The roles
Salary: Competitive based on experience (up to £195K, plus Travel Allowance £3,456 pa and London Weighting £3,657 pa).
One of the UK’s best local authorities – one of the biggest leadership challenges
Tower Hamlets is one of the UK’s best local authorities. Many of our services are award-winning and in 2022 we were shortlisted for MJ Council of the Year. But our ambition and the importance of the agenda you will work on has no limits. This is the most exciting time in our history as we have now moved into our new Town Hall at the Grade II-listed former Royal London Hospital opposite the new Whitechapel Station on the Elizabeth Line. And we’re on course to be a carbon neutral council by 2025.
Tower Hamlets offers the best of London in one borough. We provide the UK’s third largest economic output. We’re steeped in London's history and are one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. We’re the fastest growing and most densely populated place in the UK. We have destinations that would be the envy of any city.
And we’re a borough of contrasts. From Canary Wharf to Columbia Road Market, from St Katherine’s Dock to Brick Lane and from Spitalfields to Victoria Park, there is extreme wealth and poverty. It is our mission to broker opportunities to create a Tower Hamlets for everyone.
Our mission – a Tower Hamlets for everyone
As our Chief Executive you’ll work in close partnership with the Executive Mayor and elected members of the council as you lead our ambitious organisation, ensuring that precious resources are focused on making our vision and goals a reality for the diverse communities we represent. Leading, developing and motivating the Corporate Management team that defines and implements a wide range of programmes, your inspirational attitude will empower the entire council’s workforce to take positive ownership of our aims and objectives.
But your responsibilities won’t stop here – you’ll also work with external agencies, businesses, the voluntary sector and community groups to develop a strong local strategic partnership capable of delivering our community plan. Helping to ensure the council’s budgets and resources provide positive benefits for everyone in our communities, you’ll take an innovative approach to the delivery of our services, and spearhead creative initiatives that underline our ambition of being a flagship local authority.
Tower Hamlet’s strengths are diverse and wide ranging, and you’ll use them to champion our regeneration strategy and create a sustainable economy, quality environment and vibrant cultural life. Your other key tasks will include motivating and leading our workforce, creating an open and empowering culture, and developing an organisation that is ready to embrace and respond to transformation and change. We’ll also expect you to celebrate the richness of our communities and build on our positive approach to equality and opportunity for all.
Use your leadership skills to inspire and motivate everyone you work with
To be a success in this vitally important role you’ll have an established reputation as a superb leader and manager at Chief Executive level or its equivalent with a sizeable local authority, preferably one with similar governance issues to those in Tower Hamlets. Capable of leading the formulation and delivery of corporate objectives, policies and strategies, and with an excellent track record of working in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, you’ll be ready to make effective decisions within a complex political environment.
Skilled at establishing and maintaining a strong performance culture while inspiring, motivating and empowering people to deliver great services and achieve positive results, you’ll be a natural organisational ambassador. Ready to promote equal opportunities and establish highly effective working relationships with multicultural communities, you’ll possess a comprehensive understanding of local government, the national and political context and the current challenges and opportunities we face.
It's important that you have an understanding of the law, constitution and governance practice of councils led by a directly elected Mayor, and broad knowledge of the range of services provided by a complex local authority. You should have practical knowledge of the way people-focused services work and how improvements can be affected by integrated planning, and in addition to familiarity with the Strategic Plan 2022 - 2026, we’ll also expect you to understand the local government finance and legislative framework in which a local authority operates.
Our council is a beacon for diversity and inclusion. We want a borough where everyone feels valued and included, and we want a council that collaborates to deliver excellence. That’s why we look for people with our TOWER values of Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and being Respectful.
For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact: Rob Naylor on 07922 417550 (rob.naylor@penna.com) or Julie Towers on 07764 791736 (julie.towers@penna.com)
Closing date for applications: 9th June 2023
Apply for Chief Executive role Chief Executive Job Description & Person Specification
To download the Senior Leadership Team Structure, please click the link: Senior Leadership Team Structure
Salary: £135,060 - £152,933 (Dependent upon experience, plus Travel Allowance £3,456 pa and London Weighting £3,657 pa)
Tower Hamlets is one of the UK’s best local authorities.
