Head of the Advisory Department – Special Educational Needs Support

Do you want to help create the best conditions for equal education? At the Swedish National Agency for Special Needs Education, Schools and Higher Education (SPSM), we work to ensure that all children, students, and adult learners with disabilities reach the goals of their education. We run our own special schools in various locations across Sweden. We also provide support to preschools and schools nationwide to jointly create learning environments that are developmental and accessible. Additionally, we distribute state grants and develop educational materials.

We hope that you, with your background and competence, can contribute to increasing our diversity. You can read more about what we offer at www.spsm.se/ledigajobb (http://www.spsm.se/ledigajobb).

About the Operations

Within the operational area of special educational needs support, we work to ensure that our support creates conditions for all children, students, and adult learners with disabilities to access equal education and other high-quality activities in a safe environment. We complement the special educational resources of municipalities and schools. The support we offer can relate to individual learning, teachers' work, or operations and organization.

1 position(s).

Responsibilities

The operational area of Special Educational Needs Support includes support to schools and principals through:

• Advisory services
• Professional development
• Special educational investigations
• Promoting and producing educational materials
• State grants
• Quality dialogues

Currently, we are engaged in intensive development work within the agency to strengthen support for schools and school principals. As Head of the Advisory Department, you lead 9 units with approximately 140 employees working from various offices across the country.

You lead the work through trust-based leadership and management, where the needs of the target groups are central. You support your employees in monitoring the units' interventions to systematically analyze results and deepen the understanding of the target groups and their conditions. You also contribute to systematically drawing lessons from performed work and building upon SPSM's common knowledge base, which is based on research and proven experience.

Your responsibilities also include clarifying and developing the total special educational support for those we exist to serve. As a manager, you are responsible for the department's operations, personnel, economy, and work environment. Together with your managers and employees, and in collaboration with employee organizations, you work to achieve the goals according to the operational plan.

You are part of the operational area's management group. Your assignment includes contributing to the operations of the operational area and the agency as a whole, as well as driving issues related to the Advisory Department's work and responsibilities. The work requires close collaboration with other operations within the agency.

The assignment involves:

• leading and developing operations within the department and the operational area
• being responsible for external contacts and collaborations with other actors
• monitoring, evaluating, and analyzing special educational interventions and their effects

The location of employment is Härnösand, Malmö, Örebro, Gothenburg, or Stockholm.

Travel is included in the position.

Qualifications and Merits

We are looking for you who have:

• an academic degree with a focus on pedagogy, political science, social sciences, or other education assessed by the employer as equivalent
• experience of being a manager of managers in a politically governed organization
• strategic work experience in a management group

It is meritorious if you have:

• experience of being a manager in state operations
• experience within the special educational and/or disability policy field
• experience of leading employees remotely
• experience of change management

As a leader, you have a good ability to find solutions together with others. Your leadership is characterized by curiosity and being a good support in your employees' development and engagement. You base your work on the operations' goals and the support we aim to achieve for those we exist to serve, and you are clear in your communication and expectations. You dare to make decisions for the benefit of the operations and point out development needs.

We place great emphasis on your personal qualities.

What We Offer

Employment type: Permanent position.
Duration: Start date according to agreement.
A probationary period of 6 months applies.

The position is advertised in several locations. Therefore, the location name in the application form may differ from the advertisement you have read. However, your application will be registered correctly and linked to the correct location.

An extract from the criminal record must be presented prior to employment.

In the event of a societal crisis, you may be directed to work between the agency's operational areas based on your location.

Regarding the recruitment process, we have taken a stand on recruitment channels and marketing. We decline all offers of advertising and recruitment assistance on this occasion.