Chief Executive

£130,205- £141,056

Harlow is entering an exciting period of significant change. We want to make our town one of the best towns in the UK to live, to work and to raise a family. A place where our communities benefit from inclusive growth.

This is a truly exciting time to be joining us as our next Chief Executive. Harlow’s location in the UK Innovation Corridor between London and Cambridge creates significant opportunity with fast transport connections to London, Stansted and Cambridge. Through the ongoing success of our significant regeneration programmes including our Enterprise Zone, science park and working in partnership with our neighbours on the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town (HGGT), alongside developing the opportunities arising from economic growth, we will continue to deliver and build upon the Council’s ambitions, making Harlow a place fit for the future, extending opportunity and prosperity for all.

We now seek a visionary Chief Executive to lead and transform our Council to deliver our ambitions. If you are a game changer and someone who can harness and deliver opportunities, we are looking for you. Together, we will ensure that Harlow continues to be a place where everyone thrives.

For a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants Rob Naylor on 07922 417550 or Ben Cox on 07809 374692. For further information please visit https://leadingharlowdistrictcouncil.com/ and to apply for the role please click the link below.

(Closing Date: Friday 21st October 2022)

A place where history meets progress

Chief Executive

£150-£160K with more available for an exceptional candidate.

Located in the heart of the Thames Valley, our borough is rich in areas of natural beauty, green space and waterways. Distinct towns and villages, each with their own identity and character, with excellent transport links with the nearby M4 or M3, and Crossrail which provides fast connections to London and beyond for our residents. We have a thriving tourism destination in Windsor with major attractions including historic Windsor Castle and Legoland. Ascot is home to the world-famous Ascot Racecourse while Maidenhead hosts our newly built Braywick Leisure Centre and is undergoing an exciting regeneration programme in and around the town centre.

Our vision of “Creating a sustainable borough of opportunity and innovation” is central to all that we do. We are proud of what we have achieved, but we also know there is more to be done. Our Corporate Plan crystallises focus on where we need to drive change including tackling climate change, providing quality infrastructure and improving housing affordability. As an organisation, we need to continue service transformation, to deliver better services to our residents, at the same time as balancing our budgets and our resources. We need to support our residents through cost of living rises, and to strengthen our approach to preventing inequalities by building on strong partnerships with our communities. This is an exciting time to join with the opportunity to lead and guide us through the next stages of our journey.

As our new Chief Executive, you will bring high levels of community focus, energy, commercial nous and entrepreneurialism. You will possess excellent stakeholder management and strategic partnering capabilities and be politically astute. Your leadership and strong track record of delivery will speak for itself. If you are seeking the opportunity to work with a progressive and ambitious local authority, which places great emphasis on doing what’s right for all its communities, we want to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Rob Naylor on 07922 417550 or Ben Cox on 07809 374692.

Closing date: 21st October 2022

To download the candidate pack, click apply now.

Worcestershire County Council

Director of Public Health

Salary up to £112,242 (which includes an 18% responsibility allowance)

At Worcestershire County Council, our main goal is to ensure that Worcestershire is a fantastic place in which to live and work. Our philosophy is based around our People Values, which focus on putting our customers at the heart of everything we do, being proactive to achieve excellence, and having the courage to make constructive change.

Join us in this vital role and you’ll provide the leadership to drive improvements in the wellbeing of the residents of Worcestershire, work to reduce inequalities in health outcomes, and protect local communities from threats to their health through infectious diseases, environmental and other public health hazards.

Reporting directly to our Chief Executive you’ll contribute to the operational leadership and management of the Council to ensure there is coherence in delivering our ambition. You’ll be responsible for the development and implementation of corporate policies, procedures and strategies to support efficiency savings, flexibility, change and continuous improvement. Delivering identified outcomes within available resources and executing plans effectively and efficiently, we’ll also expect you to provide well-judged guidance to elected members, and act as an expert adviser to the Council and Chief Executive.

Your other responsibilities will be many and varied, and include creating a culture of accountability and delivery, challenging the status quo, taking a relentless approach to implementing solutions, and developing strategies that enable Worcestershire to strengthen its position as a great place to live and work.

You’ll be included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List or UK Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists and be able to demonstrate a high level of expertise in the Faculty of Public Health Competencies. A highly effective and visible leader, with the personal vision and presence to inspire and empower the Council to improve and achieve its key objectives, we’ll also expect you to be a moderniser with clear customer focus and an understanding of our approach to delivery.

Superb people management and communication skills are vital, as is the ability to strike an effective balance between direction, empowerment and assertiveness. Capable of working effectively in a political environment and building productive relationships with elected members, you’ll have a tactful and diplomatic approach to your work while being able to challenge constructively and deal with conflict.

Resilient and calm under pressure, and able to balance conflicting priorities, we’ll also look for the highest standards of personal integrity, and a genuine commitment to our equalities agenda.

For an informal discussion please contact Nick Raper at Penna on 07715 690463. For more information please visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/executiverecruitment to apply for this role please click the link below.

Closing date for applications: Monday 24th October

Worcestershire County Council

Assistant Director for Legal & Governance

Salary up to £104,731 (which includes a 10% responsibility allowance for the role of Monitoring Officer)

At Worcestershire County Council, our main goal is to ensure that Worcestershire is a fantastic place in which to live and work. Our philosophy is based around our People Values, which focus on putting our customers at the heart of everything we do, being proactive to achieve excellence, and having the courage to make constructive change.

