Job description: Director, IfG Academy
Reports to: CEO
Responsible for: Leadership and development of the IfG Academy, delivering against impact objectives and meeting income generation targets set by the Board.
Role Description
The Director of the IfG Academy will work with the CEO, senior team and the Board to develop and deliver an ambitious vision for the IfG Academy and set the strategic direction for its contribution to the future of the Institute for Government.
A highly credible external figurehead, you will have the experience, drive and skills to position the IfG Academy as the UK’s sector-leader in delivering learning and development in a political context, and to represent the Academy externally to a wide range of audiences, including internationally.
The ideal candidate will be a proactive, creative and engaging leader, with excellent communication, interpersonal and programme and project management skills. You will develop the capability of the Academy to deliver to a variety of audiences, including the most senior political figures, and continually drive innovation in the Academy’s approach and methods.
With significant experience of successfully creating and developing external partnerships, you will have the experience to lead the Academy team to deliver against the Institute’s impact goals, the commercial nous to meet the Academy’s resource generation targets, and the skill and judgment to balance the efforts of the team to meet these two objectives.
Key Tasks:
- IfG Academy strategy: Work with the CEO and the Board to set an ambitious vision for what the Academy can achieve – positioning the IFG as a sector-leader in how learning and development is delivered in a political context, and maximising the Academy’s strategic contribution to the IfG’s future, balancing its impact and resource generation objectives.
- Impact: Work with the executive team to ensure the Academy’s work programme is aligned with and contributes to the Institute’s overarching impact objectives, and to manage the resourcing of impact-focused activity across the Academy and Research teams.
- Programme management. Oversee the delivery of the Academy’s programme of high quality and impactful learning and development to a range of political, academic and commercial audiences, instituting and holding clear processes, finding efficiencies and driving continuous improvement.
- Resource generation: Establish partnerships with commercial and other partners based on a consultancy model, building budgets and managing the Academy team to deliver against financial targets set by the Board.
- Innovation: Oversee the continuous development of and innovation in the Academy’s learning and development offer, informed by best practice across different sectors and geographies. Develop the Academy’s market across its highest priority audiences.
- Team leadership: Lead and develop the IfG Academy team, delegating tasks clearly and holding to account for delivery.
- Corporate leadership: Work with the executive team to optimise the Academy’s engagement with the wider Institute, with responsibility for developing learning and development capability across research teams. Report regularly to the IfG Academy Steering group (made up of senior politicians and chaired by the Deputy Chair of the IfG Board) on progress towards the Academy’s goals.
- External spokesperson: Act as the Academy’s most senior external representative in media and at public and private events, building your own networks with core stakeholders and holding the high-level relationships required to maximise the success of the Academy.
You may be required to take on additional or other projects or other duties as reasonably required by the Institute.