Director of Education

Royal College of Physicians

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is one of the world’s leading professional membership bodies for physicians, with a history dating back to 1518 and a global membership of around 40,000 physicians, fellows and members. We support physicians throughout their careers, set and uphold high standards in medicine, and work to improve health and healthcare for patients and communities. We work from two main sites: The Spine in Liverpool and our historic home at Regent’s Park in London.

We operate a hybrid working model, with most staff working flexibly and spending a minimum of 6 days a month in the office. Our strategy for 2026–30 is focused on supporting our membership and leading our community, ensuring excellence in education and setting the highest standards, using our voice to advocate and shape the future of medicine, and building organisational resilience and responsible growth. Our values are integrity, equity, excellence, innovation and collaboration.

About the role

The Director of Education is a senior leadership role within the Professional Development business unit, accountable for the strategic leadership, quality, growth and sustainable delivery of the RCP’s education and assessment portfolio. The postholder will lead a significant education function, working with clinical leaders, staff teams, members, fellows, partners and external stakeholders to deliver high-quality, relevant and financially sustainable education for physicians and other healthcare professionals in the UK and internationally.

The role is responsible for shaping a coherent, career-long education offer that supports physicians at every stage of practice, including resident doctors, SAS and locally employed doctors, consultants, clinical leaders, educators and the RCP’s wider global membership. It will ensure that education activity is strategically aligned, member-focused, evidence-informed, digitally enabled, inclusive, commercially robust and grounded in the RCP’s charitable purpose

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Organisational Contribution:

• Lead the development and delivery of the Education Department’s strategic and operational plans, ensuring alignment with the RCP strategy, charitable purpose, member value, workforce needs and financial sustainability.
• Act as a senior leader within the Professional Development business unit, contributing to cross-organisational planning, prioritisation, governance, risk management and performance improvement.
• Work closely with the Chief Professional Development Officer, Vice President for Education and Training and senior clinical leaders to ensure education, training, CPD and assessment priorities are clear, coherent and deliverable.
• Provide authoritative advice on medical education, assessment, professional development, digital learning and education strategy to senior colleagues, committees and external stakeholders.
• Translate strategic priorities into practical plans, clear accountabilities and measurable outcomes for teams, partners and stakeholders.

Education Portfolio, Quality and Impact:

• Lead the design, development, delivery and evaluation of a coherent, career-long education portfolio that supports physicians and healthcare professionals across the UK and internationally.
• Ensure all education activity is high quality, evidence-informed, accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of members, fellows, learners, employers and healthcare systems.
• Establish and maintain robust educational governance, quality assurance and evaluation processes, including clear standards for programme design, faculty development, learner experience and educational impact.
• Use data, feedback, market insight and outcome measures to review portfolio performance, inform investment decisions and improve quality, relevance and value.
• Ensure education programmes support professional standards, workforce development, leadership capability, clinical excellence and improvement in patient care.

Assessment, Standards and Educational Governance:

• Provide senior oversight of RCP assessment activity directly under the control of the RCP, ensuring it is robust, fair, credible, secure and aligned with relevant standards, regulations and partnership requirements.
• Ensure appropriate governance is in place for assessment design, delivery, examiner and faculty standards, candidate experience, academic integrity, appeals, complaints and incident management.
• Work collaboratively with relevant partners, including other medical royal colleges, academic institutions, regulators and NHS bodies, to maintain confidence in the RCP’s education and assessment activity.
• Identify and manage risks relating to assessment validity, quality, fairness, delivery, data, reputation and compliance.

Commercial Growth, Financial Stewardship and Risk:

• Lead financial planning and budget management for the Education Department, ensuring income, expenditure, contribution and investment decisions are actively managed.
• Develop and implement responsible UK and international growth plans, including new products, pricing approaches, consultancy opportunities, partnerships and routes to market.
• Assess the commercial viability, strategic fit, operational impact and risk profile of existing and proposed education activity.
• Balance charitable purpose, member benefit, quality, accessibility and financial sustainability when making portfolio and investment decisions.
• Maintain effective risk management, business continuity and compliance arrangements across education activity, partnerships, contracts, data, systems and delivery models.

Digital Education and Innovation:

• Lead the modernisation of digital, online, hybrid and blended education, ensuring the RCP’s offer is accessible, scalable, engaging and responsive to the needs of busy clinicians.
• Use learning technologies, data and evaluation to improve learner experience, reach, efficiency and educational outcomes.
• Explore the responsible use of innovation, AI and emerging technologies in education design, delivery, assessment support and learner engagement.
• Ensure digital education activity is developed with appropriate consideration of accessibility, inclusion, information governance, data protection, security and quality assurance.

Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement and Representation:

• Build strategic relationships with universities, NHS organisations, royal colleges, specialist societies, international partners, commissioners, employers, clinical faculty and member networks.
• Represent the RCP credibly and effectively in meetings, committees, partnerships and external forums relating to education, training, CPD, assessment, workforce development and professional standards.
• Work collaboratively across the RCP to ensure education activity supports membership engagement, professional standards, global activity, commercial development, policy influence and organisational resilience.
• Ensure partnership arrangements are clear, well governed, financially sound and aligned with RCP values, strategy and risk appetite.