Our ambitious, business-minded corporate strategic plan is set. Now we’re building a bold Chief Officer Group to deliver a wide-ranging organisational redesign that will improve lives all across the county long into the future.

Such a far-reaching and decisive change programme carries with it significant legal and governance considerations. And this is where this vital role comes into its own. You’ll act as the Council’s principal legal advisor and monitoring officer and oversee the delivery of our legal and governance services, making sure excellent results are achieved through a clear constitutional framework. We’ll also look to you to fulfil the role of County Returning Officer, as well as delivering both democratic and overview and scrutiny services.

A qualified solicitor or barrister (entitled to practise in England and Wales), you’ll bring impressive experience in a similar environment. Proven strategic leadership is a must, as is an extensive track record of working with local government or public sector statutory and regulatory frameworks, and constitutional and administrative law.  

On a personal level, you’ll need the credibility and communication skills to shape, own and drive strategy. You’ll be an agile thinker with a business brain, a professional able to create and articulate a vision, and an energetic all-rounder passionate about delivering results and leading change.

In return, you can look forward to an excellent rewards package and the opportunity to live in one of the UK’s most attractive and well-connected regions.

For an informal discussion please contact Nick Raper at Penna on 07715 690463. For more information please visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/executiverecruitment to apply for this role please click the link below.

Closing date for applications: Monday 24th October

‘A Brighter Future for the  Children and Young People of Reading

Director of Children’s Services, Education & Early Help

Salary c£140k

Reading

Reading’s 40,000 children and young people are at the heart of everything we do. As our  new statutory Director of Children’s Services you will be the leader we are looking for to set the pace for delivering their brighter futures.

Reading is a thriving unitary council in the heart of Berkshire, serving a population of 174,000.  It is a vibrant and growing borough with a buoyant economy, excellent transport links, good schools and exciting opportunities for our residents.

In December 2018, a new company, Brighter Futures for Children was established by Reading Borough Council to develop and deliver outstanding children’s services and ensure that Reading’s most vulnerable children and families receive the support they need and deserve. Significant work over the past four years is now being recognised with well-deserved positive inspections for our SEND and Fostering services – which now need to be replicated across all our services.

As the statutory DCS working across both the Council and the Company you will have responsibility for the whole portfolio of children’s services, including children’s social care, education and early help, and you will lead and embed the specific improvements and quality-driven changes needed to deliver consistently good social care practice and ensure that these are recognised in upcoming inspections.

You will be employed by the Council but seconded for 80% of your time to the Company. As an executive director on the Company Board, and a member of the Council’s Corporate Management Team, you will have the opportunity to influence across the wider agenda including strategic partnerships, housing, community and place shaping.     

An accomplished senior leader with proven transformation experience within children’s services, you will be outcome focused, with a strong record of embedding consistently good social care practice, workforce stability and innovation.

You will have the skills to shape the opportunities offered by the Company approach and working closely with the Company Board, elected members and colleagues in both the Council and Company’s senior leadership teams, provide the leadership to deliver on our vision and ambition for the children and young people of Reading.

For more information on this role, please click 'Apply' to download a candidate pack

For a confidential conversation please contact : Maggie Hennessy 07877 004 648, Andrew Tromans 07805 226 301 or Carol Coyle 07500 887 849.

Closing date for applications: Monday 17 October 2022

Corporate Director of Customer Strategy & Digital Channels

London Borough of Waltham Forest

£120,978 - £127,235 p.a.

At Waltham Forest Council, we’re always looking for ways to serve our communities in the very best way. This means understanding their needs for today and tomorrow and delivering services that are transformative, adaptable and enhanced in value for all our communities.  Communities are no longer static; people live in an ever-changing environment and we want to create channels that are agile enough to meet our residents needs. That’s why we’re taking the important step of creating a new Corporate Director post for Customer Strategy and Digital Channels.  The aim is to listen more attentively to our residents and provide them with the high-quality, easy-to-use services they need.

As our Corporate Director of Customer Strategy & Digital Channels, you’ll be at the forefront of this organisational transformation, directing us away from traditional processes to more modern ways of working while putting customers at the heart of everything we do.

Personalisation will be a key area for you to address. What more can we do to help our customers self-serve? How can we automate simple interactions, so we can free up resources to focus on people with the most complex needs? You’ll also be the strategic lead for all customer interactions, ensuring positive behaviours are modelled across the entire range of council services.

The role calls for an experienced senior manager who knows how to deliver major, sustainable change across a complex organisation. You’ll be comfortable with financial management and   managing a wide range of activities across diverse areas of professional expertise.

You will be responsible for creating and driving organisational transformation in terms of our approach to the customer, and act as a champion and voice of the resident in the Council. You will confidently lead our journey away from traditional processes to more modern ways of working, including leadership of the digital service provision, and you’ll be a champion for council residents, listening and responding to them on issues big and small.

You will be a strategic high-profile lead on all customer interactions across the entire range of council services, you will influence and enthuse senior managers on this agenda; and set and enable high standards for customer contact across the Council. You will directly manage our digital innovation and digital strategy teams, libraries, and registrars whilst leading on resident driven service design and ensuring the customer experience is central to all council interactions.

