Expression of Interest: Executive Director - Programme Delivery

Location: Remote/Flexible, with travel across England as required
Contract Type: 2 years, subject to programme award (or Associate engagement)
Salary: £95,000-£110,000 FTE or up to £800 per day (Associate basis)
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full-time equivalent)
Status: Expression of Interest

A Senior Opportunity to Lead National Delivery

Etio is developing plans for a significant national programme and is seeking expressions of interest from experienced senior delivery leaders who may be interested in playing a key role should the programme proceed.

We are looking for an experienced Executive Director to take accountability for programme mobilisation, operational delivery and performance across a complex national programme.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for someone who can translate strategy into effective delivery at scale, establish strong operating structures, and ensure programmes are delivered consistently, efficiently and to a high standard.

The successful candidate will provide executive leadership across mobilisation, implementation and ongoing operations, ensuring delivery teams, partners and stakeholders work together to achieve ambitious outcomes.

You Will

• Provide executive leadership across programme delivery, implementation and operational performance.
• Lead mobilisation, transition planning and operational readiness activities.
• Establish effective delivery structures, governance arrangements and operational processes.
• Oversee regional and nationally distributed delivery teams and activities.
• Translate strategic priorities and contractual commitments into a clear operational delivery plan.
• Lead delivery against KPIs, milestones, SLAs and contractual requirements.
• Build and lead high-performing operational teams and delivery partnerships.
• Maintain oversight of resource planning, delivery capacity, dependencies and operational risks.
• Work closely with quality, safeguarding, finance, people, technology, engagement and evidence functions to ensure integrated delivery.
• Establish a culture of performance, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure delivery remains responsive to stakeholder, commissioner and programme requirements.
• Provide clear reporting, insight and recommendations to senior leadership, governance groups and commissioners.
• Identify and mitigate operational risks while ensuring delivery remains focused on achieving programme outcomes.

What You'll Bring

• Significant senior leadership experience delivering complex programmes and services.
• Proven experience leading mobilisation, implementation and operational delivery at a national or comparable scale.
• Experience managing geographically dispersed teams, regional operations or multi-site delivery models.
• Strong track record of delivering programmes against challenging targets, service levels and contractual commitments.
• Experience operating within complex stakeholder, partnership and contractual environments.
• Strong commercial, financial and operational management capability.
• Excellent risk management, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and creating high-performance cultures.
• Ability to build strong relationships with commissioners, executive teams, boards and senior stakeholders.
• A proven track record of delivering large-scale programmes that achieve measurable outcomes.
• The ability to balance strategic leadership with operational delivery and execution.

Who We Are

📌 Etio is a mission-driven organisation providing expertise to improve education systems and outcomes.

📌 We work in partnership with the Department for Education and sector leaders to deliver high-quality national programmes that raise standards and strengthen the profession.

Benefits

We know our people are our greatest strength. That's why we offer a flexible, supportive culture and benefits that enable you to do your best work while supporting your wellbeing.

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (with the option to buy more)
• Flexible working culture
• Private Medical Insurance and Healthcare Cash Plan
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Work from Anywhere globally (up to 8 weeks per year)
• Paid volunteer day
• Cycle to Work and Electric Car Scheme
• 3% employer pension contribution

Accessibility and Adjustments

We're committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require adjustments during the application or selection process, please let us know. We're happy to support you.

We welcome expressions of interest from individuals interested in either a substantive leadership role or an Associate engagement.