People Leadership and Culture:

• Lead, manage and develop the Education Department, setting clear priorities, accountabilities, behaviours and performance expectations.
• Support managers and teams to work collaboratively, manage workloads, develop capability and deliver high-quality outcomes in a changing environment.
• Continue to develop and support a diverse faculty of expert volunteers to support delivery of education and assessment products and services.
• Create a positive and inclusive culture that supports staff engagement, wellbeing, continuous improvement, accountability and professional development.
• Lead teams through change with clarity, empathy and purpose, ensuring staff understand how their work contributes to the RCP strategy and member value.
• Role model the RCP values and contribute to a senior leadership culture that is honest, inclusive, disciplined, collaborative and focused on impact

General Responsibilities:

• Comply with RCP policies, procedures and governance requirements, including health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, data protection, information security and financial controls.
• Undertake other duties that are reasonably required and commensurate with the seniority and scope of the role.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Essential:

• Substantial senior leadership experience in education, professional development, assessment, healthcare, membership, charity, commercial or professional body settings.
• Successful experience of leading a sizeable department, portfolio or multidisciplinary function through strategy, delivery, change and performance improvement.
• Strong understanding of postgraduate medical education, continuing professional development, assessment, professional standards or health professions education.
• Experience of developing and delivering education or professional development products, programmes or services for adult professional learners.
• Demonstrable financial leadership, including budget management, income generation, business planning, commercial analysis and resource prioritisation.
• Experience of leading quality assurance, governance, evaluation, compliance or risk management within complex programmes or services.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including experience working with senior clinicians, committees, external partners, commissioners, academic institutions or professional networks.
• Evidence of using data, insight, learner feedback and market intelligence to inform decisions and improve performance.
• Experience of leading people and teams at a senior level, including setting direction, managing performance, developing capability and supporting staff through change.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear reports, business cases, recommendations and presentations for senior audiences.
• Politically astute, credible and confident operating in a complex stakeholder environment with competing priorities.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in education, leadership and organisational practice.

Behaviours & Competencies:

• Provides confident, values-led leadership at a senior level and makes sound decisions in the interests of the RCP, its members, learners and charitable purpose.
• Acts with integrity, transparency and good judgement, including when handling sensitive, confidential, complex or politically contested issues.
• Builds trust and credibility with clinical leaders, staff, partners, members, learners and external stakeholders.
• Communicates complex issues clearly and persuasively, adapting style and content for different audiences.
• Balances ambition with realism, ensuring plans are deliverable, affordable and aligned to strategic priorities.
• Creates clarity from complexity, setting direction, making trade-offs and helping teams focus on the activity that will have the greatest impact.
• Works collaboratively across organisational boundaries, reducing duplication and enabling joined-up delivery.
• Promotes innovation and continuous improvement while maintaining appropriate governance, quality, risk and financial discipline.
• Champions equity, accessibility and inclusion in education design, team culture, stakeholder engagement and decision-making.
• Reflects on own performance, seeks feedback and demonstrates commitment to personal and professional development.

Key Relationships:

• Chief Professional Development Officer
• Vice President for Education and Training and other senior clinical leaders with education, standards, assessment and professional development responsibilities
• Senior leaders across the Professional Development business unit and wider RCP
• Education Department leadership team and staff
• Members, fellows, learners, clinical faculty, examiners and volunteers
• Universities, NHS organisations, royal colleges, specialist societies, regulators and professional bodies
• International, commercial, commissioning and partnership organisations

Desirable:

• A higher management qualification
• Experience of working in or with medical royal colleges, professional bodies, universities, NHS organisations, regulators or healthcare education providers.
• Experience of UK and international education markets, partnership development, consultancy or commercially sustainable education activity.
• Experience of digital learning, online education, learning platforms, blended delivery or technology-enabled education.
• Experience of assessment governance, accreditation, credentialing, academic standards or high-stakes assessment.
• Experience of developing education activity with clinical faculty, volunteers, fellows, members or other expert contributors.

Required Qualifications

• A graduate in any discipline
• Postgraduate professional qualification or development pertinent to education and assessment
• A higher degree in education or other pertinent discipline
• Educated to degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent senior-level experience relevant to the role.

Compensation & Benefits

• 29 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Health cash plan
• Group personal pension plan with a 7% employer contribution
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Life assurance
• Annual pay award
• Flexible working hours
• Employee assistance programme
• Occupational health support
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Professional training and development opportunities
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Staff discounts, including cinema tickets and a range of high-street brands.

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely
• Staff spend a minimum of six days each month in the office. The role may be based at either our London or Liverpool site.

How to apply

• For applicants wishing to apply, please click Apply Now to submit your CV and cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the role description.
• Your candidate experience is extremely important to us. If you would like to discuss this role or require any reasonable adjustments for your application, please reach out to our recruitment team via email at [email protected] or by phone at 020 3075 1649

Interviews

• Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 9th November 2026
• The interview date is 16th November 2026

Policies

The RCP positively encourages applications for suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. The RCP is all about our people - our members, our staff, our volunteers and leaders.

We educate, influence and collaborate to improve health and healthcare for everyone and know we can only do this by being inclusive, encouraging and celebrating diverse perspectives. That's why welcoming and having people who represent the 21st-century medical workforce and the diverse population of patients we serve is so important to us.

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