Given the considerable influence of this role, we’re looking for someone who’s already proven themselves at senior-management level with a track record of delivery and has developed and introduced effective customer experience strategies to support a corporate vision. This will have been gained ideally in a local authority or public service customer centric organisation.

You will ideally have good political acumen, excellent negotiation and relationship-building skills and be highly resilient, especially while working under pressure and at pace. You’ll be confident leading multi-disciplinary teams, delivering service improvements and driving organisational change, you’ll know what it takes to make things happen and put innovative solutions into practice.

For more information, please visit https://www.walthamforestforall.com/ or for a confidental conversation please contact Sandra Jones on Sandra.jones@penna.com or 07752 461763 or Dawar Hashmi on Dawar.Hashmi@penna.com  / 07513 706265 or Julie Towers on Julie.Towers@penna.com / 07764 791 736.  

To Apply for this role, please click the below.

(Closing date: 19th October 2022)

Inner Circle Consulting  - “ Reimagining the Public Sector”

Directors and Managing Consultants

In joining Inner Circle Consulting you’ll be part of a great team in a growing company with a reputation for setting new standards in whatever we do.

• You’ll have opportunities to grow your skills, knowledge and reputation You’ll work on a wide variety of knotty problems for clients in the public and private sectors

• You will have the opportunity to work with some of the best minds in the industry

• You’ll be well rewarded with a range of company benefits

We are constantly on the lookout for talented, diverse, collaborative people to join our growing team based on Bermondsey Street in London.

Becoming a member of our team means you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to an ambitious, award winning organisation and work across our varied portfolio of public and private sector projects while making a difference to businesses, communities and the economic landscape.

We like people that are tenacious, creative and who always act with integrity. If that sounds like you and  you  have a grounding in some of the sectors we work in, we would like to hear from you.  

For more information and to arrange an informal discussion about working with us, please contact : Pete John on pete.john@penna.com ( 07701 305617) or Eva Tomka eva.tomka@penna.com  (07513 482048) or Roger Russell roger.russell@penna.com (07710 701570)

Chief of Staff

Salary: £Competitive | Kent County Council (Hybrid-working with Maidstone base.)

A fantastic opportunity to accelerate your career by gaining a breadth of experience in a newly-created senior role, in one of the largest local authorities in the country

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive, and working closely with the most senior members of the council’s SMT, you will work with senior stakeholders, local authority partners, as well as other national organisations and government departments.

Focusing on the Council’s strategic priorities you will be tasked with:

• Defining the significant issues facing Local Authorities and public sector organisations and ensuring that  the council can deploy the necessary capacity and capability to deliver effective solutions.

• Developing and managing influential relationships, at the highest levels, with a range of internal and external stakeholders and partners.

• Project Management – taking the lead on significant projects on behalf of the Chief Executive.

Through forward-planning and stakeholder-management, you will be a catalyst for the Chief Executive and the council’s senior team, significantly enhancing the council’s ability to influence, set the agenda, transform services, and deliver improved outcomes for Kent and the county’s residents.

Kent County Council

This is a great time to join Kent – a great county to live in, with excellent schools, vibrant cities, golden beaches and stunning countryside. As the largest county council in the country, Kent is a very large canvas and there is a real opportunity to make a tangible difference. And as this is a newly-created role, there’s scope for you to make the role what you want it to be. There is genuinely no better place to deliver great services, make a difference, and enjoy yourself whilst developing your career.

Candidates

This role calls for experience of working in large and complex organisations, with colleagues, stakeholders and partners at the highest levels. The ability to operate in ambiguous situations, providing a combination of support and challenge to colleagues working with competing priorities and opposing views will be required for success.

Next Steps

If you are looking for a fantastic opportunity to accelerate your career by gaining a breadth of experience in a newly-created senior role, in one of the largest local authorities in the country, we want to hear from you. Contact Andrew Tromans on 07805 226 301 / andrew.tromans@penna.com for a confidential conversation.

Click 'Apply' to download a Job description

Follow this link to read a welcome letter for this role from David Cockburn, Chief Executive of Kent County Council: https://jobs.kent.gov.uk/were-recruiting/chief-of-staff

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to participate in enhanced pre-employment screening undertaken by the County Council.

Applications Deadline: 12th October 2022.

Preliminary Interviews: 17th/ 18th October 2022.

Final Interviews: 27th / 28th October 2022 in Maidstone, Kent (in-person).

Operational Director Safeguarding Partnerships and Strategy

Salary up to £135,047

Brent is a vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline. As one of the UK’s most distinctive boroughs, our long and proud history of ethnic and cultural diversity has created a truly unique place that is valued by all those who live, work and visit here.

We’re looking for people who are passionate about and experienced in delivering outstanding social care and education focused services for children and young people and shaping the future of our organisation as a whole. An inspiring, engaging and motivational leader who’ll live and breathe our values, you’ll be adept at identifying and developing talent, driving high standards, value for money and embedding a culture of trust and respect. You’ll empower people within your team to bring new ideas and try new approaches as well inspiring them through your own.

You should also be a natural collaborator – someone who can work well with a range of stakeholders, establish productive relationships and see things from different perspectives.

