management capabilities, interpersonal skills and the ability to work with senior stakeholders. The successful candidate will ideally have some knowledge of school governance and be expected to develop expertise rapidly. They will also be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service. To support them in the role, candidates will have extensive access to training opportunities provided by the National Governance Association. The role of Regional Manager, whilst home-based, will by its nature involve extensive travel and the occasional overnight stay. Therefore, access to a car/public transport is essential.

The successful candidate will be eligible for additional travel allowances. It is envisaged the successful candidate will spend 3-4 days a week traveling and attending meetings with the fifth spent at home following up on these meetings and completing weekly reports on progress for the central team.  They will also be expected to attend regular face to face team meetings either in London or Birmingham as well as taking part in virtual meetings. The Regional Manager will make effective daily use of the Customer Relationship Management system Salesforce in order to record and manage data and delivery and monitor progress against key performance targets.

Background to the appointment

Supporting governing boards to recruit skilled people is a key commitment for the Department for Education. Robust governance is crucial to creating effective oversight and strategic leadership of schools in an increasingly autonomous school-led system. The Government’s vision and expectations for the governance of schools and academies is set out in the Governance Handbook. Education and Employers, partnered by the National Governance Association has, through a competitive tender process, won a four-year contract Sept 2016 - March 2020 from the Department for Education for the delivery of targeted maintained school governor and academy trustee recruitment.

Key accountabilities:

Engaging employers

  • Target and engage employers in the region (private, public and third sector), professional networks and business networks such as local enterprise partnerships and chambers of commerce etc. to increase the number of registered governor volunteers in their regions
  • Build strong ongoing relationships with national and local employers of all sizes, presenting on the benefits of their staff serving as governors and trustees and providing ongoing support and guidance to employers interested in governance recruitment schemes.
  • Develop links with employers headquartered in the region as well as national employers who have a presence in the area.
  • Using the Salesforce CRM management system record, manage and provide essential Management Information about the progress of the project on a daily basis. This will include; recording outcomes of meetings with employers, adding their details to the CRM system in a way that they can be systematically followed up.
  • Identifying volunteer/ recruiter issues with the system, resolving any stakeholder complaints and positively suggesting improvements and ideas to tackle these in a timely manner
  • Target engagement activities in priority geographic areas for urgent placements and where governor volunteers will have the greatest impact. This will include targeting and working with the Department for Education’s ‘Opportunity Areas’ in your region
  • Market the Inspiring Governance service within the North-West region, raising the profile of the brand and awareness of the quality of service and benefits that it offers

Working collaboratively to deliver regionally and nationally

  • Working with the Director of Inspiring Governance and in conjunction with the NGA’s Head of Inspiring Governance, the Inspiring Governance central team, and fellow regional managers, to achieve pre-defined targets for the service.
  • Work with the Department for Education’s ‘Opportunity Areas’
  • Work with the NGA to build strong relationships with local schools and academy trusts (primary/secondary)
  • Work strategically with local authority coordinators of governor services, clerks, school groups and academies to identify governance vacancies and work with them to register their vacancies on the Inspiring Governance platform
  • Working pro-actively with the London-based team to identify a database of school governance recruitment contacts such as Clerks and Chairs in your region.
  • Working closely with the National Governance Association and their regional representatives to provide support for governors and trustees placed through the service.
  • Attending and presenting at meetings of education and employer organisations such as the ASCL, NAHT, Chamber of Commerce, LEP and local authority.
  • Providing regular and detailed weekly reporting on activity against pre-defined KPIs for your region, recording and highlighting any issues in the Salesforce CRM system and maintaining regular contact with the central team.

Other

  • Willing to support the central team on leading/ improving an area of the Inspiring Governance service overall, such as how we develop relationships with employers, marketing, and comms, improving the IT platform and customer service experience, etc.
  • Maintaining a personal profile and displaying professional conduct in keeping with representing the charity appropriately at all times. Willing to understand and represent the broader work of the charity
  • Liaising regularly with the Director of Inspiring Governance and other colleagues (including in partner organisations) regarding ad-hoc queries and be the point person for all regional Inspiring Governance related queries.
  • Undertaking appropriate learning opportunities to develop expertise in the subject of school governance.
  • Identifying and participating in an agreed volunteering activity in the field of education to gain a better knowledge of education.

Application

The Education and Employers Charity values having a diverse workforce.  We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of their background.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 12th August at 12 noon and only successful candidates will be notified no later than Wednesday 22nd August that they have been shortlisted. Interviews will take place on Tuesday 4th September at the National Governance Association’s offices in Birmingham.

Please send a CV and Covering Letter setting out your interest in and suitability for the role via this site's application section.

Applications from recruitment agencies will not be considered under any circumstances.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.