Chair of the HMIE Advisory Council
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Monthly Salary:
Posted on:
9 hours ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
ROLE SUMMARY
The Chair of the HMIE Advisory Council
His Majestys Chief Inspector of Education is looking for a chairperson for the new Advisory Council. The Council is being formed to represent the views of those affected by inspection and to provide advice to the Chief Inspector.
The Chief Inspector is looking for someone with a strong personal commitment to education with extensive experience in educational leadership at a senior level. With your knowledge of education you will also be able to demonstrate significant experience of chairing diverse groups at this applying you must be able to demonstrate that you meet the role criteria set out below.
- Learners and practitioners
- Parents carers and staff members
The function of the Council is to advise the Chief Inspector in relation to the exercise of their functions either when asked to do so by the Chief Inspector or on its own initiative.
This role is the first stage in forming the Council and the successful candidate will be essential insupporting the Chief Inspector to finalise membership.
The Council will comprise 15-24 members. These will be drawn from stakeholder groups and representatives who meet the criteria as set out in the Act. HMIE will seek both member nominations from key groups and recruit through public advertisement.
As the Chair you will lead the Advisory Council in determining what business is discussed and will prepare and present the advice of the Council for the Chief Inspector. The Chief Inspector will remain independent from the discussions and while not a Council member will attend meetings.
The legislation includes specific requirements for the Chief Inspector about how to engage and respond to the advice of that Council.
About His Majestys Inspectorate of Education
His Majestys Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) provides independent inspection of education services Scotland. We carry out inspections across sectors to assess quality support improvement and inform policy. Our work gives assurance to learners families educators and to Parliament.
We promote improvement by sharing effective practice and generating evidence to shape national thinking.
The purposes of inspection are to:
- recognise effective practice adopted by relevant educational establishments
- promote the quality of education by identifying areas for improvement
- establish where support may be required to make improvements
- share effective practice
- share evidence to inform the development of education policy
- The purposes of inspection are set out by The Education (Scotland) Act 2025.
Responsibilities
CANDIDATE BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
We are looking for someone with a strong personal commitment to education with extensive experience in educational leadership at a senior level and experience of chairing groups at this level. You must also be able to demonstrate that you:
- Understand the unique contribution inspection makes to improving Scottish education
- Have a knowledge of the legislative landscape for education and inspection
- Are able to build and manage relationships balance conflicting opinion and achieve consensus
- Have a high level of political acuity.
Qualifications
REMUNERATION AND TIME COMMITMENT
Remuneration will be provided in line with the mean daily fee. This is currently set at:
292.00 per day
You will chair the Advisory Council for a period of four years with the option to extend for a further four years following review. Advisory Council meetings will be held quarterly and you will be expected to be able to commit to 10-15 days per annum.
INTERVIEWS AND ASSESSMENTS
Interviews and assessments are expected to be held virtually week commencing 11 May 2026. Interviews will consist of a presentation and interview.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you are interested in the role and would like to find out more or have any questions please contact Alec ONeill at or go to the HMIE website.
TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
A full person specification and application form are available on the HMIE HMIE Advisory Council Chair Vacancies About HMIE His Majestys Inspectorate of Education in Scotland website. Applications must include:
A completed application form (available from the HMIE website). This will describe how you fit the criteria for the role set out above.
Your statement should also demonstrate how you display the following characteristics essential to the effective discharge of Council duties:
- Analyse information to support decision making
- Effective communication
- A current tailored CV or description of work and other relevant experience.
- Provision of the names of two referees who may be contacted.
All completed applications along with CV should also be returned to by 23:59 on 23 April 2026.
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals and we particularly welcome applicants from under-represented or minority groups and those with disabilities.
Required Experience:
Unclear Seniority
