Dr Tim Coulson started his role as Director General, Regions Group at the Department for Education on 8 September 2025.
Before his appointment he was Chief Executive of Unity Schools Partnership – a trust of 40 primary, secondary and special schools.
Earlier in his career Tim served as:
• Director of Education at Essex County Council
• Regional Schools Commissioner for East of England and North East London
• Headteacher at William Tyndale Primary School
• Leader of an Education Action Zone in Lambeth
• National Director of the National Numeracy Strategy

The director general is a member of the Department for Education (DfE) leadership team, and chair of the department’s People Committee.
The director general is responsible for the leadership and day-to-day management of Regions Group. The group is part of the Future DfE transformation and plays a central role in helping to develop policy across the department that reflects local needs and drives DfE’s ambition to become a more place-shaping and focused organisation.