Job Introduction
Deputy Director of Education
Salary - £99,138 - £109, 287 (Grade 13)
Hours - 37 Hours per week
Contract type - Permanent, Full Time
Make a city-wide impact. Shape the future of education in Wolverhampton.
The City of Wolverhampton is ambitious for its children, young people and families. We are proud of our diverse communities, our strong school partnerships, and our commitment to providing high‑quality inclusive education for every child. As we continue our transformation journey, we are seeking an exceptional and visionary Deputy Director of Education to help lead this vital agenda.
This is a unique opportunity to join our senior leadership team and play a strategic role in securing excellence and inclusion across early years, schools, post‑16 and alternative education provision.
About the role
As Deputy Director of Education, you will:
Lead the strategic development of education services
-
Continue to drive improvement across all education settings to raise attainment and promote inclusion to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
-
Ensure the delivery of high‑quality, effective and inclusive education services, meeting statutory responsibilities and national standards.
Strengthen partnerships and collaboration
-
Work closely with all partners including school leaders, governors, academy trusts, diocesan bodies, Ofsted, Department for Education and the Regional Schools Commissioner.
-
Champion fair access, inclusion and high expectations across all schools and providers.
Shape and deliver transformational change
-
Translate strategic ambitions from the Council’s Strategic Executive Board into operational delivery.
-
Lead education-related transformation programmes that improve outcomes, maximise value for money and ensure integrated working across education, health and social care.
Provide senior leadership across the Council
-
Represent the Council at regional and national forums.
-
Deputise for the Executive Director of Families as required.
-
Oversee key services including Education Excellence, Early Years, SEND and Inclusion, School Organisation and Adult Education College
About you
You will be a highly experienced education leader with:
-
Substantial senior management experience in a large and complex organisation
-
A strong track record of driving improvement across education services
-
A deep understanding of schools, settings and the needs of diverse communities
-
Experience of managing change, transformation and high‑performance cultures
-
The ability to navigate political environments with tact and credibility
-
Degree-level education and evidence of ongoing professional development
You will also bring exceptional communication, partnership and leadership skills, with the ability to inspire confidence at every level — from school leaders to elected members and across the wider public sector.
Why Wolverhampton?
Wolverhampton is a confident, forward‑thinking council that embraces innovation, modern working practices and a strong culture of collaboration. We are committed to:
-
Raising educational excellence
-
Supporting the most vulnerable
-
Championing inclusion and fairness
-
Creating pathways into skills, further education and employment
-
Embedding restorative and whole-family approaches
You’ll join a team that values fresh thinking, ambition and a relentless focus on delivering great outcomes for our children and young people.
Interview Details
First stage Interviews will take place on the Monday 22nd June 2026 and consist of the following:
-
Stakeholder Interview
-
Technical Panel Interview
Successful candidates following first stage interviews, will be invited to participate in a Children’s Panel on Monday 29th June 2026.
Should you wish to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Alison Hinds, [email protected] or Hayley Pincher on [email protected]
For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
JNC Pay Award for 2026 / 2027:
The annual pay increases for 2026/27 for JNC Local Government Employees are currently being negotiated and, once agreed, will be effective from 1 April 2026.
Our working arrangements
All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.
Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.
For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies and much more please click here.
Diversity
We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents.
Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential.
We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace.
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post.
We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here
Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here
Employment Information & Support
If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here
