The Department of Education has launched a public appointments
competition to appoint two Directors and a Vice-Chairperson to
the Middletown Centre for Autism (MCA).
MCA is a joint North/South initiative with funding provided by
the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and the
Department of Education and Youth in the Republic of Ireland. Its
statutory purpose is to promote excellence in the education of
autistic children and young people across both jurisdictions.
Launching the competition, Education Minister said:
"Middletown Centre for Autism delivers intensive assessment and
learning support to children on an outreach basis, in both the
home and school setting. It also offers a broad range of training
courses for educational professionals and parents.
"These roles offer a unique opportunity for individuals to
provide strategic leadership, effective oversight and
constructive challenge, ensuring the Centre continues to deliver
high-quality services and positive outcomes for the autistic
children, young people, families and professionals it supports.
"The successful appointees should be experienced in scrutinising
an organisation's performance and managing key strategic issues,
and able to evaluate and prioritise information to make decisions
that influence strategic direction and positive outcomes."
Details on the selection criteria, the role responsibilities and
time commitment are set out in the Information Booklet which is
part of the application pack. Further information is available on
the DE website at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/public-appointment-opportunities
The closing date for receipt of applications is 4.00pm BST on
Thursday 19 November 2026.
Notes to editors:
1. The competition will reflect the principles and practices of
the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPANI) Code of
Practice. The appointment will be made on merit, and political
activity plays no part in the selection process.
2. Application packs can be made in a different format e.g. large
print. CVs and late applications will not be accepted.