If you want to find out more about this role and to apply, please visit: https://futurebrent.com/

For a confidential discussion about this role, contact Priyesh Bhadressa on 07548 108 176 or email: Priyesh.Bhadressa@Penna.com

Closing Date: 10th October 2022

Operational Director, Integration and Improved Outcomes

Salary up to £135,047

Brent is a vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline. As one of the UK’s most distinctive boroughs, our long and proud history of ethnic and cultural diversity has created a truly unique place that is valued by all those who live, work and visit here.

We’re looking for people who are passionate about and experienced in delivering outstanding social care and education focused services for children and young people and shaping the future of our organisation as a whole. An inspiring, engaging and motivational leader who’ll live and breathe our values, you’ll be adept at identifying and developing talent, driving high standards, value for money and embedding a culture of trust and respect. You’ll empower people within your team to bring new ideas and try new approaches as well inspiring them through your own.

You should also be a natural collaborator – someone who can work well with a range of stakeholders, establish productive relationships and see things from different perspectives.

This role includes responsibility for social work practice leadership.

If you want to find out more about this role and to apply, please visit: https://futurebrent.com/

For a confidential discussion about this role, contact Priyesh Bhadressa on 07548 108 176 or email: Priyesh.Bhadressa@Penna.com

Closing Date: 10th October 2022

Executive Director of Finance and Resources (S151 Officer)

Up to £159k plus relocation assistance

Cambridgeshire is a county of real contrasts.  We’re known on the global stage for being the home of a world-class university, as a hub for research and innovation in technology and in life sciences.  We’re also a rural and agricultural county, rich with market towns, villages and parishes.  It’s this diversity and contrast and also means we need to work harder to ensure more of our communities share in the benefits and opportunities that our knowledge led economy creates. As a County Council, we’re committed to creating a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire for everyone. And now, we’re looking for you to help drive and direct that vision to become a reality.

As Executive Director of Finance and Resources, you’ll lead and advise upon our financial strategy and planning, procurement, commercial development and property services. In this highly influential and vital role, you’ll also lead the Council’s digital transformation and customer contact services, as well as providing shared financial services to several partner authorities. What’s more, looking strategically at our long-term financial sustainability, you’ll help reform our services, as well as exploring options to generate future funding.

So, it’s no surprise that you’ll need to be an experienced, strategic local government finance leader, ready to reach beyond your professional background. You’ll have a proven track record developing and delivering strategic financial advice and services and implementing business and budgetary frameworks in a complex and changing environment. But above all, you’ll have excellent leadership skills and behaviours, essential to leading a confident and high performing directorate of professionals.

For more information, please visit https://www.leadingcambridgeshire.com or call Ali Tasker on 07514 728 114 for a confidential conversation.

Closing date: Monday 10th October 2022

Executive Director of Place and Sustainability

Up to £159k plus relocation assistance

Cambridgeshire is a county of real contrasts.  We’re known on the global stage for being the home of a world-class university, as a hub for research and innovation in technology and in life sciences.  We’re also a rural and agricultural county, rich with market towns, villages, and parishes.  It’s this diversity and contrast and also means we need to work harder to ensure more of our communities share in the benefits and opportunities that our knowledge led economy creates. As a County Council, we’re committed to creating a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire for everyone. And now, we’re looking for you to help drive and direct that vision to become a reality.

As Executive Director of Place and Sustainability, you’ll be responsible for leading a range of the Council’s universal services focussing upon improving the connectivity of the county, both physically and digitally.  You’ll also have a key role in working with our partners in areas such as planning and community safety, as well as ensuring our critical regulatory services are well delivered.  Importantly though, you’ll champion our response to climate change, sustainability and becoming carbon net-zero, as a place and as an organisation.  In this exciting, influential and strategic role you’ll be at the heart of working with politicians, partners and making decisions that will shape the future of our county.  You’ll providing clear, compelling and inspiring leadership while contributing to the delivery of the Council’s vision and strategic priorities.

It should be no surprise that you’ll need to have extensive experience delivering environment and infrastructure programmes, and successfully negotiating a wide range of service and corporate issues. You’ll also have a proven track record of working with and influencing regional and national policy, including funding allocations, to benefit our local priorities. But above all, you’ll have excellent leadership skills and behaviours, essential to leading a confident and high performing directorate of professionals.

For more information, please visit https://www.leadingcambridgeshire.com or call Rob Naylor on 07922 417 550 for a confidential conversation.

Closing date: Monday 10th October 2022

Service Director: Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer)

Up to £122k plus relocation support

Cambridgeshire is a county of real contrasts.  We’re known on the global stage for being the home of a world-class university, as a hub for research and innovation in technology and in life sciences.  We’re also a rural and agricultural county, rich with market towns, villages, and parishes.  It’s this diversity and contrast and also means we need to work harder to ensure more of our communities share in the benefits and opportunities that our knowledge led economy creates. As a County Council, we’re committed to creating a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire for everyone. And now, we’re looking for you to help drive and direct that vision to become a reality.

As Service Director: Legal and Governance and our statutory monitoring officer, you’ll be responsible for leading our democratic and member services, internal audit, risk management and information governance teams, aligning their work fully to the Council’s strategic priorities. You’ll work directly with our elected members, across all parties, and will support the development and improvement of our democratic arrangements, transparency and openness and the creation of a high performing governance framework.  You’ll also manage and direct our legal services provision, through the relationship with our arm’s length company that provides our legal advice and maximise the benefits to the Council from this arrangement.

