FE PrincipalJob Description

Bradford College

Context: Bradford College’s new FE profile Bradford College has always been successful by being ambitious. We have never stopped short of taking the lead. We have always responded to challenge and opportunity in order to offer better options and outcomes for students, employers and communities. Continuing this approach, we intend to embrace fully the new agenda around skills and to link creatively the growth in skills to the fullest range of qualifications across FE and HE.

Expectations of colleges are being re-defined and, as a result, how we operate in the future will be different. Our anticipation of future performance sets new expectations in respect of growth and diversity of provision. Inclusion, progression and employability will continue to underpin our offer to students. Relevance will be our commitment to employers.

A new national agenda is matched by the College’s intention to enhance its engagement within Bradford. The College is immensely proud of its history: and will continue to align its activities and development to the distinctive needs of the Bradford Metropolitan Area. Partnerships will be even more important and extensive than in the past. Our unambiguous ambition is that the College is the catalyst for skills development and socio-economic change in Bradford.

Bradford College is re-positioning itself in order to extend opportunities for learners and to extend its dialogue with employers. We are aligned fully to the argument that this is the appropriate mandate for colleges, enhancing skills and employability at all levels and through a progressive pattern of qualifications.

Bradford College has been successful because of its ability to think strategically, to anticipate and innovate. Now, one of the UK’s largest colleges is planning a step-change toward a new future, a movement which will sustain its commitment to its communities and entrench its position at the leading edge of further and higher education provision in colleges.

Already, we have 20,000 FE students and 3,000 HE students. We are distinctive because of the scale of our activities, particularly having the largest HE cohort in colleges. Now we are going to be different: our success criteria will be beyond simply scale and growth and will focus on the attractiveness of our offer to students, their employability and the progression opportunities offered to them.

How we deliver our curriculum is changing. At the point of design, our engagement with employers and stakeholders is exceptional. Delivery is enhanced through our substantial investment in new facilities, at the leading edge of learning and teaching as well as incorporating new technology and innovation.

The existence of the Bradford College Group presents the creative opportunity for the College to develop further its interfaces with apprenticeship provision and the development of training courses for employers.

Job Title:FE Principal

Salary:Competitive + Benefits

Terms and Conditions:Appropriate to Senior Postholder

Reports to:Group Chief Executive Officer (“Group CEO”)and the Bradford College Corporation Chair

Description of duties and responsibilities for the FE Principal:The FE Principal will have lead responsibility for FE and will be the Chief Academic Officer for FE in the College. He/she will be the accountable lead within the College and the public face of the College where and when it represents its FE provision.

The scale of Bradford College will give the postholder prominence. But we require that the FE Principal will have such vision, influence and impact so as to be regarded as a national figure, extending and enhancing the reputation of Bradford College.

The generic role of the Principal of Bradford College (“the College”) shall be to assist and advise Bradford College Corporation (“Corporation”) in relation to its determination of the College’s educational character and mission; and to have overall responsibility for, and oversight of, all Further Education academic and curriculum matters. The Principal will be the Chief Academic Officer for FE. The dedicated role of the Principal will be to position the College in respect of its curriculum and delivery so as to perform at the highest levels.

The headline dimensions of the role relate fundamentally to:

• maintaininganddevelopingthescale of FE provision;

• ensuringcontinuousimprovementinquality.

Scale of FE ProvisionWithin this dimension lie particular variables such as the composition of the curriculum, the range of programmes, and the different delivery modes chosen. All these areas will undergo change and the FE Principal will lead on recommended shifts and the transitional and permanent factors involved.

The character of the curriculum will be shaped by continuous vigilance and intelligence about its relevance, with significant, structured input from employers. Shared intelligence within the Bradford College Group and City Training Services, in particular, will identify areas of focus and growth. The FE Principal will be expected also to have a close relationship with key external and funding agencies, including LEP and SFA. There will also be important dialogue and interfaces with the College’s Marketing and Business Development functions.

Curriculum definition will be influenced also by the relationship with partner schools and assumptions about student progression. Here the FE Principal will be expected to be a figure of prominence and influence.

Curriculum design will include the composition of the curriculum and also the range of qualifications and frameworks attached to the curriculum. Alongside ingenuity and innovation in curriculum content, the FE Principal will be expected to take a lead in developing new qualifications which enable student flexibility and progression, and are well regarded and understood by employers and partner organisations. Above all, the College’s range of qualifications is intended to set a platform for inclusion to support progression, and to enable students to re-enter learning environments at different points. The College has taken a view that its FE Departments should take a more prominent role in presenting a portfolio if higher vocational skills and which features a stronger College presence around Foundation Degrees. Equally, progression from FE levels to Foundation Degree stages will be an important future focus.

