Appointment Opportunity to Middletown Centre for Autism
Date published:
The Department of Education has launched a public appointments competition to appoint three Directors to the Board of the Middletown Centre for Autism (MCA). These appointments will consist of two Directors to the Board and one Vice-Chairperson.
Middletown Centre for Autism (MCA) was established in 2007 as a joint North South initiative arising from the inaugural North South Ministerial Council. The organisation is constituted as a company limited by guarantee in Northern Ireland and is jointly funded on a 50:50 basis by the Department of Education (DE) in Northern Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth (DEY) Republic of Ireland.
MCA's statutory purpose is to promote excellence in the education of autistic children and young people across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It achieves this through the provision of specialist educational support, assessment, training, research and the dissemination of evidence-based practice to support children, families and educational professionals.
The MCA Board comprises of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and eight Directors. As the Centre is a joint North South initiative, both DE (Northern Ireland) and DEY (Republic of Ireland) are each responsible for appointing the four Directors to the Board.
The MCA Vice-Chairperson position receives £200 per day and Director positions receive £175 per day remuneration and are eligible to claim travel allowances while carrying out their Board duties. The Vice Chairperson is expected to make a commitment of two to three days per month and Directors a time commitment of approximately one to two days per month, based on a cycle of approximately seven Board meetings and eight Committee meetings per year.
No specific academic qualifications are required for the posts. Your experience does not necessarily need to be associated directly with the education sector but may be from other backgrounds including business or commercial life and/or voluntary service and involvement in the community.
We particularly welcome applicants from people whose backgrounds are currently underrepresented on public bodies i.e. younger applicants, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities, and individuals with a lived experience of Autism.
Privacy Agreement for Public Appointments
How to Apply
Information on this opportunity and an application pack is available by contacting DE as follows:
Website: Public Appointment Opportunities | Department of Education
E-mail: egt1@education-ni.gov.uk
Telephone: (028) 91279226 or 07783828893
The closing date for receipt of applications is 4pm on Thursday 19 November 2026.