A qualified and currently practicing legal professional, you’ll need to have extensive experience of leading a range of corporate governance functions. You’ll ideally be a current Monitoring Officer of Deputy Monitoring Officer looking for your next step up and able to take a holistic approach to organisational governance.  Working closely with our Chief Executive and Executive Director of Finance and Resources, you’ll be a core member of our Corporate Leadership Team.  To be successful, you’ll need a proven track record contributing to the development and leadership of a well led, effective public body, managing risk well, upholding the law and ensuring the effective stewardship of public funds. But above all, you’ll have excellent leadership skills and behaviours, essential to leading a confident and high performing group of professionals.

For more information, please visit https://www.leadingcambridgeshire.com or call Aaron Thomas on 07709 505 403 for a confidential conversation.

Closing date: Monday 10th October 2022

Service Director: Policy and Communities

Up to £122k plus relocation support

Cambridgeshire is a county of real contrasts.  We’re known on the global stage for being the home of a world-class university, as a hub for research and innovation in technology and in life sciences.  We’re also a rural and agricultural county, rich with market towns, villages and parishes.  It’s this diversity and contrast and also means we need to work harder to ensure more of our communities share in the benefits and opportunities that our knowledge led economy creates. As a County Council, we’re committed to creating a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire for everyone. And now, we’re looking for you to help drive and direct that vision to become a reality.

As Service Director: Policy and Communities, you’ll lead our policy and strategy design, development, and implementation, working across Council services and collaboratively with our partners.  This is a role that will place you at the centre of our organisation and our local system.  Bringing intellectual rigour and an insight led approach, you’ll shape our policy, programme management and business intelligence functions to benefit of both the council and the county.

However, this rewarding role is about so much more than crafting our corporate policies, it’s also about bringing them to life and their practical implementation. As such, you’ll lead our community facing services such as libraries and adult skills, bringing us closer to the people we are here to serve and connecting us more closely to our communities.  You’ll also focus on resilience and business continuity with a lead role in supporting our emergency planning arrangements.

To take on this compelling role, you’ll need to have extensive experience working within a senior leadership role where you’ve been part of developing and implementing public policy and strategies. And you’ll be confident working with stakeholders and partners to ensure interventions are rigorous, evidence based and deliverable. But above all, you’ll have excellent leadership skills and behaviours, essential to leading a confident and high performing group of diverse professionals.

For more information, please visit https://www.leadingcambridgeshire.com or call Priyesh Bhadressa on 07548 108 176 for a confidential conversation.

Closing date: Monday 10th October 2022

Head of Quality Assurance and Practice (Principal Social Worker)

Salary : £74,902

This is us. This is Hertfordshire.

With a reputation for delivering high quality, high performing services, Hertfordshire County Council is challenging expectations and applying innovative approaches to support a highly diverse community where every single child matters. As the birthplace of the Family Safeguarding approach, our Children’s Services are well placed to respond to the Review of Children’s Social Care.  Following successful promotions and internal career development moves, we’ve got three Head of Service opportunities in our Children’s Service for leaders who are passionate about children and families,  have the skills to nurture our talented and valued workforce and can look to the future in order to serve an amazing, growing and diverse community.

We are looking for an experienced, accountable social work leader with detailed working knowledge of children’s legislation and a proven track record of leading change.  In this role, you will be responsible for driving performance and practice improvements by leading and coordinating key aspects of our quality assurance framework. As the County Council’s Principal Child and Family Social Worker, you will play a key role in the continual improvement of services to children and families within the Council and multi-agency partnership, and the constructive scrutiny of standards of professional practice.

For a confidential discussion, please contact our retained consultants at Penna, Carol Coyle on 07500 887849 or email: carol.coyle@penna.com or Helen Alwell on 07809 905467 or email: helen.alwell@penna.com

For further information and to apply please visit: https://hertfordshirerecruitment.com/

Closing Date for Applications: 9:00am on Monday 10th September 2022

Head of Assessment – Children’s Social Care

Salary : £74,902

This is us. This is Hertfordshire.

With a reputation for delivering high quality, high performing services, Hertfordshire County Council is challenging expectations and applying innovative approaches to support a highly diverse community where every single child matters. As the birthplace of the Family Safeguarding approach, our Children’s Services are well placed to respond to the Review of Children’s Social Care.  Following successful promotions and internal career development moves, we’ve got three Head of Service opportunities in our Children’s Service for leaders who are passionate about children and families,  have the skills to nurture our talented and valued workforce and can look to the future in order to serve an amazing, growing and diverse community.

We are looking for a senior social work leader, with a flair for sustaining collaborative partnerships and a keen eye for details who will lead the operational, partnership and strategic delivery of a safe and effective countywide front door and children’s social work assessment service. You will need to work collaboratively with the senior leadership team, our staff and partners across the local children’s partnership to ensure Hertfordshire’s vulnerable children receive the help and protection they need be safe and achieve their potential. You will also be a key representative in our local safeguarding partnership co-producing multi-agency practice and taking forward learning and best practice.