Delivery modes will be fundamental to how the College develops and grows its FE provision. In particular, the College will expect to grow its part-time and work-based provision. By such methodologies the College will both widen student participation and provide encouragement to employers through new platforms for a stronger College presence in apprenticeships and training.

The FE Principal will be accountable for the quality of provision on a serial basis as well as at particular points of institutional accountability, such as Ofsted Review.

The Principal will be expected to ensure that:

• qualityproceduresandaccountabilityareembeddedwithinFEprogrammes;

• line-reportsandallstaffareawareoftheirresponsibilities;

• effectivesystemsareinplacewhichwillensureanefficientflowofinformationfromthepointsofdeliveryandassessment;

• informationregardingqualityisdisseminatedefficientlywithintheinstitutionand,asrequired,tostakeholders;

• theFEdivisioniscompliantinitsreportingresponsibilities;

• above all, that the College achieves an Outstanding grade at its next Ofsted Review.

Essential focus is on the core educational issues of student performance, teaching and learning, and listening to the student voice. The Principal will work alongside the Provost: HE to ensure that the College takes best advantage of collaborative opportunities and that the College is positioned appropriately as a mixed economy institution.

The College Principal will also play a pivotal role in the Bradford College Group (“the Group”), supporting and promoting the relationship between the College and the Group.

Particular and detailed responsibilitiesCurriculum, Teaching and LearningLeading on all issues relating to the strategy, planning, management and delivery of Further Education, such as:

• programmes,coursesandqualifications;

• learningresourcesandlibraries;

• researchandadvancedscholarlyactivity;

• establishingandmaintainingclearlinesofresponsibilityinrespectofsuchissues.

Ensuring that the College curriculum:

• meetsstatutoryrequirementsandtheneedsofitsstakeholders;

• isacademicallyandfinanciallyviableandconsistentwithCollegeobjectives,funding,learnerrecruitmenttargetsandmeasuresforsuccess;

• isdirectedtowardsraisingskillslevelsintheCollege’sgeographicalareaofbenefitandacrosstheGroup;

• isinnovative,inspiringandentrepreneurial,andpreparesstudentstosucceedandprogress;

• embracestheconceptandrealitiesofemployability;

• issupportedbythemosteffectiverangeofqualifications;

• isdeliveredinamannerwhichiscoherent,effectiveandefficient.

Promoting the development of teaching and learning, including their quality and enhancement, across the range of provision associated with the College, and ensuring that:

• internaltargetsandperformancemetricsaremetorexceeded;

• externalreportingandinspectionregimesareaddressedsuccessfully;

• thereiscontinuousdevelopmentofqualitycontrolaroundteachingandlearninganddevelopment,supportingacademicmanagers to manage the assessment of learning;

• theCollegeisinspectionready.

Financial Responsibilities Although the Principal does not have any specific statutory responsibilities for the College’s financial management, as an Executive member of Staff, he or she shares collective responsible for:

• establishingandmaintainingclearlinesoffinancialresponsibilityandreporting;andapprovingfinancialsystemsoperatingacrossall academic and associated support areas and activities; providing the Group Finance Director with such information as may be required to enable compilation of the College’s financial statements; implementation of financial planning;

• implementationofauditandfinancialreviews,projectsandvalueformoneystudies.

• recruitmentofhome/EUandinternationalstudentstomeetincometargets;

• ensuringtheefficacyofincomegeneratingactivity.

Student RelationsEnsuring the quality of the student experience at the College, including:

• StudentPerceptionofCourseSurveysandothermeasuresofstudentsatisfaction;

• studentrepresentation,includingliaisonwiththeStudents’Union;

• equalityanddiversityissues;

• safeguardingofchildrenandtheprotectionofvulnerableadults;

• anyotherspecificcampusissuesinrespectofstudentsinconjunctionwiththeGroupCEOandGroupChiefOperatingOfficer;maintaining student discipline and within the College’s rules and procedures, suspending or expelling students on disciplinary grounds of expelling students for academic reasons.

StaffingThe Principal shall have management responsibility for the FE-aligned academic and associated support staff, with immediate line management responsibility for the Vice Principal.

Bradford College GroupSupporting and promoting the relationship between the College and the Group, including by:

• workingcollaborativelywiththeGroupCEOandtheGroupExecutiveteam;theGroup’strusteesandthoseoftheCollege,ifdifferent; and other key stakeholders , to ensure that the Group’s vision and values are clearly articulated, shared, understood and acted upon effectively by all Group members;

• workingwithintheCollegecommunitytotranslatetheGroupvisionfortheCollegeintoagreedobjectivesandoperationalplanswhich will promote and sustain improvement;

• embracingtheGroupvisionandvaluesandincorporatingthemintoeverydayworkandpractice;

• providingstrategicadviceandsupporttotheGroupExecutivewithaviewtostrengtheningacademicperformance,drivingschoolimprovement and improving educational delivery across the Group and, in particular, taking the lead on the College’s sponsorship of the Bradford College Education Trust (“the Trust”), ensuring the strategic provision of support and resources, embedding interaction between the Sponsor and the Trust, and maximising synergy;

• promotingthesharingofbestpracticeacrosstheGroup.

