Vice Principal / Director of Strategy and Performance

Salary (Permanent): £74,033 – £80,915 per annum (SCP 53–56)
Contract: Permanent or Interim opportunity available
Hours: 37 hours per week, Full Time
Location: St Albans Campus

Shape the future of our College

We are seeking an exceptional strategic leader to join our Executive Leadership Team as Director of Strategy and Performance.

This opportunity is available on either a permanent or interim basis. Whether you are an experienced Chief of Staff seeking your next permanent challenge or an established interim executive looking to make an immediate impact, we would welcome your application.

Reporting directly to the CEO, this newly created role is comparable in level to our Vice Principals and is closely aligned to a Chief of Staff position.

This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the College, ensuring that our vision is translated into clear organisational priorities, measurable outcomes and effective delivery.

About the role

As Director of Strategy and Performance, you will act as a trusted adviser to the CEO, working across the Executive Leadership Team to strengthen strategic planning, organisational performance and governance.

You will ensure that our Strategic Plan drives decision-making across the organisation, with robust performance reporting, meaningful KPIs and clear accountability for delivery.

The role will also lead the development of the College’s next Strategic Plan, working collaboratively with senior leaders, governors and key stakeholders to shape our future direction.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development, implementation and monitoring of the College’s Strategic Plan.
• Supporting the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to focus on strategic priorities and organisational performance.
• Developing and embedding meaningful KPI and performance frameworks that drive informed decision-making.
• Producing high-quality strategic reports, analysis and briefings for the Executive Team and Board.
• Strengthening governance, planning and performance arrangements across the College.
• Driving organisational alignment, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Coordinating strategic projects and ensuring delivery against agreed priorities.
• Building strong relationships across the College to support collaboration and organisational effectiveness.

About you

We are looking for someone who is already operating successfully in a comparable senior strategic leadership role. This is not intended as a development or step-up opportunity.

You may currently be working as a:

• Chief of Staff
• Director of Strategy
• Director of Planning
• Director of Strategy and Performance
• Director of Corporate Planning
• Director of Performance
• Head of Strategy in a large or complex organisation

You will bring:

• Significant experience of working directly with a Chief Executive, Principal or Executive Leadership Team.
• A proven track record of developing and delivering organisational strategy.
• Experience of creating and embedding performance management frameworks and KPI reporting.
• Outstanding strategic thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management abilities.
• Experience of preparing Board-level reports and supporting effective governance.
• The credibility and confidence to challenge constructively and influence at executive level.

Experience within education, the public sector or another complex organisation would be advantageous, although we welcome applications from candidates with transferable experience.