For a confidential discussion, please contact our retained consultants at Penna, Carol Coyle on 07500 887849 or email: carol.coyle@penna.com or Helen Alwell on 07809 905467 or email: helen.alwell@penna.com

For further information and to apply please visit: https://hertfordshirerecruitment.com/

Closing Date for Applications: 9:00am on Monday 10th October 2022

Head of Commissioning Children Looked After and Safeguarding  

Salary : £74,902

This is us. This is Hertfordshire.

With a reputation for delivering high quality, high performing services, Hertfordshire County Council is challenging expectations and applying innovative approaches to support a highly diverse community where every single child matters. As the birthplace of the Family Safeguarding approach, our Children’s Services are well placed to respond to the Review of Children’s Social Care.  Following successful promotions and internal career development moves, we’ve got three Head of Service opportunities in our Children’s Service for leaders who are passionate about children and families,  have the skills to nurture our talented and valued workforce and can look to the future in order to serve an amazing, growing and diverse community.

We are looking for an effective senior social work leader, who is adept at building and managing successful partnerships and has experience of commissioning effective services. The ideal candidate will be able to strategically assess current and future service needs, build sufficiency of provision and manage the workflow of a large commissioning portfolio for our Children Looked After and Safeguarding Services across Hertfordshire. With a demonstratable commitment to improving outcomes for children and families, you will work within the requirements of national legislation and guidance to manage the efficient delivery of high quality, high performing, cost effective support services and placements to children, young people, carers and their families.  

For a confidential discussion, please contact our retained consultants at Penna, Carol Coyle on 07500 887849 or email: carol.coyle@penna.com or Helen Alwell on 07809 905467 or email: helen.alwell@penna.com

For further information and to apply please visit: https://hertfordshirerecruitment.com/

Closing Date for Applications: 9:00am on Monday 10th October 2022

Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council

Executive Director (Place)

Up to £104,271 per annum plus relocation package (pay award pending)

West Norfolk is a wonderfully diverse borough, with stunning beaches, historic market towns, picturesque villages and farmland but with a range of social and economic challenges which create great opportunities for improving our environment and the lives of our communities. We need to ensure we meet the housing and employment needs of future generations by encouraging development and growth across the borough, but at the same time balance this with the need to retain and respect the heritage of the area.

We are looking for a new Executive Director to lead on the development of the Council’s growth and regeneration plans.  This role requires an experienced strategic leader with a track record of delivery who can bring a clear vision for our market towns of King’s Lynn, Downham Market and Hunstanton, and our more rural and coastal areas.  You will work with Elected Members, key stakeholders and partners to secure inward investment that will deliver economic growth, environmental benefits and social value.  As well as our existing programme of regeneration and housing projects there are a range of new opportunities for this role to manage in relation to Towns Fund and Shared Prosperity Fund and the Levelling Up Agenda.

As an existing senior manager, you will have a proven track record of working successfully in a local authority or other complex government related organisation and demonstrable experience of strategy development, planning and policy formulation around major regeneration and economic development programmes.  This will be supported by a relevant degree or full professional qualification and membership of a professional body appropriate for the role.  Experience of managing large scale capital and regeneration projects and programmes and an understanding of how to maximise opportunities for growth and investment are also essential for the role.

Now is a fantastic time to join the Council to lead and help us deliver our place shaping initiatives to transform and regenerate west Norfolk. If you have the passion, vision, and drive to deliver better outcomes for our communities across our diverse range of settings and help us to make west Norfolk a place where people want to live, work, invest and visit we would love to hear from you.

For more information, please contact Amin Aziz on 07709 514 141 / email: Amin.Aziz@penna.com

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday 9th October 2022

To download the candidate pack click apply now.

Principal Educational Psychologist

Salary up to £70,803 ( including 3 SPA’s)  / Hybrid working with Shrewsbury base

Shropshire Council is seeking a creative and inspiring Principal Educational Psychologist

The Role

Now is a fantastic time to join Shropshire’s newly formed People’s Directorate to shape their educational psychology services for the future. In a supportive Learning and Achievement Directorate you will have the opportunity to expand the impact that psychology has across a range of areas in the authority, including supporting projects in children’s social care.

You’ll head-up a team of committed educational psychologists who are already leading a diverse range of projects from Emotional Literacy Support through to Trauma-Informed Practice and who have a positive balance of work that does not focus overly on statutory work.

Through delivering some key initiatives you’ll ensure that we are well-placed to maximise the positive impact that we can have:

• Reviewing and optimizing the educational psychology business model

• Ensuring that we’re supporting students with SEND as we come out of the pandemic

• Responding to changes in legislation

Candidates

This is a superb opportunity for an educational psychologist to lead the strategic development of Shropshire’s EPS and be an integral part of a new leadership team.

We are open to current Principal Educational Psychologists looking for an interesting lateral move into an ambitious and dynamic authority; and we’re also very supportive of applicants who are looking to take a step-up into their first role at this level.

The role is challenging yet rewarding and offers the opportunity to make a significant positive impact on the lives of children and young people with SEND, and to make Shropshire one of the best places in the UK to grow up.

