JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Principal and CEO

Location: Waterloo Centre for Adult Education, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7HT. The post holder will also be required to work flexibly across all Morley’s Centres, including the Chelsea Centre for Creative Industries (Hortensia Road, London SW10 0QS) and the North Kensington Centre for Skills (Wornington Road, London W10 5QQ).

Context
As Principal and CEO you will be responsible to the Board of Governors for the overall leadership and management of Morley College London, for proposing its strategic direction to the Board and driving its success across all levels of provision, from education programmes for young people, to adult skills and Higher Education. The person appointed to the role will be working in the context of a growing and dynamic learning community (following a merger with Kensington and Chelsea College in 2020), leading a Specialist Designated Institution (Institute for Adult Learning) with a distinct mission and ethos to be a force for public good. You will use your extensive leadership experience to build on the considerable successes of the College to take it to the next stage of its strategic development – particularly in terms of an entrepreneurial and business-orientated approach – while at the same time maintaining a deep empathy and respect for Morley’s mission and cultural traditions.

The Principal and CEO reports directly to the Morley Board and you will be supported, on a regular basis and in terms of performance reviews, by the Chair/Vice Chair. You will be expected to serve as a member of the Board and to develop and maintain at all times a close and collaborative working relationship with the Board, an essential element of the role.

Job Purpose
As Principal and CEO you will provide effective leadership to the College in fulfilling its mission and meeting its strategic objectives as determined by the Board. You will lead the translation of the strategy into measurable operational plans which will include actions to ensure continuous improvement and high staff motivation at all levels so as to achieve excellent outcomes. You will have the vision, enterprise, drive and leadership skills to capitalise on opportunities for growth and innovation, manage change and diversify income streams; you will also maintain a positive and proactive approach in addressing the challenges Morley faces now and in the future.

As Principal and Chief Accounting Officer, you will ensure that Morley delivers high quality learning opportunities that meet local needs, with the college’s resources managed efficiently and effectively to ensure the financial stability of the College and to optimise students’ experience.

You will also ensure that Morley’s focus remains firmly on its students and that they have the best possible learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth, achievement and progression.

Duties and responsibilities
The Principal and CEO will be accountable for:

• Strategic and operational leadership
  • Empowering and inspirational leadership, driving forward the strategy of the organisation, identifying opportunities, making high quality resources and investment decisions, defining college objectives and ensuring their achievement in a timely and cost-effective manner.
  • Collaborating with Governors, senior colleagues, and appropriate stakeholders on the formulation and recommendation of an ambitious and inspiring vision and on proposals to deliver the agreed strategic priorities.
  • Driving the timely and efficient delivery of strategic objectives through supporting strategies and plans with measurable outputs and ambitious but achievable targets; aligning short, medium and long-term objectives with financial planning; engaging the Board on a timely basis in the strategic planning process and in the Board’s oversight review of the outcome of annual operational plans.
  • Identifying, assessing and managing risk for all aspects of the operations; undertaking timely risk and impact assessments for new ventures and in relation to significant proposed changes.
  • Ensuring that the College works within regulatory and governance requirements, has effective systems and processes, delivers to its targets, and is financially robust.
• Curricular Provision/Students
  • Building and further developing strategies to maintain and to increase student enrolments, driving existing markets and identifying potential new ones, and, in particular, growing provision through and beyond any changes in the funding landscape.
  • Developing the curriculum and approaches to teaching, learning and assessment and ensuring the delivery of high-quality education programmes at all levels and support for students so that all may develop and progress according to their individual needs, aptitudes and aspirations.
  • Ensuring appropriate processes and procedures are in place to protect vulnerable learners.
  • Ensuring that students participate actively in their learning and in College life, that the student voice is heard and responded to and that the College’s strong democratic traditions are maintained and developed.
• Leading our People
  • Leading, managing and developing staff; demonstrating a collaborative, communicative and supportive style of leadership which develops expertise and commitment, ensures accountability and celebrates success.
  • Providing leadership and support to the Senior Leadership Team so that all colleagues work together to realise the College’s mission, values and strategic priorities.
  • Maintaining a positive, responsive staff culture; ensuring good employee relations; sustaining high levels of morale, motivation, ownership, and responsibility for delivery among staff.
  • Ensuring that structures and staff levels are fit for purpose and sustainable; ensuring that appropriate human resources and staff development policies and practices (including effective performance management processes) are in place to support staff to carry out their roles, comply with employment legislation and underpin best employment practice; making arrangements for the appointment and retention of high-calibre, appropriately qualified staff.
• Financial Management and resources
  • As Chief Accounting Officer, ensuring that Morley College London is run on a sound and sustainable financial basis (balancing strategic priorities with financial imperatives), within budget, and with due regard to value for money, charitable status and compliance with the requirements of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), the Office for Students (OfS) and other regulatory organisations; safeguarding Morley’s financial resources and maintaining a strong financial position for the future.
  • Ensuring effective systems of assurance through sound financial management, effective internal audit and a culture of effective risk management.
  • Ensuring that Morley’s estate, buildings and other physical resources provide a safe environment, and that they are efficiently and effectively managed, safeguarded, and improved incrementally with a focus on students and the curriculum; specifically guiding the Board’s estates strategy through its various stages when funding from a range of sources for this purpose has been achieved.
  • Working with designated officers, to ensure that Morley complies with the full range of its statutory, legal and regulatory responsibilities (including Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, Companies House and Charities Commission and Sustainability obligations).
• Quality
  • Fostering and driving forward a culture of excellence and success; embodying high expectations; maintaining the impetus for the College to be outstanding in every respect.
  • Agreeing and driving the delivery of tangible performance measures, including quantitative targets, for all areas of College activity.
  • Promoting and securing continuous improvement and the sharing of good practice; progressing all aspects of the quality cycle and quality improvement plans; monitoring progress rigorously so as to promote action, ensure development and demonstrate progress.
  • Keeping the College abreast of the expectations of Ofsted, the OfS and other external assessors; ensuring inspection readiness across the College.
• Stakeholder relationships
  • Building on Morley’s positive relationships with its local communities, employers and employer organisations, local authorities, regional bodies and government departments to promote the social, cultural and economic benefits of the College’s work to secure growth and increase access.
  • Acting personally as an ambassador for the College, advocating its interests; ensuring that it is effectively represented and promoted in the media, and in local, regional, national and international forums; disseminating information from external sources throughout the College.
  • Further developing collaborative partnerships where this is of mutual benefit and leads to improved opportunities to meet local, regional and national skills strategies.
  • Maintaining positive relations with employees and recognised Trades Unions.
• Discharging the role in such a manner as to:
  • Uphold the stated values of Morley College London.
  • Ensure that the Board is fully engaged in, and has ample opportunity to debate, all strategic decisions.
  • Collaborate with the Board in such a way as to respect and facilitate its role and optimise the value that the knowledge and skills of Governors can bring to Morley.
  • Strive for openness, clarity, supportiveness and mutual understanding with internal stakeholders; be willing to listen and to give and receive feedback; promote an enjoyable working environment.
  • Comply with the framework of delegated authority.
  • Demonstrate a flexible, optimistic and entrepreneurial approach in meeting the changing needs of Morley and its students.

