Lead a high-performing Music Service delivering outstanding music education which inspires children to flourish, reaching hundreds of thousands of participants each year.
Norfolk County Council is seeking an inspirational, strategically minded and musically credible leader to step into the Head of Service role. This is a unique opportunity to lead one of England’s largest consolidated music hubs, covering Norfolk and Suffolk.
Following the successful merger of the separate county music hubs in 2024, you will champion high-quality music education across both regions.
You will provide strategic oversight of a joint annual turnover of c. £4.5 million, nurture a dedicated team of 35 staff and work in close collaboration with c. 70 diverse local, regional and national partners. Based within our Ofsted-graded ‘Outstanding’ Children’s Services team, you will ensure every child has the opportunity to flourish.
If you are a collaborative change leader who believes in music’s transformative power, we invite you to help shape our future.
Who we are
The Norfolk Music Service is a highly successful, centrally retained teaching team that supports schools, families and young people by providing access to music education that inspires and supports children from all backgrounds. Funded by the Department for Education and administered by Arts Council England, the Service is also the Hub Lead Organisation for the Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub, nationally recognised as an exemplary model of high-quality music education which works at scale.
Norfolk County Council receives c. £2 million in reportable revenue grant funding and the music service works in partnership with around 70 local, regional and national partners. Through direct trading, generating an annual traded turnover of £1 million.
Annually, we deliver music activities to c. 650,000 young people across c. 850 schools throughout Norfolk and Suffolk. Operating on a secure local authority foundation, we are deeply committed to driving integration and collaboration to support all children, including those from rural or deprived backgrounds and those with SEND.
About the role
Reporting directly to an Assistant Director in Children’s Services, the Head of Service provides visionary, forward-thinking leadership to meet the National Plan for Music Education.
This role has financial accountability for £4.5 million annually and is accountable for the Arts Council England (ACE) funding agreement, business planning and financial sustainability across grant-funded and traded income. The time split is approximately 30% in schools and 70% in the wider partnership and community delivery.
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Strategic and Financial Oversight
Lead all business and financial planning, managing complex traded income (£1m) and grant funding (c. £2m ACE grant, plus additional grants), ensuring strict compliance with purchasing, procurement and contract policies and procedures.
- Partnership Evolution
Manage, align and nurture relationship frameworks with around 70 diverse local, regional and national partners, navigating competing priorities and implementing outcome-focused commissioning processes.
- Workforce Leadership
Lead a team of 35 teachers, middle managers and support staff, implementing structural developments to drive colleague engagement, high performance and individual creativity.
- Safeguarding & Governance
Act as the safeguarding lead for the entire service, ensuring absolute compliance with Working Together to Safeguard Children and related safeguarding legislation across all settings and large-scale public events.
- National Representation
Act as NCC’s ambassador on national forums, including the APPG for Music Education, DfE round tables and Arts Council national working groups.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking an experienced, dynamic and collaborative leader who can deliver high-quality music education and partnership management at an exceptional scale.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Educational Credibility
A degree or equivalent professional qualification plus substantial leadership in a music education, school, cultural, or music industry environment is essential. QTS, teacher standards knowledge, or post-Grade 8 qualifications are highly desirable.
- Strategic and Financial Track Record
Proven experience leading music service operations or complex hubs at scale (covering hundreds of schools), including experience reporting to national grant funders such as Arts Council England.
- Political Acumen and Stakeholder Skills
Demonstrable experience navigating a large, complex local authority environment, including managing relationships with senior council leaders, elected members and diverse schools.
- Collaborative Change Leadership
An open, non-hierarchical and supportive leadership style that prioritises colleague engagement, delegation and building a strong bottom-up service culture.
- Inclusion and Youth Focus
A deep, vocational belief in the power of music education to support and enrich the lives of all children, particularly marginalized groups, rural communities and pupils with SEND.
- Operational Compliance
Complete commitment to safeguarding and child welfare (enhanced DBS required).
This role will involve regular travel across Norfolk and Suffolk and working outside of normal business hours in order to fulfil deadlines, manage programmes, attend partner opportunities or when required to represent NCC at national, regional and local events
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
David Hingley | david@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07534 244249
Josh Larkin | josh@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07950 729373
Welcome from the Assistant Director for Policy and Partnerships
Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in becoming our new Head of Norfolk Music Service and the Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub. You would be joining Norfolk County Council at a moment of significant strategic opportunity, leading a high-performing, nationally recognised service and Music Hub within a Children’s Services department that is proud to be graded by Ofsted as ‘Outstanding’.