Further information about our service can be found at

EPS website: https://www.shropshirelg.net/services/educational-psychology-service/

EPS brochure: https://www.shropshirelg.net/media/801172/Educational-Psychology-Service-Brochure-September-2022-August-2023.pdf

Next Steps

If you would like to hear more, please contact Helen Alwell at Penna on 07809 905 467 or via helen.alwell@penna.com to arrange a confidential conversation or visit: https://futureshropshire.com/

Strategy, Policy and Communications Director

Competitive salary: Circa £99k to £118k pa – pay award pending

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Owing to an internal reorganisation of the senior management structure, an exciting opportunity has arisen at Transport for the North (TfN) for a Strategy, Policy and Communications Director.

TfN is the UK’s first sub-national transport body. We bring the North’s Local Transport Authorities and business leaders together, enabling our region to speak with one voice on the transport infrastructure investment needed to drive transformational growth and rebalance the UK economy. Our vision is of a thriving North of England, where world class transport supports sustainable economic growth, excellent quality of life and improved opportunities for all.

We are looking to recruit a high calibre individual who can drive and deliver TfN’s priorities and pan-northern strategic transport planning, and ensure that the outputs from the Strategy, Policy and Communications teams are fully integrated into the on-going development, update and delivery of TfN’s long term goals and objectives. You will also be involved in communicating TfN’s strategic plans ensuring high levels of awareness and engagement.

The successful candidate will have a strong track record in policy development and strategic planning, as well as a track record in managing and commissioning technical analysis services.  In addition to the candidate will have an excellent understanding of working in complex public sector environments. The candidate will foster productive working relationships with all TfN’s partners, delivery agencies and third-party service providers necessary to support and deliver TfN’s strategy, programmes and project requirements. With responsibility for TfN’s Technical Assurance, Modelling and Evaluation (TAME) team, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop TfN’s offer to support its partners (regionally and nationally).

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, this role offers an opportunity to help take the organisation to the next stage as:

• A regional source of excellence and best practice on transport planning and policy

• A trusted information source which creates a wealth of data for use locally, regionally and nationally

• A thought leader with a long-term, ambitious vision for the North of England

Above all, you must be action oriented – this role is about providing strong, visible and collective leadership, delivering TfN’s strategic objectives and embedding real change to achieve the ambitions of economic growth for the North.  

If this sounds like you, then we would very much like to hear from you.  

This year the Levelling Up agenda has progressed from a vision to a series of missions and TfN will be looking to align its work with these missions to grasp the once-in-a-generation opportunities that this presents for our region.  

What's on offer for the successful applicant

Competitive base salary depending on experience, coupled with an excellent benefits package, and fantastic degree of flexible working which will see you work remotely, with a requirement to regularly work from our offices in Manchester.

For further information please visit our https://transportforthenorthleaders.com/ or for an informal discussion about this exciting role, please contact:  Pete John on 07701 305617 or via pete.john@penna.com or Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 or via kelly.ridley@penna.com.

Closing date: 12 Noon, Thursday 29 September 2022

Final interviews: Monday 31 October 2022

Candidates wishing to apply for this role on a secondment basis of up to two years will be considered.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. We are particularly keen to encourage applications from women, members of ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities who are currently under-represented. As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, all applications will be considered on their merit.

Want to know more about TfN, then visit us on our website or look at our Twitter page or find us on LinkedIn or on Instagram.

Finance Director

Competitive salary: Circa £99k to £118k pa – pay award pending

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Owing to an internal reorganisation of the senior management structure, an exciting opportunity has arisen at Transport for the North (TfN) for a Finance Director.

TfN is the UK’s first sub-national transport body. We bring the North’s Local Transport Authorities and business leaders together, enabling our region to speak with one voice on the transport infrastructure investment needed to drive transformational growth and rebalance the UK economy. Our vision is of a thriving North of England, where world class transport supports sustainable economic growth, excellent quality of life and improved opportunities for all.

Who we are looking for

The Finance Director is a pivotal member within our leadership team and plays a critical role in driving the achievement of TfN’s vision. You will report directly to the Chief Executive and oversee the day-to-day management of our Finance, Risk and Procurement functions, providing recommendations to senior management that will guide decision-making on matters affecting the strategic direction of TfN.

You will act as the TfN’s designated S151 Chief Financial Officer ensuring compliance with all statutory requirements including local government and central government financial management and accounting requirements. The postholder is also TfN’s designated Senior Information Risk Officer (SIRO).

As well as being able to persuade and influence at all levels, the successful candidate will be resilient, adaptable, agile, with excellent problem solving and decision-making skills.

If this sounds like you, then we would very much like to hear from you.

This year the Levelling Up agenda has progressed from a vision to a series of missions and TfN will be looking to align its work with these missions to grasp the once-in-a-generation opportunities that this presents for our region.

What's on offer for the successful applicant

Competitive base salary depending on experience, coupled with an excellent benefits package, and fantastic degree of flexible working which will see you work remotely, with a requirement to regularly work from our offices in Manchester.

For further information please visit our https://transportforthenorthleaders.com/ or for an informal discussion about this exciting role, please contact:  Pete John on 07701 305617 or via pete.john@penna.com or Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 or via kelly.ridley@penna.com.

Closing date: 12 Noon, Thursday 29 September 2022

Final interviews: Wednesday 2 November 2022

Candidates wishing to apply for this role on a secondment basis of up to two years will be considered.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. We are particularly keen to encourage applications from women, members of ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities who are currently under-represented. As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, all applications will be considered on their merit.

