Welcome from Phillippa
Thank you for your interest in our Chief Executive position here at Lancashire County Council.
As Leader of the county council, I'm delighted to have this opportunity to be part of the recruitment team for this significant role and I appreciate that choosing to apply will be a big decision for you. That is why I want to tell you a little more about Lancashire County Council and the person we are looking for to lead the next chapter in Lancashire's future.
Lancashire is the fourth largest local authority in England, spanning twelve districts that cover a vast geographic area and a diverse range of communities, both urban and rural. As a county council our remit is substantial, varied and complex, but our purpose is simple: we exist to serve the people of Lancashire by working as efficiently and innovatively as possible to prioritise the services they need to live full and independent lives, for as long as possible.
The role of the new Chief Executive will build on our past successes and lead the organisation through a critical period of change and development. We are committed to becoming a dynamic, forward-thinking council that drives economic growth and embraces the opportunities that the newly approved Combined County Authority offers us. One of the priorities of my administration is to support the most vulnerable people in our communities and it is our desire to create a financially stable organisation that will future-proof improvements to vital services for the people of Lancashire.
We are looking for the best possible candidate to lead us into the future, someone who acts with integrity and who embraces collective, compassionate and inspirational leadership. You will have the strategic vision and courage to make the difficult decisions required of the role and your peers will respect you for your ability to build trust across all stakeholders.
This role is a critical next step for us to ensure we have the long-term leadership needed to meet our future challenges head-on. It will not be an easy task, but you will be joining a supportive environment, working alongside a dedicated team of officers and members who are determined to get this right for the people of Lancashire.
Not only is this a great place to work, but Lancashire is also a fantastic place to live, with the coast, rolling hills, countryside in abundance, good quality housing and an excellent motorway network. What is there not to love?
If you are inspired by this opportunity and have the requisite skills and experience, we would love to hear from you.
Come join us and make a difference to Lancashire.
County Councillor Phillippa Williamson
Leader of Lancashire County Council
About the role
As the Chief Executive Officer, you will be the driving force behind our organisation, leading us into the future with your innovative vision and strategic direction. This role is not just about overseeing operations; it’s about inspiring a team, championing change and making a significant impact across the public sector.
Reporting to the Leader and accountable to Full Council, in partnership with other private and public sector partners and agencies, you will have lead responsibility for strategic and corporate management and the effective delivery of the council's priorities, providing high quality services to Lancashire residents in line with the operational plan.
Using your leadership skills, you will continually build a high-performing team, focused on making Lancashire the best place to live. This includes driving economic growth, attracting investment and ensuring the residents of Lancashire can build stable and prosperous lives for themselves and their families.
You will hold the lead responsibility to deliver efficiencies through delivery of the council's Financial Strategy.
Candidate pack
Download the candidate pack to see the job description and person specification.
Candidate pack (PDF 5MB)
Accountabilities and responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Management
As Head of the Paid Service, provide clear effective strategic leadership to achieve the council’s ambitions for its communities.
Lead and develop the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and ensure, through collaborative working, the ELT deliver their strategic responsibilities, priorities and ambitions.
Act as principal adviser to the council on strategic policy, providing effective forward planning to support decision makers.
Act as Returning Officer for the council in all elections and referenda.
Supporting effective democracy
Support elected members to create a shared vision and ambition for the council and lead and direct resources to achieve it.
Provide strategic advice to the Leader and other elected members.
Operate openly and effectively within a democratic system maintaining productive relationships with elected members.
Building a stronger place
Be a visible leader of place providing drive and focus on the growth of the local economy and promote Lancashire as a place to live, work, visit and prosper.
Develop strong, trusting and resilient relationships and partnerships with stakeholders across Lancashire, the North-West, nationally and internationally.
Work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure that services are responsive to, and appropriate for, the needs of all communities and individuals who live and work in Lancashire.
Develop approaches to engaging with communities and support the achievement of our communities' ambitions, working to raise people’s expectations in the county.
Transforming the organisation
Lead and achieve an organisational culture that promotes engagement, innovation, collaboration and equality.
Inspire a sense of ambition, leadership, direction and ownership of the council’s corporate leadership plans and ambitions.
Ensure all the council’s services support and deliver community outcomes and serve Lancashire residents, stimulating innovation and transformation across the council and wider public services.
Our values
We expect all our employees to demonstrate and promote our values:
Supportive
We are supportive of our customers and colleagues, recognising their contributions and making the best of their strengths to enable our communities to flourish.
Innovative
We deliver the best services we possibly can, always looking for creative ways to do things better, putting the customer at the heart of our thinking, and being ambitious and focused on how we can deliver the best services now and in the future.
Respectful
We treat colleagues, customers, and partners with respect, listening to their views, empathising, and valuing their diverse needs and perspectives, to be fair, open, and honest in all that we do.
Collaborative
We listen to, engage with, learn from and work with colleagues, partners, and customers to help achieve the best outcomes for everyone.
Submit your application
Your application should include:
A current CV, including details of your current salary.
Supporting statement (of no more than 4 pages) setting out how you meet the criteria stated in our person specification. Use specific examples/evidence where possible as this is used as part of the decision making process.
The names, positions, organisations and contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer (if you do not wish us to approach your referees without your permission, please clearly state this).
Details of any dates when you will not be available or when we might have difficulties contacting you.
For a confidential discussion please contact our retained consultants at Penna: Julie Towers on 07764 791736 or Pete John on 07710 811684.
Closing date: 24 November 2024.
Recruitment timetable
| Closing date for applications | 24 November 2024 |
|---|---|
| Longlisting | 5 December 2024 |
| Technical assessment | 16 December 2024 (online) |
| Shortlisting | 15 January 2025 |
| Panel assessments | Week commencing 20 January 2025 (in-person) |
| Interviews and final assessment | 7 February 2025 (in-person) |
Why join us
What we offer:
Annual leave
A minimum of 26 days’ annual leave, increasing to 32 days after 5 years’ continuous local government service, plus 8 public holidays and 2 extra days’ leave at Christmas.
Additional annual leave purchase scheme
The ability to purchase an additional 20 days’ leave, allowing you to maximise your work/life balance and make the most of your time away.
Relocation expenses
Up to a maximum of £9,823 (net of VAT) with a further £2,000 available in certain circumstances.
Flexible working
We have an overall commitment to exploring flexible working opportunities. From experience we know that a flexible approach can benefit both you and us and we have support in place for our teams to access.
Inclusivity
Our aim is to ensure that everyone is equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society, working in an environment where individual differences are celebrated.
We would like to improve the diversity of our top team to better reflect the people we serve, so are particularly keen to hear from you if you are a person of colour, from the LGBTQ+ community or have a disability.
Development
Our people add our greatest value. We actively encourage a learning culture where we view every new project as an opportunity to learn and develop, where responsibility and accountability are things to be cherished and innovation is seen in standard working practices.
We will ensure that personal and professional growth and development opportunities are available, including time for supportive reflection and supervision for yourself. You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference, feel valued and achieve the job satisfaction you’ve always wanted.
Pension
Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Shared cost AVCs
These differ from normal AVCs that other organisations can offer as we also contribute to your AVC when you do.
Conditions of Service
The conditions of service are those set by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services and by the county council.
About Lancashire
There's nowhere quite like Lancashire. We have everything you could want in a county: beautiful market towns and villages with Michelin-starred restaurants, outstanding natural beauty with a breath-taking coastline and gorgeous countryside, a thriving cultural scene, great schools and universities, world-class businesses and industries, and cities that are both historic and modern. We’re in a fantastic location with excellent connectivity to the rest of the country.
Find out more about our county