Following the successful merger of the Norfolk and Suffolk hubs in 2024, led by Norfolk, we are now one of England’s largest music hubs. We have established a unified and fully engaged advisory board, a strong network of around 70 local, regional and national partners and a joint annual turnover of c. £4.5 million.
Our work reaches c. 650,000 young people annually, supporting them to discover the lifelong benefits of music. We have moved far beyond traditional classical models, actively embracing music technology, DJing and highly inclusive initiatives including SENDfest.
To ensure your success, we are implementing a robust new management infrastructure. To help delegate operations and reduce direct line-management pressure, we are currently recruiting a Hub Manager to oversee daily operations, alongside a new Operations, Contracts and Finance Manager, freeing you to focus on strategic vision, high-level partnership collaboration and national advocacy.
In Norfolk, we share the ambition that all children can flourish. Our co-produced, nationally recognised Flourish outcomes framework guides our work and music is a powerful way to achieve it. From creating our co-produced Flourish Anthem (written and performed entirely by young people, with our Hub’s support) to our high-profile Flourish Awards, our music service is central to our mission.
Our service culture is deeply vocational, built by passionate instrumental teachers and staff who pull together for children’s outcomes. While operating in local government presents unique political complexities, being part of a large, secure authority like Norfolk County Council provides a stable foundation and brings many benefits.
We are looking for a creative, collaborative, and strategically minded leader who isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and work with us to shape the future of music education. I look forward to receiving your application and encourage you to contact the team at Peridot Partners for a confidential discussion.
Warm regards,
Tim Eyres
Assistant Director for Policy and Partnerships
Norfolk County Council, Children’s Services
About Norfolk County Council
The Norfolk Music Service and the Norfolk & Suffolk Music Hub operate within the secure, stable and highly collaborative environment of Norfolk County Council’s Children’s Services (Ofsted ‘Outstanding’).
The Flourish Approach
Central to our identity is Norfolk’s ‘Flourish’ framework—a whole-system approach co-produced with young people to ensure Norfolk is a place where all children and young people can lead happy, healthy and aspirational lives. Flourish has been awarded the ‘All Together Quality Mark’ for co-production and is built around eight outcome areas that young people have told us are important to them:
Our Music Service and Hub play a crucial role in bringing the Flourish framework to life and are integral to our annual Flourish Awards, which celebrate outstanding contributions to helping young people thrive.
Governance, Finance & Values
The Music Service operates on a traded service basis (generating c. £1m per year) alongside c. £2m in annual Arts Council England funding. Strategically, the Head of Service is accountable to the Assistant Director but works closely with the joint Music Hub Advisory Board, chaired by an independent Chair. This board brings together a wide range of voices and sub-committees, representing around 70 regional and national partners. Our vocational culture aligns with the core values of Norfolk County Council:
- Accountable – We are honest and accountable.
- Inclusive – We champion inclusivity and equity.
- Ambitious – We want a better future for Norfolk.
- Trusted – We build and maintain trust.
Learn more about Norfolk County Council
Norfolk is a fantastic area to live and work – if you are considering relocating, you can find out more about the county here:
Accessibility information
We understand that different community members have different access needs and we’ve made changes to how we do business to accommodate people from diverse communities and abilities.
Norfolk County Council is a Disability Confident employer and is fully committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across all recruitment. We believe that a workforce representing diverse backgrounds and abilities strengthens our ability to serve our community. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and are dedicated to making the recruitment process fair, inclusive and fully accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative formats at any stage of your application or interview, please let us know.
- Step-free access to the building, all key meeting rooms and bathrooms and an accessible workstation
- Accessibility dogs are welcome
- Interviews can be held in meeting rooms that support hearing loops
- Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
- A sign language interpreter can be accessed for the interview
- Working patterns and locations can be adjusted
Guaranteed interview scheme- for anyone with a disability, former armed services and care leavers, as long as they meet the minimum criteria for the role and provide evidence of this in their application.
We are also a foster-friendly employer.
Help with your job applicationTo arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
David Hingley | david@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07534 244249
Josh Larkin | josh@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07950 729373
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Norfolk County Council—Head of Norfolk Music Service and the Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
David Hingley | david@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07534 244249
Josh Larkin | josh@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07950 729373
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact the lead consultants. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.
Applicants with disabilities are welcome to contact us in confidence at any stage of the recruitment process to discuss any reasonable adjustments or support that may be required to ensure fair and equal participation.
Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 5th October
Candidates informed of outcome: Thursday 8th October
First stage interviews (online): Tuesday 13th October
Second stage interviews (in person): Monday 19th October
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and Norfolk County Council are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
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