Job Title: General Secretary
Location: Home-based, Scotland.
Salary: Salary is paid on a three-point salary scale from £93,189 - £95,497 - £97,867 pa
Job Type: Full time, Permanent.
Closing date for applications: Friday 25th April 2025.
Our current General Secretary, Graham Hutton, will retire at the end of August 2025 and we are now seeking to appoint an outstanding individual to lead the Association from that point. SLS represents Principal Teachers, Depute Headteachers, Resource/Business Managers and Headteachers in Secondary schools throughout Scotland.
As a professional association, SLS has influence at the highest levels and therefore the successful candidate will have the opportunity to make a real difference to the future of Secondary education in Scotland.
The successful candidate will have considerable experience of leading in a Secondary school. We are looking for a dynamic individual whose principal interest is the education and wellbeing of the nation’s young people and the leaders who serve them.
The start date is August 2025 (or by negotiation) and the appointment is for an initial term of 5 years, which may be extended by negotiation. Salary is paid on a three-point salary scale from £93,189 - £95,497 - £97,867 pa, with reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses.

INFLUENCING THE NATIONAL EDUCATION AGENDA:

The General Secretary, working collaboratively with the Executive, plays an essential role in leading the national education agenda. The General Secretary promotes and communicates the Association’s aims, policies and interests at the highest level, building key partnerships with politicians, relevant Government departments and other key organisations in Scottish Education, and through the media.
Currently this includes meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, other political party members and Civil Servants; sitting on high level committees and working groups; and working with other national education associations and Directors of Education. The General Secretary is a key spokesperson and a public face for the Association and therefore works directly with all areas of the media, both print and broadcast.

The General Secretary leads all strategic aspects of SLS work, setting the vision for the organisation and steering it towards that future. They are responsible to the Elected Officers, who are SLS members, and through them to the Executive and Council. Ultimately, the General Secretary is responsible for effectively:

• Ensuring members are provided with professional advice and support
• Developing the policies of the Association
• Influencing the national educational agenda
• Leading and managing the work of the Association.