Who are Ambition Institute?

A great teacher changes the future every day. Especially for children who have had a tough start in life, a teacher can be the critical factor in their success.

At Ambition Institute we help schools tackling educational disadvantage to keep getting better and help their teachers and school leaders to become more expert over time.

That’s how we’ll make sure every child gets a great education and the best possible start in life.

• We train teachers and leaders at all levels to get better at the things that make the biggest difference: what you teach, how you teach it, and how you create the conditions for schools to thrive.

• We share what works. Everyone can benefit from evidence of how great teaching and leadership can improve schools and change lives, so we connect people to the latest research and best practice.

• We champion every teacher and school leader’s potential to develop, as the driving force for sustainable school improvement.

What would we like?

We are looking for a dedicated and experienced professional to join our Strategy team as an Associate Director, Strategy. You will play a vital role in decision making and be responsible for providing Senior Leadership across multiple organisation-wide strategic projects.

Working in a hybrid way, you'll be attached to either our Birmingham, London or Manchester office and report to the Acting Director of Strategy. In line with our current ways of working, you’ll be expected to be in the office at least 1 day a month, in addition to team days. This is subject to review.

We would like you to:

• Work with the Acting Director on the organisation-wide process to determine our longer-term strategy, including defining the process, rigorously assessing the strategic options, and engaging stakeholders

• Facilitate discussions with the Executive Committee and Senior Leadership Team to develop and finalise the strategic plan.

• Manage a small team (between 1-3 direct reports)

• Provide thought partnership to senior leaders across the organisation, working with leaders to help find new approaches to recurring problems

• Be involved in special projects including change management and process improvement.

• Carry out quantitative and qualitative analysis on our customers, competitors, and sector trends.

• Have experience of leading multiple projects at a time

• Be a strong Quantitative Thinker: a ‘numbers’ person who has experience with scoping and leading data modelling and data analysis to support complex strategic decision-making.

If you have experience in the education sector, that would be an added bonus however its not essential.

If you are a skilled problem solver, effective in your communication style and have experience managing multiple projects as well as line managing, we'd love to hear from you.

What’s in it for you….?

• Competitive annual salary

• Professional development for all staff

• 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays and 'winter shut down’ between Christmas and New Year

• Employer pension contribution of 11%

• Agile, hybrid working culture, so you can manage when and where you work

• Staff affinity networks that help keep equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work

• Blind recruitment process to ensure equality and fairness in our hiring

• Enhanced maternity pay after a year’s service

• Shared parental leave package

• Access to free, confidential 24/7 wellbeing and support line

• Comfortable and collaborative workspaces in the city centres of Manchester, Birmingham and London

• Work-from-home technology package to support hybrid working

• Interest free season ticket / bike loans

ABOUT YOU

We don’t expect the person we hire to have all of the following, but this should give you a sense of what would enable you to thrive in this role and in our team:

YOU SHOULD APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF:

• You care deeply about educational disadvantage and being part of an organisation that challenges inequality.

• You have a good work ethic and strive to make a difference in the job you do.

• You always give maximum effort to understand and meet the needs of our partners and participants.

• You always have a great attitude so we “can do” for all our colleagues, partners and participants.

• You are open to feedback and learning because we want to keep getting better.

• You work with your initiative to bring new ideas and a fresh perspective.

• You are well organised and can prioritise work that will have the greatest impact.

YOU’LL LOVE WORKING AT AMBITION IF…

• You want a career with a person-centred organisation with a cause at its heart.

• You have a collaborative work ethos, bring warmth and good humour to work and constructive outlook to every situation.

• You enjoy working in a fast-moving workplace, with a great support structure around you.

• You would like to grow with an ambitious organisation as it progresses over time

• Want flexibility in how you work – splitting your time between one of our offices and remote working and managing your own working patterns to get the job done.

How to apply  

For more information - please visit our website Associate Director, Strategy | Ambition Institute

All applications must be received by the closing date, 9am on Wednesday 25 January 2023. Interviews will take place on 3 February 2023.