Visa sponsorship Home Office sponsor register · Skilled Worker route

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

Salary for this role£70,392 – £73,936 a year

Health and Care route minimum£25,000 a year

Pay basisNational pay scales (NHS bands)

NHS roles fall under the Health and Care Worker route. Salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement.

Closest occupation match: SOC 1259, Managers and proprietors in other services not elsewhere classified. Home Office going rate for this occupation: £41,700 a year.

Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

Service Manager - Schools and Governance Join Oxfordshire County Council and help shape the future of education across one of England's leading local authorities. As Service Manager for Schools and Governance, you will provide strategic leadership across school governance, school improvement and education partnerships, ensuring schools and educational settings have access to high-quality support that improves standards, strengthens leadership and enhances outcomes for children and young people. Working closely with senior leaders, schools, multi-academy trusts and regulatory bodies, you will oversee the delivery of governance services, school improvement programmes and traded services, ensuring resources are deployed effectively and services remain responsive to the needs of schools and communities across Oxfordshire. You will play a key role in maintaining strong relationships with education partners while ensuring compliance with statutory responsibilities and regulatory requirements. The role includes oversight of school improvement activity, performance monitoring, partnership development and strategic planning, alongside responsibility for supporting the financial sustainability and effectiveness of education services. As a senior leader, you will help shape future educational provision across the county while championing inclusion, excellence and continuous improvement. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced education leader to influence county-wide strategy, drive service innovation and help create outstanding educational opportunities for children and young people across Oxfordshire.

Main duties of the job

As Service Manager for Schools and Governance, you will lead strategic school improvement, governance and partnership services across Oxfordshire. Working with schools, trusts, regulators and local authority colleagues, you will help ensure high-quality educational provision, effective governance and improved outcomes for children and young people across the county.

About us

Oxfordshire County Council's Education Service is committed to delivering educational excellence and improving outcomes for children and young people across the county. Through its ambitious transformation programme, Delivering the Future Together, the council is investing in services, partnerships and leadership that support schools, strengthen governance and ensure every child has access to high-quality education. The Schools and Governance Service plays a vital role in supporting school effectiveness, governance and improvement across Oxfordshire. Working closely with schools, academies, trusts, regulators and education partners, the service helps ensure schools are well supported, effectively governed and able to deliver the best possible outcomes for their pupils. This is an exciting time to join the service as the education sector prepares for significant change and transformation nationally.

Date posted

18 September 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£70,392 to £73,936 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

VPB872002A

Job locations

Oxford, County Hall

OX1 1AY

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Together, were the moment makers

Together, were shaping childrens education for the future. Every day, our colleagues are helping to transform the lives of the residents of Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council iscommitted to delivering educational excellence for our children and young people through continuous and innovative improvements across our educational system. Ourambitious transformation programme, Delivering the FutureTogether, aims to make us an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice. As the sector looks ahead to the biggest structural change in half a century, can your educational leadership expertise contribute to the legacy Oxfordshire County Council delivers for future generations?

We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinkingleader to join its senior team as Service Manager for Schools and Governance. This vital role offers an exciting opportunity to ensure that our schools and settings have access to high quality governance and school improvement as well being a key liaison between the local authority and our educational establishments. Oxfordshire Central to the role will be acommitment tosupport our most vulnerable children and young people and tosupporting our services to become moreinclusive.

As a Service Manager, you will take strategic responsibility for managing the workflow of governance and services for our schools across the County. Working collaboratively with colleagues, schools, multi-academy trusts, regulators and other key stakeholders, you will ensure that Oxfordshires education infrastructure keeps pace with the countys performance, standards and effectiveness, responding to ever changing demographic needs with efficacy.

You will lead on the organisation of school improvement , including our traded services programmes and respond innovatively to the deployment of advisors, partners and programmes across the county. This role requires an in-depth understanding of educational regulatory bodies such as Ofsted and its revised framework, a commitment to understanding the changing demands of schools and their communitys county wide. You will also be responsible for working closely with the Assistant Director on the financial portfolio picture of our schools across the county.

Your ability to build strong partnerships and influence at the highest levels will be critical, as will your capacity to manage complex teams out in the field and ensure that governance at a statutory level is compliant and well managed. You will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, balancing competing priorities and ensuring that Oxfordshires children and families benefit from the highest quality learning environments.

The successful candidate will be a highly skilledleader with a proven track record in education, school improvement, governance, or a related field. You will bring a strategic mindset, exceptional communication skills, and a thoroughunderstanding of the challenges and opportunities facing local authorities in delivering school effectiveness. Most importantly, youll have the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of Oxfordshires residents.

This is a brand new but immensely rewarding role, offering the chance to make a real difference to the educational landscape in one of Englands most vibrant and dynamic counties. We are seeking an educationleader who will drive a high-performance, cost-effective service that delivers outstanding educational outcomes. Everyday youll bechallenged in a new way,supported by your team, in an organisation that is free thinking, flexible, and helps people achieve their ambitions. Were not afraid to do things differently and our dynamic culture means this is a place where new ideas are embraced, and innovation thrives.

We believe thattogether, our differences make us stronger, and that diversity is the foundation for innovation. Here, you can create a unique career for yourself while raising the bar for the future of UK public services.

Our Agile Working Policy ensures you enjoy flexible working arrangements, allowing you to balance your professional and personal life effectively operating on a hybrid model, based in Oxford.

Ourcommitment to:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.

Ourcommitment to:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a DisabilityConfident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are alsocommitted to helping andsupporting those transitioning from HM ArmedForces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Ourcommitment to:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council arecommitted to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers toshare thiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Ourcommitment to:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact us at: Kim.Wilson@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

Please refer to job description above

Desirable

Please refer to job description above

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.