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Job description

The work involves undertaking inspection duties throughout Northern Ireland and, in addition, may also involve general responsibility for a group of schools or other organisations in a designated area in Northern Ireland. Inspectors will also be required to work as part of inspection teams outside their sector and specialist subject or phase. Please refer to the Candidate Information Booklet for more information.

Responsibilities

• Inspectors evaluate the provision of education and training in individual establishments, local areas, and across Northern Ireland.
• They encourage innovation and development throughout the education and training system and seek to ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively in support of learning.
• They encourage appropriately high levels of achievement in pre-school settings, schools, further education colleges, teacher education institutions, youth work organisations and work-based learning supplier organisations.
• They evaluate the nature, scope and effectiveness of in-service education, and of the initial education, induction and professional learning of teachers, lecturers/tutors and youth workers.
• As part of a regular schedule of inspections, or to meet particular circumstances, inspectors evaluate and report on the work of individual establishments.
• They also evaluate and report on aspects of education through more general survey work and through routine visits.
• Inspectors encourage teachers, lecturers/tutors, youth workers and others to engage in self-evaluation and to seek to maintain and improve the learning experiences offered and the levels of achievement.
• Inspectors assess the quality of the outcomes of publicly funded programmes of adult and youth training in further education colleges, workbased learning supplier organisations and other project sponsors
• These functions require both collective and individual responses from ETI. Inspectors interpret evidence and are required to provide professional oral and written reports of their findings to Departmental officials, professional and lay audiences.
• The above list is not exhaustive but gives a good indication of the main duties of the role. The emphasis on particular duties may vary and develop over time according to business needs.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Applicants will be required to demonstrate in their application form, by the closing date, at least a 2nd class honours degree in Software Engineering.
• Applications will also be considered from applicants with relevant formal qualifications considered by the selection panel to be of an equivalent or higher standard to those stated.
• A teacher education qualification which meets the requirement for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools or further education colleges in Northern Ireland.
• At least 5 years’ experience of teaching, lecturing or training in software engineering provision, up to and including regulated programmes to at least Level 3 / GCE Advanced Level.
• At least 5 years’ experience in the last 10 years as a curriculum manager or above in the further and higher education sector involved in the management and delivery of high-quality provision in further and higher education programmes.
• At least 3 years’ experience within the last 5 years of leading, managing and delivering quality improvement and/or evaluation of the quality of provision leading to improvement in further and higher education.
• At least 3 years’ experience within the last 5 years of using excellent people and communication skills to lead your own professional learning and that of others.
• Building networks and effective internal and external strategic partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders to deliver positive outcomes.

Desirable Skills

• In addition, applicants should be aware that after an eligibility sift, should it be necessary to shortlist candidates to go forward to assessment, the following shortlisting criteria will be used:
• Demonstrable evidence of developing external links and partnerships, within the last 5 years, which have led to improvements in the quality of provision in further and higher education.
• Demonstrate evidence of working in a professional capacity within the software engineering industry.

Further Information

NICS Application form only, Vacancy closing date Friday 3rd October 2025 at 12pm. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Applications from males, young people (people under the age of 35), people with a disability and people from minority ethnic communities are particularly welcome for this post. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.

Application Information

Visit the recruitment service website www.nicsrecruitment.org.uk (Please quote reference number: IRC316753).