Leadership

• Based at Endeavour House, Ipswich IP1 2BX
• £150,000 - £160,000 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Full time, Permanent

As the Executive Director for Organisational Change and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Suffolk County Council. You will lead the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) and the LGR process, working closely with the Chief Executive, other executive directors, and senior political leadership.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development of a comprehensive, innovative, and evidence-based final business case for LGR.
• Managing and overseeing the work of external consultants with regard to LGR and devolution work programme.
• Working effectively with the cabinet member for devolution and LGR to ensure political direction shapes the programme.
• Developing and leading an effective and timely engagement plan for councillors, key partners, stakeholders, and staff.
• Ensuring appropriate governance for key decisions, cost management, and operational change.
• Developing implementation plans and leading the continued organisational change programme post-vesting day(s) to make the new unitary council(s) as productive and cost-effective as possible.

As part of the Corporate Leadership Team, you will be instrumental in driving the strategic direction and operational excellence of the council. Our team is motivated by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of Suffolk residents. We value collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to our vision for local government and public services in Suffolk. 

For more information

Please contact Tim Jermyn (he/him) for a casual conversation. You can reach him by calling 01473 260336 or emailing tim.jermyn@suffolk.gov.uk.

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments, please view the About and Benefits sections at the top of the website.

Future-focused, innovative and ambitious, at Suffolk County Council we’re solution-finders driven to deliver the best outcomes for people in Suffolk. We understand the importance of collaboration, trust and respect. By listening to and learning from each other, our partners and communities, we develop a culture of mutual respect that enables us to work together and achieve great things.

Our values

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. They underpin our approach to performance, reward, and wellbeing. They define the relationship between the council and our people.

The WE ASPIRE values set behavioural standards which reflect the quality work that we do every day. It clarifies the behaviours the council expects from everyone, regardless of who they are, what their role or grade is or where they work. This also extends to our employees who volunteer within the Council, chosen charity and or wider community.

The WE ASPIRE values were refreshed and reviewed based on the feedback and input from the employees at Suffolk County Council – it has not been shaped by a management committee. They define us and help make us outstanding at what we do.

Our Customer Commitment sits alongside and reinforces these standards further by setting out our strong commitment to serving our customers.

Our WE ASPIRE values are:

• Wellbeing: We look after ourselves, each other and the planet
• Equality: Respecting, valuing, embracing, and celebrating everyone’s unique differences
• Achieve: We are the best we can be
• Support: We work as one team
• Pride: We are passionate about making a positive different to the people and place of Suffolk
• Innovate: We believe in making every penny count, every minute matter and reducing environmental impact
• Respect: We give and earn respect
• Empower: We empower, encourage, and motivate

Our Ambitions for Suffolk

Our Ambitions for Suffolk are based on the council's objectives as laid out in our Corporate Strategy for 2022-26. Over the next four years, we will focus on ensuring Suffolk recovers socially and economically from the Covid-19 pandemic. Our ambitions will be our guide as we build back better, build back stronger, and build back greener.

• Looking after our health and wellbeing
• Strengthening our local economy
• Protecting and enhancing our environment
• Providing value for money for our residents

Our ambitions will provide a crucial foundation for our work until 2026. They are the basis for major programmes including People First, the Housing Joint Venture, Suffolk's Climate Emergency Action Plan, and our Highways New Operating Model. These are ambitious projects that seek to support our communities, keep us all connected, enhance Suffolk's biodiversity, and help us all live healthy, safe, and independent lives.

To achieve our ambitions, we will continue to work closely with partners as we take an increasingly integrated and holistic approach to our council services, and to lead on new community initiatives and strategic projects in Suffolk.

More information

The following links will provide you with further information about our financial position, our structure and our corporate strategy and future plans.

• SCC Corporate Strategy for 2022 to 2026
• SCC Annual Plan for 2024 to 2025
• Corporate Leadership Team Structure Chart
• Corporate performance and risk management (suffolk.gov.uk)
• SCC Productivity Plan July 2024

Suffolk is increasingly attracting talented people choosing a county that can offer lively and thriving urban and market towns and coastal villages with a large economy. Suffolk is a great place to live, it has low-cost housing across the county, good schools, plenty of opportunities for cultural and outdoor activities and strong, safe communities.

Suffolk has beautiful villages, a stunning coastline, charming country houses and remarkable landscapes. Read on to find out more about this picturesque county…

• Lowestoft is the first place in the country to greet the sun, being the most easterly point in the UK.
• A strong food, drink, agriculture, tourism and cultural sectors
• Suffolk boasts 12 National Trust sites, 8 English Heritage sites and over 60 nature reserves (including RSPB Minsmere) for you to explore and enjoy.
• We have a strong connection to the rest of the country through the UK’s premier trade route, the A14.
• Suffolk is one of the UK’s greenest and safest counties. We boast competitively priced housing, quality local produce, food and drink festivals, plus many fine restaurants and historic country parks.
• We regularly host some of the best music in the UK. The yearly Latitude festival showcases the biggest names and is attended from far and wide.
• Suffolk is the home of British telecommunications & BT’s headquarters – the birthplace of fibre, a global technology research park and an international telecommunications centre.
• Felixstowe, the UK’s gateway to the rest of the world, is boosting its existing potential as the UK’s largest container port as part of Freeport East.
• We have over 400 educational facilities in Suffolk – over half are currently rated as either ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.
• We have an estimated number of 137,053 living in Ipswich and 752,691 overall in Suffolk.
• Suffolk has a 50-mile stretch of heritage coastline and many Outstanding National Beauty areas (AONB).
• As well as the cost, there is an untouched rural landscape across the county, excellent for walkers and cyclists. Did you know? Suffolk’s landscapes were the focus for many of artist John Constable’s most famous works

Moving to Suffolk

The following websites offer information about Suffolk, relocation guidance, attractions and housing opportunities for those interested in moving to the county.

• Visit Suffolk website (visitsuffolk.com) 
• Discover Suffolk website (discoversuffolk.org.uk)
• Living in Suffolk - Good Move (goodmove.org.uk)
• Moving to Suffolk - Zoopla (zoopla.co.uk)

Whilst our council is a flexible employer, given the role, you will need to be a visible leader in the organisation and across the county, with in-person attendance required on a frequent and weekly basis.

You will need to travel, so you must either hold a full, current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means.

Your application should be submitted via Suffolk Jobs Direct - Executive Director Organisational Change and Local Government Reorganisation

Step 1 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 2 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 500 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.

1. Please tell us about your experience and track record of leading and managing complex change programmes at significant scale, meeting key deadlines and enabling cultural change and staff engagement
2. Please can you provide an example of how you foster collaboration and engagement across multiple stakeholders and organisations?
3. Please explain how you would apply your knowledge and experience of local government, including a track-record in service delivery, to the opportunities, challenges and risks of LGR in Suffolk?
4. Please can you provide an example of your experience of working with senior political leaders and how you have managed complex relationships in a politically sensitive environment?

Step 3 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

• Applications close: 12:00pm on Wednseday 26 March 2025.
• Interview date: 15 April or 16 April 2025 (subject to change)