Want to know more about TfN, then visit us on our website or look at our Twitter page or find us on LinkedIn or on Instagram.

Rail and Roads Director

Competitive salary: Circa £120k to £140k pa – pay award pending

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Owing to an internal reorganisation of the senior management structure, an exciting opportunity has arisen at Transport for the North (TfN) for a Rail and Roads Director.

TfN is the UK’s first sub-national transport body. We bring the North’s Local Transport Authorities and business leaders together, enabling our region to speak with one voice on the transport infrastructure investment needed to drive transformational growth and rebalance the UK economy. Our vision is of a thriving North of England, where world class transport supports sustainable economic growth, excellent quality of life and improved opportunities for all.

Who we are looking for

We are looking to recruit a strategic leader to build strong and inclusive partnerships and support in the development and implementation of an integrated approach to pan-Northern strategic transport planning. The post holder will also provide leadership, direction and drive efficiencies across our Rail, Roads and Legal teams.

You will act as the designated deputy for TfN’s Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) ensuring the on-going effective leadership and governance of the organisation in their absence, as well as being the lead officer for TfN on the NPR Co-sponsors’ Board and the Rail North Partnership.

The successful candidate will directly report to the Chief Executive and participate in the work of other work-streams, in order to ensure that the activities and outputs from TfN’s Rail and Roads teams are integrated as part of the Strategic Transport Plan – which outlines the need for investment in transport across the North and identifies the priority areas for improved connectivity – and to ensure that solutions are complementary to each other.

We’re looking for an individual who stimulates innovation, enriches debate and discussion and advocates a fact-based approach to developing long-term strategies to achieve the best outcomes for TfN and our region.

If this sounds like you, then we would very much like to hear from you.

This year the Levelling Up agenda has progressed from a vision to a series of missions and TfN will be looking to align its work with these missions to grasp the once-in-a-generation opportunities that this presents for our region.

What's on offer for the successful applicants

Competitive base salary depending on experience, coupled with an excellent benefits package, and fantastic degree of flexible working which will see you work remotely, with a requirement to regularly work from our offices in Manchester.

For further information please visit our https://transportforthenorthleaders.com/ or for an informal discussion about this exciting role, please contact: Pete John on 07701 305617 or via pete.john@penna.com or Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 or via kelly.ridley@penna.com

Closing date: 12 Noon, Thursday 29 September 2022

Final interviews: Wednesday 26 October 2022

Candidates wishing to apply for this role on a secondment basis of up to two years will be considered.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. We are particularly keen to encourage applications from women, members of ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities who are currently under-represented. As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, all applications will be considered on their merit.

Want to know more about TfN, then visit us on our website or look at our Twitter page or find us on LinkedIn or on Instagram.

Rotherham Council

Assistant Director of Housing

Salary: £91,558 (more for exceptional candidate)

More Big Hearts More Big Changes!

There is no better time to join us as we’re rightly recognised as the LGC Most Improved Council 2022 and our Children’s Care Services go from strength to strength, recently recognised by Ofsted as “good across the board”. We also have the passion and commitment, underlined by our strong moral purpose, to continue to drive through our affordable homes programme, putting Rotherham on the map for all the right reasons.

With over 20,000 homes we want to grow and continue to provide the right kind of sustainable homes where our interventions are just as important as the many new homes we build. This role is central to our success, and you will lead and develop our Housing strategy as part of our wider aspirational and progressive Rotherham Plan, reinforcing our senior stakeholder relationships across our interdependent council services. We are committed to building a place where opportunity is extended to everyone, where people can grow, flourish, and prosper, and where no one is left behind’.

You’ll strengthen our corporate culture of openness and transparency and like us be striving towards excellence. Working at the core of our Housing offer, with and across all Directorates, you’ll think bigger and be bolder. Our plans are to now build on the firm foundations already made and at scale, this is the exciting time to be here engaging both your heart and mind, to take both your career and  us even further.

If you want to flourish in an innovative and honest straight forward culture, growing and leading on  managing change to improve the outcomes for the people of Rotherham we would love to hear from you.

Please visit https://youtu.be/zC9z1VpTbUg to listen to Ian Spicer - Strategic Director Adult Care, Housing & Public Health outline his thoughts.

For an informal discussion contact Pete John on 07701 305617 and pete.john@penna.com or Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 and kelly.ridley@penna.com.

To find out more please click 'Apply' to download our candidate pack an Job Description.

Closing date for Applications: Friday 30th September 2022

Head of Data

You’ll be responsible for developing and delivering FSCS’s Data Strategy to help us achieve our ambitious strategic objectives

You’ll oversee data product development, architecture, engineering, management information reporting and data governance across FSCS. Leading on our infrastructure, data, methods, and team to inform everything from our strategy to our results, You’ll build an outstanding data-driven culture, that experiments, plays and gets results. As one of our senior leaders, you’ll play an important part in delivering our strategic outcomes and governance. To succeed in this exciting role, you’ll need to have technical credibility, be collaborative and innovative, have strategic vision and great leadership skills.

For more informations please visit: https://www.fscsleadershiphires.org.uk/

For further information or confidential discussion, please contact:

Claire MacLeod on claire.macLeod@penna.com or 07966 524037

Closing Date: 3rd October 2022