Additional Responsibilities

As a senior member of the College’s Executive, participating in the management of the College, by:

• contributingtothedevelopmentofitsannualbusinessandbudgetplanningcycle;

• facilitatingculturalandbusinesschangeasoutlinedintheStrategicPlan;

• ensuringcompliancewithrelevantlegislationandlegalagreements,supportedbytheprovisionofservicesprovidedbytheGroup;

• deputisingfortheGroupCEOasnecessaryandagreed.

• representingtheCollegeandGroupatexternalandinternalevents;.

• maintainingeffectiverelationshipswithlocal,regionalandnationalagencies,developingappropriateexternalrelationswithotherproviders and customers and representing the College in external discussions as appropriate.

Membership of Committees and Working Groups

The Principal will be expected to attend all meetings of Corporation, Policy and Resources, Standards and Audit Committees. Attendance at other meetings, e.g. Collaboration, Development may also be necessary.

The Principal will be a member of the Academic Board, College Executive and Leadership Group and will participate in other cross-College committees and working groups as necessary.

The Principal will be a member of the Group Executive.

REVIEWThis job description is a statement of the content of this post and was reviewed in June 2015. It is subject to regular review and may be amended at any time, after consultation with the post holder.

FE PrincipalPerson Specification

Bradford College

The PersonThe College seeks an individual of considerable vision and ability to provide academic leadership, and to work to ensure the increased standing and success of Bradford College, The College is seeking to appoint an individual to this role with a high degree of ambition and a track record of success at a senior level in a relevant higher education institution or other related organisation. Candidates will be required to demonstrate evidence of the following skills and capabilities:

Leadership and vision, including:• excellentleadershipskillsandorganisationalsensitivitywithacapacitytoleadandmanagechangeinacomplexinstitution;

• astrongdegreeofstrategicintelligenceandinsightwithregardtosuchareasasinstitutionalpositioning,collaborationandco-operation, organisational structures and understanding as well as experience of appropriate levers and methods for change.;

• theabilitybothtogenerateideasandtoinspireandexciteallandvariedgroupsofstakeholderswithregardtoinstitutionalvision,aimsandobjectives;

• academiccredibilityevidencedbypersonalachievementtogetherwithleadershipandmanagementinanacademiccontext.

Effectiveness in driving change and strategic activity, including: • proactivityandmanagerialacuityinordertoidentify,gainapprovalforandsetinmotionkeyprojectswhichwillbeofsignificant

benefit to the College;

• provencapacitytobringlargeandcomplexprojectstoasuccessfulconclusion;

• abilitytoensuresuccessfuldeliveryofgoalsandplansandtoidentifyanddealsuccessfullywithunder-performingareas;

• anaffirmativeapproachreinforcedbyhighlevelsofenergyandpersonalcommitmenttoproblemsolving.

Perspective and awareness with regard to key factors impacting higher education in the UK and internationally, including:• intelligentandinformedappreciationofthechangingexternalpolicyandcompetitiveenvironmentintheUKwithregardto

furthereducationstructures,objectivesandoperations;

• understandingoftheroleoffurthereducationplayedbycolleges,particularlyinrelationtoemployerengagement,regeneration,economic development and community cohesion

• fullunderstandingandsomepreviousinvolvementwithrelevantorganisationsanddecision-makingbodiespertinenttoFE.

Strong managerial aptitudes, including: • acollaborativeapproachtomanagementwhichwilldeveloptheabilityofstaffintakingresponsibility.;

• atrackrecordofsuccessfulmanagementofresourcesonarelevantscaleinpertinentfunctionalareas(suchasHumanResources, Finance, Information Technology, Estates and Facilities Management);

• ahighdegreeoffinancialacuity;

• well-developeddecisionmakingandinfluencingskills.

Distinctive personal qualities, including: • personalassurednessalliedwithanabilitytodealsensitivelywithconflict;

• anabilitytolisteneffectively;

• astrongcommitmenttothepromotionofprinciplesofequalopportunityanddiversity;

• confidentpublicspeakingandambassadorialskillsalliedwithgoodpoliticaljudgementinordertoactasaneffectiveandinfluential advocate for the College, across a range of contexts and media;

• personalstrengthofcharacterwithacommitmenttotransparencyandfairness;

• evidenceofabilitytoprioritiseeffectively,andtoworkunderpressureandtotightdeadlines;

• resilience.