Job details

Together, we’re shaping children’s education for the future. Every day, our colleagues are helping to transform the lives of the residents of Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire County Council is committed to delivering educational excellence for our children and young people through continuous and innovative improvements across our educational system. Our ambitious transformation programme, “Delivering the Future Together”, aims to make us an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice. As the sector looks ahead to the biggest structural change in half a century, can your educational leadership expertise contribute to the legacy Oxfordshire County Council delivers for future generations?

We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking leader to join its senior team as Assistant Director – School Sufficiency. This vital role offers an exciting opportunity to ensure that children and young people across Oxfordshire have access to the right number of school places, in the right locations, at the right time. Central to the role will be a commitment to support our most vulnerable children and young people and to supporting our services to become more inclusive.

As Assistant Director, you will take strategic responsibility for managing the planning and provision of school places across the County. Working collaboratively with colleagues, schools, multi-academy trusts, regulators and other key stakeholders, you will ensure that Oxfordshire’s education infrastructure keeps pace with the county’s growth and changing demographic needs.

You will lead on school organisation planning, including the delivery of new schools and the expansion of existing provision, while also ensuring the efficient use of resources to maintain financial sustainability. This role requires an in-depth understanding of population forecasting, capital funding, and the statutory framework governing school sufficiency, as well as a commitment to inclusivity and the needs of all learners.

Your ability to build strong partnerships and influence at the highest levels will be critical, as will your capacity to manage complex projects and ensure that capital programmes are delivered on time and to budget. You will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, balancing competing priorities and ensuring that Oxfordshire’s children and families benefit from the highest quality learning environments.

The successful candidate will be a highly skilled leader with a proven track record in education, school place planning, or a related field. You will bring a strategic mindset, exceptional communication skills, and a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing local authorities in delivering school sufficiency. Our Agile Working Policy ensures you enjoy flexible working arrangements, allowing you to balance your professional and personal life effectively. Most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of Oxfordshire’s residents.

This is a challenging but immensely rewarding role, offering the chance to make a real difference to the educational landscape in one of England’s most vibrant and dynamic Counties. We are seeking an education leader who will drive a high-performance, cost-effective service that delivers outstanding educational outcomes.

Together, we’re the moment makers and we’re focussed on making every day the best it can be for our residents. Whatever you do here, you’ll look around and say, “I make a difference”, because we’re all creating lasting change to people’s lives in Oxfordshire.

Everyday, you’ll be challenged in a new way, supported by your team, in an organisation that is free thinking, flexible, and helps people achieve their ambitions. We’re not afraid to do things differently and our dynamic culture means this is a place where new ideas are embraced, and innovation thrives.

We believe that together, our differences make us stronger, and that diversity is the foundation for innovation. Here, you can create a unique career for yourself – while raising the bar for the future of UK public services.

Our Agile Working Policy ensures you enjoy flexible working arrangements, allowing you to balance your professional and personal life effectively operating on a hybrid model, based in Oxford.

Oxfordshire County Council is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in employment, and we welcome applications from all members of the community.

We would particularly like to encourage applications from individuals from a multi-ethnic background, who are currently under-represented at a senior level within our organisation. At Oxfordshire, we strive to create a workplace that reflects our region, where everyone is valued and empowered to be themselves.