Chair of Skills and Education Group

Skills and Education Group is seeking an experienced board leader with strong governance expertise and a track record in complex organisations, ideally within education; to join us as our new Chair. If you're ready to provide strategic oversight and guide us through our next phase, this is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a respected organisation.

Time commitment: 4 board meetings per year plus any additional meetings

Closing date: 9 a.m. Tuesday 12th August

About Skills and Education Group

The Skills and Education Group is a purpose-driven organisation dedicated to improving lives through further education, assessment, and social impact. With a portfolio that spans regulated awarding organisations, access to HE qualifications, and a membership body, CPD offer & charitable foundation, Skills and Education Group operates as a federated group committed to supporting individuals, providers, and communities across the UK.

Comprising Skills and Education Group Awards, BIIAB, and Skills and Education Group Access, our qualifications support lifelong learning and workforce readiness across a wide range of sectors. Our membership body represents the further education & skills sector bringing together professionals to access relevant & credible CPD and accessing the charitable foundation which provides grants and professional development to frontline educators and learners, ensuring we contribute meaningfully to social mobility and educational equity.

About the role

Following a period of significant leadership changes and organisational review, Skills and Education Group has stabilised under successful interim leadership and is now focused on building a sustainable future.

We are seeking a new Chair who will bring strategic vision and confident leadership to support the Board in consolidating recent progress and driving the organisation’s next phase of development.

Your role will involve leading the Board to ensure robust governance and effective oversight, developing collaborative relationships with executive leadership and key stakeholders, and maintaining a clear focus on the organisation’s core purpose amid evolving challenges.

The Chair of the Group Board will work closely with the CE, guiding their strategic leadership and supporting them to drive forward the organisation’s ambition and deliver associated targets.

A key part of your role will be contributing to the continued development and reform of our governance structure, ensuring it is fit for purpose and aligned with the Group’s financial, commercial and social objectives, as well as the expectations of our regulators.

You will also have the opportunity to contribute to the recruitment process for the newly appointed Chief Executive(CE), as the organisation positions itself for sustainable growth and impact.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a governance professional with proven experience as a Chair, Vice Chair, or chairing significant committees within complex or regulated organisations—preferably in the education sector. You will bring strategic insight, sound judgement, and the ability to support an organisation working its way through a period of significant change.

You will be confident leading a Board through transition, striking the right balance between encouraging open discussion, robust debate and thoughtful challenge, while ensuring that meetings remain focused, decisions are made, and consensus is achieved.

A collaborative and transparent leadership style will enable you to build trust across the Board, leadership team, and wider stakeholders, supporting high standards of governance and accountability.

A deep commitment to the public value of education, alongside a passion for upholding high standards of governance and accountability, is essential. You will bring clarity, focus, and resilience to the role, helping the Group navigate complexity while maintaining its core purpose and ambitions for growth.

Remuneration

The position of Chair of Skills and Education Group is unremunerated, but reasonable expenses are paid.

Time commitment

As Chair, you will be expected to dedicate sufficient time to effectively fulfil your duties, including attendance at Board meetings.

The Skills and Education Group Board comprises 10 Trustees, including the CE and Chairs of the Awards/BIIAB and Access Boards.

The Board has statutory and fiduciary responsibilities under Charity Law and the Companies Act. It is responsible for setting the organisation’s strategy and providing constructive challenge to the executive leadership, who manage day-to-day operations.

The Board meets at least four times a year, recently with additional combined meetings held regularly alongside the Awards/BIIAB and Access Boards to ensure coordinated governance across the Group. The majority of meetings are held remotely.  It is expected that the Chair of the Group Board will regularly meet with the CE, ideally in-person at the company headquarters in Nottingham.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Tuesday 12th August.