The post holder may be required to carry out other duties in keeping with the nature of the position as directed by, and agreed with, the Board of Morley College London.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The College is committed to creating and promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce that better reflects the wider community it supports. We particularly welcome applicants from groups currently under-represented in senior roles, including those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community.

Safeguarding
The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults at all times. As such we undertake safeguarding checks on the suitability of all prospective staff, including their online presence and social media accounts. It is a requirement that all successful candidates disclose all social media platform accounts that they hold.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

All of the following criteria are considered essential unless otherwise noted.

Education/Qualifications – Assessed by application / qualification certificates

• Degree or equivalent and a good record of relevant continuous professional development.
• Higher degree or relevant professional qualification. Desirable

Experience – Assessed by application, assessment exercises and interviews

• Significant success in leading and managing a substantial and complex operation at a senior level (Board or equivalent) within an educational or professional environment.
• Significant success in developing organisational strategy, securing objectives in a timely and cost- effective manner.
• Track record of demonstrable high-level performance management success resulting in significant and measurable improvements.
• Experience of successfully driving and managing change in a collaborative way and bringing together senior teams to drive organisational success, within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Successful financial management and ability to develop financial strategies (balancing strategic priorities with financial imperatives and legal requirements) to deliver sustainable surpluses and identify new business opportunities while ensuring appropriate controls and managing risk effectively.
• Proven expertise in developing, driving and sustaining partnerships with a wide range of external bodies across the public and private sectors, including engaging with the business community.
• Successful track record of representing an organisation at a high level, acting as its public face.
• Recent experience of working within an inspection framework in a high performing education environment. Desirable
• Experience of developing and growing a broad, high quality and responsive curriculum. Desirable

Skills & knowledge – Assessed by Application, assessment exercises and interviews

• A broad understanding of the education and training programmes offered by the College along with a deep, current understanding of markets and potential markets for the College.
• A strong business sense with the ability both to identify and exploit existing and potential income streams and to raise funds.
• The proven ability to think strategically and to drive the alignment of short, medium and long-term objectives with financial planning.
• The ability to implement effective financial controls, analyse and interpret financial data and make high quality investment and resource decisions at organisational level, ensuring healthy and sustainable finances.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to lead and motivate, adapting style to different audiences.
• A deep understanding of the frameworks and processes required to ensure quality is effectively managed and continuous improvement realised.
• Knowledge or a deep understanding of the College’s policy context for education, its funding issues and accreditation framework.
• A comprehensive understanding of the differing roles of the Governing Body and the Senior Leadership Team and the relationship between them.
• Knowledge or a good understanding of regulatory and inspection frameworks (such as Ofsted and the Office for Students). Desirable
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to leading an inclusive learning environment.
• Ownership of the Safeguarding culture and commitment to the welfare of students and vulnerable adults.

Personal qualities – Assessed by Application, assessment exercises and interviews

• A passion for high quality education together with a strong affinity for the College’s ethos – to lead this unique institution.
• A high level of personal credibility, integrity and authority.
• A collaborative and motivational leadership style and interpersonal skills that generate a culture of trust and confidence and achieve ‘buy in’ from staff, students and stakeholders in order to deliver the College’s strategic objectives.
• A creative thinker who is able to develop and realise strategies that strengthen the College’s long term position.
• Results driven, with determination, drive, enthusiasm and resilience to continue to develop and build on the College’s successes and adapt to the changing environment.
• Business minded with an entrepreneurial approach, being able to spot opportunities and use College resources to best effect in order to achieve strategic objectives.