Education and Skills Funding Agency advertise for new CEO

The new chief executive will be expected to develop a commitment to a “renewed vision for the ESFA”

The new chief executive will be expected to develop a commitment to a “renewed vision for the ESFA”

4 Mar 2022, 15:40

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The Education and Skills Funding Agency are searching for a new chief executive, according to a post on the Civil Service Jobs website

The ESFA is an executive agency of the Department for Education and is responsible for funding education and skills for children, young people and adults.

They said they are looking for somebody to lead what they called “one of the most high-profile and high-performing agencies in government”.

The job pays £125,000, and whoever takes the role will be able to do flexible working, full-time or a job share, and will be able to work from a number of locations across the UK. 

“This high-profile and high-impact role requires someone who is visionary, inventive and rigorous,” the job advert said.  

“You must not be afraid to advocate ideas and exploit new opportunities; and will have the ability to build trusted relationships to secure practical change.”

Whoever takes on the role will be personally accountable to parliament for safeguarding public funds and ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. 

“As Accounting Officer, the CEO supports the permanent secretary at the Public Accounts Committee and engages directly with the National Audit Office,” the job advert said. 

Other key responsibilities include leading the establishment of the new agency following the recent review of the ESFA and the Future DfE reorganisation of the department.

The new chief executive will be expected to develop a commitment to a “renewed vision for the ESFA” and harness the “strong pride that ESFA staff exhibit in their work”.

It was recently announced that the DfE is taking back policy responsibilities from the ESFA.

The DfE said that it will absorb post-16 policy and delivery functions from the agency from April 1, 2022.

The recent review of the EFSA said that the agency should focus on it’s “core funding role” and that that the DfE should form a single “consolidated” unit for all post-16 skills policy.

The new chief executive will replace John Edwards who was appointed interim chief executive and accounting officer of the agency in July 2021. 

He was appointed to the role after the then chief executive, Eileen Milner, stood down in June 2021

When Milner left, she sent a letter to staff saying there was an “important role for me to undertake in the area that I call home and that feels important to do, to try and make a contribution, most especially in the context of recovery from the pandemic”.

She had joined the ESFA from the Care Quality Commission, where she was an executive director.

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