Programme Director

The deadline for this vacancy has passed.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Programme Director oversees our largest team and is responsible for participants from the start of their initial training, through a two-year leadership development programme, and as they begin to take the next steps in their careers as Unlocked Ambassadors. It is also where any future leadership programmes will be positioned too.

Evidence guides everything we do. The heart of our programme is best practice pedagogy, curriculum and assessment, all focused on being exceptionally effective at developing extraordinary future leaders. Our programme includes a strong focus on mentoring and coaching, and also has a master’s degree built in which we outsource to a university to deliver.

Our ideal candidate will be somebody who is excited to push the boundaries of what it is possible to achieve in this sector; who wants to take our already industry-leading training and support model and make it even better. We want a director who is passionate about learning from the evidence, gets joy from overseeing the delivery of mission-infused, meticulously well-organised events, and excitable about finding new solutions to intractable problems. We also want a senior leader who cares deeply about our work and is fully committed to leading our organisational values.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Oversee the design and delivery of an exceptional programme of training and support, including the continuous development and improvement of sector-leading curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, all informed by the best evidence around how people learn
• Ensure all training and support is delivered seamlessly, with a look and feel of excellence and focus on detail throughout
• Oversee the design and delivery of a support programme which ensures participants grow into excellent officers and leaders, keeping our exacting high standards while ensuring we retain participants on the programme and support them into leadership positions afterwards
• Build strong relationships with key relevant stakeholders in HMPPS / MoJ, working closely with them to learn and share best practice
• Oversee the tendering and selection process for a Higher Education Institution that can support, quality assure, and award qualifications for Unlocked participants, and then manage the ongoing relationship with them so that it is world-class
• Hold key relationships with Governors and government officials to ensure participants are well received and successful, working with the recruitment directorate to ensure a seamless transition
• Lead on best practice across the whole organisation around delivering training
• Oversee an alumni programme which empowers leadership and action, as well as supporting into more senior and influential roles
• Manage and control programme expenditure within an agreed budget, carefully planning resource to deliver the best possible return on investment
• Oversee the development of a pilot middle leadership programme in 24/25, with a view to further leadership programmes in the future

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Mission alignment

• Care intensely about what Unlocked is trying to achieve
• Be excited to relentlessly maximise our impact, making difficult decisions where necessary and taking the right decision above what is popular
• Embody an organisation-wide culture of using data to improve insights and performance
• Be keen to challenge orthodoxies in order to deliver a more effective and efficient model, always refusing to accept unnecessary bureaucracies
• Bounce back quickly from setbacks and use them as opportunities to learn
• Hold yourself and others to account, always remaining open to learn from others

Experience

• Experience in a leadership role, managing a team and developing staff
• Experience of being a disruptor and testing new approaches to problems
• Experience of effective implementation of evidence
• Proven ability to lead and work across a high-performing organisation
• Proven ability to influence others across a sector including government and other decision-makers
• Ability to oversee financial / operational areas of the directorate
• Knowledge of Salesforce would be helpful

Characteristics and skills

• Have a high level of interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively within the organisation, as well as with external stakeholders
• Detail focused, highly flexible, organised and analytical
• Highly motivated person, excited to be part of a disruptive, mission-focused organisation
• Qualified to degree level (or equivalent)
• Right to work in the UK