Education Partnership North East seeks a values-driven Chief Executive Officer to be our lead changemaker — inspiring transformation through education across one of the country’s most successful college groups. Applications close at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, 15th October. Who we are Education Partnership North East (EPNE) is one of the North East’s largest college groups, bringing together Sunderland College, Northumberland College, Hartlepool Sixth Form College, and EPNE Training. Across seven campuses, we serve more than 21,500 learners through a broad curriculum spanning academic and vocational programmes, higher education, apprenticeships, adult learning, and high-needs provision. As we look to the future, we are ambitious to build on our outstanding platform and to deepen our impact. The next chapter of our journey will be marked by flourishing partnerships, bold innovation, and continued investment — all with the aim of transforming lives and strengthening the prosperity of the North East region. To achieve this, we seek a Chief Executive Officer who is both values-driven and visionary — a true changemaker to lead EPNE into our next exciting phase. About the role The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be accountable to the Board and directly managed by the Chair. The CEO leads a team of highly skilled and passionate professionals who deliver exceptional education and training across the region. The role is to empower, inspire, and hold leaders to account, ensuring that collective expertise drives a shared vision of unlocking potential, creating opportunities, and transforming lives. Working in close partnership with the Board of Governors, the CEO provides the vision, drive, and leadership required to deliver EPNE’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030. The CEO must be deeply committed to the North East, clear about EPNE’s role in the region, and determined to help address community-based challenges. This involves leading bold partnerships with employers, civic leaders, and local authorities to drive economic prosperity, reduce inequalities, and inspire communities. The role requires balancing strategic foresight with operational excellence, ensuring EPNE remains financially resilient, continues to invest in world-class facilities, and sustains its reputation as a sector leader. At the same time, the CEO acts as lead ambassador and influencer for EPNE, championing the organisation regionally and nationally while making a lasting local impact. If you share our ambition and values, we invite you to step forward and lead EPNE into its next exciting chapter. Who we are looking for We are seeking a strategic leader with the ability, confidence, and resilience to take EPNE into its next chapter. With a proven record of delivering impact in the further education sector, you will bring experience of driving social change through previous leadership roles. As CEO, you will demonstrate excellence in strategic leadership, shaping and delivering organisational vision and long-term impact, while responding to student aspirations, labour market needs, and community challenges. Equally, you will build and sustain productive partnerships with employers, local authorities, and civic organisations to deliver shared success and regional transformation. Strong financial leadership is essential, with experience in managing multi-million-pound budgets, ensuring accountability for public money, and balancing resilience with growth and innovation. You will be an inspiring leader of people and teams, motivating, coaching, and mentoring colleagues while instilling confidence and ambition among partners and stakeholders. With presence, influence, and clarity of judgment, you will act as a compelling ambassador for EPNE at local, regional, and national levels, representing students and communities while making principled decisions rooted in EPNE’s values. Above all, you will bring a deep commitment to the North East, recognising EPNE’s responsibility to raise aspirations, address challenges, and transform lives through education. At Education Partnership North East, we believe that diversity strengthens our communities and enriches our organisation. We therefore encourage applications from people who are underrepresented in leadership within further education Peridot Partners and Education Partnership North East are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made. Please click 'Apply on website’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the job description and register your interest to apply. Applications close at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, 15th October.