Role Purpose

Head of Regulatory Investigations at GTC Scotland is part of our extended leadership team. Working in close collaboration with the other Heads, Strategic Directors and Chief Executive, you will have profile and impact with overall responsibility for our regulatory function (our statutory function to investigate the fitness to teach of registrants and applicants for registration).    

 As an ambassador for GTC Scotland internally and externally, you will have significant leadership responsibilities of others and tasks ultimately ensuring that GTC Scotland delivers our statutory functions and meets the needs of the teaching profession, our partners and the public.  

Role Specific Responsibilities

• Lead our regulatory investigation function, inspiring and motivating those that work in it as their senior leader.

• Lead function-wide planning, performance monitoring and reporting and hold the senior operational oversight, ensuring we are getting where we need to and achieving best practice.

• Identify, manage and mitigate risk in your functional area

• Actively horizon scan to develop our regulatory vision and ensure we are informed about, and aimed towards achieving, best regulatory practice, looking outwards to identify areas where our regulatory work and impact in the public interest could be improved by influencing and/or collaborating externally.

• Create, communicate and realise function-wide strategy, including identifying changes required to our Fitness to Teach Rules to improve our regulatory process and then making these changes happen in collaboration with the Head of  Policy.

• Inspire change in how we carry out our regulatory work to improve our organisational performance and impact and lead and influence both internally and externally to make this change happen.

• Actively connect with the other Heads of Functional Areas to ensure clear and cohesive plans, strategy, policy and operational performance that has impact.

• Effectively control and manage resource and budget for your functional area including management of our external suppliers to ensure they deliver in line with our requirements, collaborating with the Head of Delivery appropriately.

• Lead our external engagement with partner agencies and stakeholders in the regulatory context, working in collaboration with the Head of Education and Standards where this engagement relates to our education system partners and the teaching profession as well as the Head of Policy as appropriate.

• Lead, manage and motivate Regulatory Investigations Manager and Regulatory Solicitors.

• Perform other duties that may be reasonably required within the scope of your role as assigned to you. 

Responsibilities of All GTC Scotland Employees

• Commit to GTC Scotland’s values and principles

• Understand that our communities improve through the provision of strong and effective education, and you have a role in helping that happen

• Take ownership and responsibility through your work

• Be self-aware, understanding your own strengths and areas for development

• Be a restless learner, seeking opportunities for your own growth

• Deliver work effectively to ensure impact

• Work collaboratively to share and develop expertise

• Ask for help when you need it

• Be flexible and adaptive to meet our needs and those of our registrants

• Actively find and develop solutions to issues

Responsibilities of All GTC Scotland Leaders and Managers

•    Have high expectations of yourself, colleagues and the organisation

•   Grow and empower others, scaffold the learning of others

• Effectively coach others, ensuring we deliver with impact

• Be a highly effective communicator

• Effectively monitor and manage performance

• Strive for continual improvement

 Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB or LLB (Hons) (SCQF Level 9 or Level 10 respectively) and Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice or equivalent (SCQF Level 11)

• Qualified solicitor and holder of (or entitled to hold) a full and unrestricted Law Society of Scotland practising certificate

• Evidence of ongoing professional learning

Desirable

• Post-graduate qualification in leadership or management

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Proven leadership skills and experience in the effective management of people and teams

• Proven leadership experience involving effective regulatory management

• Evidenced leadership experience in developing and establishing policy and strategy and ensuring that it is realised

• Evidenced strong leadership experience in building and maintaining effective working partnerships with internal and external users and partners

• Evidence of leadership and management of delivering with impact including ensuring effective quality control

• Evidence of effective decision-making that takes account of complex and/or difficult circumstances

• Evidence of change leadership

• Proven ability to balance operational detail and strategic planning

• Effective resource management

• Deep evidenced understanding of effective regulatory planning, management and operations

• Experience working for or with a regulatory body

• High quality written skills

• High quality analytical skills

• Good digital literacy including competency with Microsoft 365 applications (including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Dynamics)

Desirable

• An understanding of the political educational context and the impact for GTC Scotland

• Evidence of achieving excellent service delivery

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Excellent communication

• Strong influencing skills

• Strong ability to work with others to develop shared solutions to complex issues

• Self-directed, excellent organiser, delegator

• A commitment to excellence in self and others and ongoing learning

• Ambassadorial skills with the ability to maintain absolute confidentiality and discretion

• Ability to motivate and inspire others

 Special Conditions

Essential

Membership of Law Society of Scotland with unrestricted practising certificate

Additional Information

Who we are:

We are the General Teaching Council for Scotland. We register and regulate the teaching profession as a safeguard for the quality of education in Scotland. We work to maintain and enhance trust in teaching.  We are a statutory body meaning our role is set out in law - we are independent of government.

Why work for us?

•  Make a difference to the quality of learning and teaching for children , young people and adult learners in Scotland. 

• Flexible working is our default and is open to all. You will have flexibility over when and where you work, depending on the requirements of the role. Most of our people choose to primarily work from home but office space is available if preferred. You will be expected to travel to our office in Edinburgh to attend collaborative events and as the role requires. Please talk to us about your individual flexibility preferences.

•  Learning is one of our core principles. We will support your learning and development to help you perform at your best in your role and to develop your future career.

• Annual leave entitlement is a generous 42 days (294 hours).

•  Local Government Pension Scheme is open to all employees.

 Our Values

• Trust and Respect - All of us are equally important. We seek out and listen to others’ views. We support each other and build positive working relationships.

•  Integrity – We do what we say we will. We deliver on our plans and effectively communicate with others. We are committed to continually learning and improving.

•  Social Justice – We embrace diversity. We understand the importance of positive wellbeing and seek to support each other and our registrants. We want you to feel like you belong.