Job Description

Salary: Highly competitive and Teachers' Pension Scheme

Start date: As soon as possible

Are you a future CEO? Motivated by the opportunity to achieve impact at scale? Excited by the mission of an excellent education for every child, in every classroom, every day? If so, read on…

We're looking for two exceptional, system-focused leaders to define the future of education across one of the country's largest and most respected academy trusts:

• Regional Education Director - Secondary, East
• Regional Education Director - Secondary, London & South

As Lift Schools continue to grow, we're reshaping the way we work. Working directly to the CEO, our new Regional Education Directors (REDs) will have elevated executive responsibility to define the vision and identity for their region within the wider network. Their remits will be similar in scale and scope to that of a CEO of a small to medium sized trust within the support of a national network.

These roles offer the opportunity to drive meaningful, system-wide change in four key areas.

We're looking for leaders who are ready to step up and lead with conviction.

1. Regional leadership and vision

You will build a unifying vision for your region, ensuring that we contribute positively to both the regional agenda and the priorities in individual communities. You will inspire school leaders to lift the quality bar as high as it goes.

You'll build regional capacity, grow talent, develop future leaders, and embed Lift Schools' culture of excellence, equity and inclusion.

You will also have a keen eye for success; knowing how to incubate the best of what the region has to offer, as well as how to tackle barriers to attainment in several complex contexts.

Through strategic planning, coaching and collaboration, you'll turn high expectations into everyday reality.

2. School improvement

You will be relentlessly focused on our mission: to achieve an excellent education for every child.

You will play a pivotal part in achieving our ambitious, trust-wide goals, Lift490. That means: by 2028 90% of pupils meet the expected standard in phonics; 90% achieve the expected standard at the end of Key Stage 2; 90% are at the expected level of reading for their age; and 90% achieve grade 4 or above in English and Maths at GCSE.

You'll be an experienced executive leader who has made a difference across multiple schools. You'll have a track record of raising standards at pace, and a deep understanding of how to lead improvement in complex settings. Above all, you'll believe in education's power to change lives and be ready to act on it.

3. Talent development

We are a proud incubator of future CEOs for the sector. This role will deliver second-to-none senior leadership, support and guidance to our principals, with a best-in-class professional development budget to back up the task.

You'll help develop a talent pipeline for the entire region, ensuring we support and unlock untapped potential across the board.

You'll be a people-first leader, confident and credible, yet grounded in humility. Someone who knows that great leadership is about purpose, clarity, and trust.

4. Delivery of network priorities

You'll work nationally with fellow regional education directors and the central team, aligning local impact with network-wide priorities.

With wide influence and remit, you'll champion evidence-informed practice, secure rapid and sustainable progress, and ensure our most disadvantaged pupils are not left behind.

Why join us?

Lift Schools is a national network of primary, secondary and special schools committed to the mission of an excellent education, for every child, in every classroom, every day.

You'll be part of a forward thinking, high-performing organisation where innovation thrives, from how we use AI to reduce workload, to how we collaborate and lead.

Here's what we offer:

• A highly competitive salary and Teachers' Pension Scheme
• £100k investment in your development through our Individual Development Account offer
• Real influence, regional autonomy backed by national support
• Sector leading development, executive coaching and networking package
• Opportunities to shape strategy and contribute to national thinking
• Thoughtful, ambitious colleagues who challenge and champion one another
• A real chance to leave a legacy for children who need it most

This is your moment to lead boldly, shape futures, and leave a legacy. For an informal (and confidential) conversation, and to access the application pack, please contact Tanya Bentham byemail: recruitment@liftschools.org

Closing date: Wednesday 3 December 2025, 5pm
Assessment day date: w/c 8 December 2025
Interview date: 17 December 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.

Lift Schools are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Lift Schools embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and there is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Information about the School

Every child has immeasurable potential. It is our job to help realise it. ‍ We believe every child deserves the best education possible, regardless of background, geography or ability. We want to see them fulfil their potential – at school and beyond.

Who is Lift Schools? Our trust is made up of 57 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 33,000 pupils across the country – from Middlesbrough in the north to Devon in the west, Essex in the east and the Isle of Wight in the south. The majority of our schools are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.