Overview
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.
Location: Hartlepool, Sunderland, and Northumberland
About the role
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EPNE is the accountable officer of one of the UK’s most ambitious college groups. The CEO is accountable to the Board and receives direct line management from the Chair.
As CEO, you will lead a team of highly skilled professionals who deliver exceptional education and training across the region. You will empower, inspire, and hold to account these leaders, ensuring that our collective expertise drives a shared vision of unlocking potential, creating opportunities and transforming lives.
You will work in close partnership with a committed and expert Board of Governors to deliver EPNE’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030. The Board provides challenge, support, and oversight, while you provide the vision, drive, and leadership needed to bring our ambitious goals to life.
The CEO must be deeply committed to the North East, confident in EPNE’s place within the region, and clear about our responsibility to help address community-based challenges. This includes leading bold partnerships with employers, civic leaders, and local authorities to promote economic prosperity, tackle inequalities, and inspire communities to achieve their potential.
This role requires balancing strategic foresight with operational excellence — ensuring that EPNE remains financially resilient, continues to invest in world-class facilities, and sustains its reputation as a standard bearer for the further education sector. You will also act as lead ambassador and influencer for EPNE, championing the organisation nationally and regionally while ensuring our work makes a lasting impact locally.
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 who possesses the ability, confidence, and resilience to take EPNE into its next chapter. You will bring a proven record of delivering impact in the further education sector, and an ability to evidence social impact in previous leadership roles. You will have the vision to drive innovation, the courage to take bold decisions, and the commitment to transform communities across the North East.
As our next CEO, you will demonstrate excellence in strategic leadership, with experience in shaping and delivering organisational vision and long-term impact. You will be confident in driving curriculum innovation and making bold decisions that respond to student aspirations, labour market needs, and the challenges faced by local communities. You will also be skilled in identifying and sustaining commercial and community partnerships, building productive relationships with employers, local authorities, and civic organisations to deliver shared success and regional transformation.
Strong financial leadership will be essential, and you will bring experience of stewarding multi-million-pound budgets with accountability for public money, delivering value for the taxpayer, and ensuring financial resilience while enabling growth and innovation. You will be an inspiring leader of people and teams — able to motivate, coach, and mentor colleagues while also inspiring confidence and ambition among external partners and stakeholders.
This role calls for a leader with presence, influence, and clarity of judgment. You will act as a compelling ambassador for EPNE at local, regional, and national levels, representing the voices of our students and communities, while also having the courage to take tough but principled decisions guided by EPNE’s values and responsibility to the region.
Above all, we are looking for a leader who is deeply committed to the North East region and confident in knowing EPNE’s place in the region — recognising our responsibility to help solve community-based challenges, raise aspirations, and transform lives through 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.
Role intake and how to apply
For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact Peridot Partners:
If you would like to know more about this role please contact Sarah Atkins-Boal
Timetable
Closing date: 12 p.m. (midday) Wednesday 15 October 2025
Candidates informed of outcome: Wednesday 22 October 2025
First stage Interviews: Wednesday 5 November 2025
Second stage Interviews: Thursday 6 November 2025
Peridot and Education Partnership North East are committed to promoting equality and diversity. We will send an equality monitoring survey with applications to help us ensure fair recruitment practice. Data will be handled confidentially and anonymously in line with applicable data protection laws.
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