ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing)

Director of Education

Location: London

Salary: £59,199 to 69,963 per annum, depending on experience.

Deadline: 10 October 2025

Interview Date: Thursday 23rd October (between 11am and 5pm).

Lead on dance education and training to support ISTD teachers worldwide, working in close collaboration with the Chief Executive, Board, and other Directors.

About the ISTD

ISTD exists to make teaching and learning dance accessible to all.

Our membership is recognised as the mark of quality dance teaching around the world. We support teachers to develop their careers and businesses through progressive training, performance qualifications and events. Together, we aim to build a diverse and sustainable dance profession by championing inclusion and increasing access to dance teaching.

The Society is a registered educational charity (250397), regulated examinations board, and membership association. With 6000 members in 59 countries worldwide, we conduct over 120,000 examinations and 20,000 hours of Continuing Professional Development each year.

Summary of Role

Lead on the development of ISTD's Teacher Training, Events, Professional Development and Qualification Development
Ensure that current and future dance teachers are trained to the highest standards
Actively pursue opportunities for new growth, in line with ISTD's mission and Strategic Plan
Support the business planning and direction setting for ISTD.

Responsible to:

Chief Executive Officer.

Responsible for:

Teacher Training (including ISTD Academy), Qualification Development, Continuing Professional Development and Events.

Line manages:

Head of Qualification Development, Head of CPD and Events, and ISTD Academy Programme Manager.

Key responsibilities Departmental duties and responsibilities

Lead on dance education and training to support ISTD teachers worldwide, working in close collaboration with the Chief Executive, Board, and other Directors
Promote growth and innovation by leading on the strategic development of new qualifications, teacher CPD and student events to meet evolving customer needs and attract new teachers and learners
Establish clear oversight of product life cycles to ensure new products fulfil their commercial potential, working closely with the Marketing and Examinations departments
Lead on the development of online CPD and student events so that members can access high quality, cost-effective training throughout the world
Lead on the development and growth of ISTD Academy as a subsidiary company of the ISTD
Develop strategies to maximise adoption of new products and services, to generate new members and trainee teachers resulting in greater exam entries, course and event attendance
Oversee the distribution of teacher bursaries ensuring parity, inclusion and diversity
Act as the Society's Designated Safeguarding Lead
Support initiatives to increase the demographic diversity of the ISTD membership and their students.

Director duties and responsibilities

Identify and implement strategic opportunities for growth in line with ISTD's mission, core values and the aims of its strategic plan
Foster new partnerships and nurture existing relationships with stakeholders and policymakers nationally and internationally
Set and manage departmental budgets, including setting financial targets, approving invoices and contributing to the monthly management account reporting
Review and, where necessary, redesign departmental staffing structures to meet the financial and performance targets of the Business Plan
Initiate and oversee programmes of continuous improvement to ensure that all work streams are conducted with optimum efficiency and to the highest standards
Ensure all services are customer-focused and delivered to the highest quality
Work collaboratively with the Chief Executive Officer, Directors and direct reports to ensure that key performance indicators are consistently achieved
Support and nurture staff development to ensure high quality delivery of all services
As a public facing role, present the values and ideals of ISTD at all times
Research and gather business intelligence to support effective business development
Undertake any other duties necessary to this post as delegated by the Chief Executive Officer.

Person specification Education and qualifications

Degree level qualification in Dance, Arts Education or equivalent.

Knowledge and experience

Substantial experience in leadership roles at Director or Senior Manager level, leading and motivating teams to deliver high quality results
Extensive experience of working in a senior level role in dance or arts education environment or similar
Proven track record of the developing and delivering teacher training and / or CPD programmes
Proven commitment to increasing demographic diversity in dance participation
Experience in the development and / or delivery of online course provision
Comprehensive understanding of best practice in dance teaching and learning
Experience of developing organisational strategy and successfully implementing change
Ability to steer the organisation towards achieving its objectives while operating effectively, responsibly, legally and sustainably.

These are an indication of some of the observable behaviours needed for successful performance of this role.

Technical

Demonstrates business acumen, making a significant contribution to the creation, implementation and evaluation of ISTD's strategic plans
Develops and implements a clear teacher training strategy for ISTD, working in close collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer
Recommends and implements strategies to increase the demographic diversity of ISTD's membership and its students
Develops and implements a clear business strategy for ISTD's online course provision
Demonstrates thorough, current safeguarding knowledge
Monitors and applies relevant legislation, policies and procedures
Nurtures new and existing partnerships, strengthening and extending ISTD's sphere of influence
Communicates complex issues in a simple and understandable manner
Identifies and manages risk appropriately, using risk management techniques for the best interests of ISTD and its stakeholders
Drives efficiency from both administrative and financial perspectives
Evaluates the financial impact of decisions and works within allocated budgets.

Leadership and management

Ensures that initiatives and priorities in their department(s) effectively deliver business objectives and are aligned with ISTD's strategic priorities
Displays resilient and motivational leadership to maximise team and employee performance
Clearly delegates authority to match employees' responsibilities and capabilities
Leads by example, acting as a role model for integrity and fairness, and promoting a culture of opportunity, collaboration, equality and diversity
Promotes the sharing of expertise and supports learning opportunities across ISTD.

Behavioural

Makes sound and timely decisions based on an analysis of relevant information
Acts proactively and thinks strategically to anticipate ISTD's needs
Delivers innovative solutions to complex problems
Demonstrates excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills
Credible when communicating decisions and managing others' expectations
Able to challenge and influence, building and maintaining effective relationships within and outside ISTD
Applies professional and ethical judgement, taking responsibility for their own performance.

Working Hours

This is a full-time role, working 35 hours a week, from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, with a one hour lunch break.

Additional Information

This role will be offered on a Hybrid work basis (2 days worked in the office and the remainder of the week can be worked remotely). When working remotely, the postholder will be required to work from home in an environment with a high-speed broadband
The office remains open from Monday to Friday and is available for those who would prefer to work in the office environment or have difficulties working remotely
Hybrid working will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and employees may need to revert to homeworking, in line with any new government advice.

Renumeration

The annual salary for this position will be Grade G - Directors, (which ranges from £59,199 to 69,963 per annum), depending on experience.

Additional Benefits

Flexibility; this role can be worked on a Hybrid basis, (2 days in the office and then one day, Friday can usually be worked from home, subject to studio bookings). More information on flexibility is available in the ISTD Hybrid Work Policy
25 days paid holiday each year (plus the 8 public/bank holidays). In addition, 4 days between Christmas and New Year when our office building is closed; 37 paid days in total. This will pro-rata accordingly for the part time hours worked
Season ticket loan available
Employer Pension Contribution matched up to 8%. You will be auto enrolled into the pension scheme after 3 months of employment . click apply for full job details

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