One of the UK’s best local authorities – one of the biggest leadership challenges
Tower Hamlets is one of the UK’s best local authorities. Many of our services are award-winning and in 2022 we were shortlisted for MJ Council of the Year. But our ambition and the importance of the agenda you will work on has no limits. This is the most exciting time in our history now that we have moved into our new Town Hall at the Grade II-listed former Royal London Hospital opposite the new Whitechapel Station on the Elizabeth Line. And we’re on course to be a carbon neutral council by 2025.
Tower Hamlets offers the best of London in one borough. We provide the UK’s third largest economic output. We’re steeped in London's history and are one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. We’re the fastest growing and most densely populated place in the UK. We have destinations that would be the envy of any city.
And we’re a borough of contrasts. From Canary Wharf to Columbia Road Market, from St Katherine’s Dock to Brick Lane and from Spitalfields to Victoria Park, there is extreme wealth and poverty. It is our mission to broker opportunities to create a Tower Hamlets for everyone.
Our mission – a Tower Hamlets for everyone
As our Corporate Director, Resources, you’ll lead and manage the service divisions of the Resources Directorate, ensuring the services provided are of consistently high quality and provide great value for money. Working with the Chief Executive and Corporate Directors to implement our corporate aims and ensure financial probity, compliance and transparency, it’ll be your task to set the direction of policy decisions, determine opportunities to grow our income and ensure we maintain sound business systems and processes.
Directing and leading portfolios relating to the transformation of digital and infrastructural systems in a number of the council’s areas of operation, you’ll provide strategic leadership relating to high value IT contracts, corporate accounts and the governance of financial, procurement and audit matters. You’ll also offer advice on finance, procurement, audit and risk, and contribute to the leadership of the council in a way that promotes a ‘one organisation’ approach.
Your additional responsibilities will include developing supportive relationships with the Executive Mayor and elected members to ensure the council and directorate’s strategic priorities are effectively implemented. Promoting equality, sustainability, innovation and an inclusive approach in everything we do, you’ll support organisational change and learning, ensuring positive systems are in place for our services and workforce. We’ll also expect you to manage budgets and income delivery targets, ensure opportunities for efficiencies are developed, and drive down spend where appropriate.
Use your leadership skills to inspire and motivate your team
To be a success in this role you’ll possess a degree or qualification in Finance, be a member of CIPFA or its equivalent (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) and a solid track record of leading successful services of the highest quality. Capable of engaging with senior and strategic level colleagues while building productive partnerships with key stakeholders, you’ll have led new ways of working while delivering cultural change in a large, complex organisation.
With a deep understanding of the external commercial and political environment, and the ability to translate this into organisational actions, you’ll be capable of balancing strategic leadership and direction with effective operational management. Skilled at fostering an open and trusting culture, and dedicated to applying both discretion and initiative as you deal with complex issues, your relationship management and networking abilities will allow you to foster joint working across boundaries. Engaging and approachable, and with the ability to inspire the respect, trust and confidence of everyone you work with, you’ll be a superb negotiator and influencer, and committed to adopting innovative working practices.
It’s essential that you possess financial and commercial awareness, highly effective budgeting and financial management skills, and the ability to maintain a clear overview of the many issues you’ll deal with. Politically sensitive and with a strong belief in the value of local democracy and accountability, we’ll also expect you to have a strong commitment to our values, behaviours and equal opportunity policy, and be ready to demonstrate personal leadership on the importance of diversity.
Our council is a beacon for diversity and inclusion. We want a borough where everyone feels valued and included, and we want a council that collaborates to deliver excellence. That’s why we look for people with our TOWER values of Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and being Respectful.
For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact: Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 (kelly.ridley@penna.com), Andrew Tromans on 07805 226301 (andrew.tromans@penna.com), or Julie Towers on 07764 791736 or (julie.towers@penna.com)
Closing date for applications: 9th June 2023
Apply for Corporate Director, Resources role Corporate Director, Resources Job Description & Person Specification
To download the Summary of Terms and Conditions - Corporate Director, please click the link: Summary of Terms and Conditions - Corporate Director
To download the Senior Leadership Team Structure, please click the link: Senior Leadership Team Structure
Salary: £101,638 - £117,194 (Dependent upon experience)
One of the UK’s best local authorities – one of the biggest leadership challenges
Tower Hamlets is one of the UK’s best local authorities. Many of our services are award-winning and in 2022 we were shortlisted for MJ Council of the Year. But our ambition and the importance of the agenda you will work on has no limits. This is the most exciting time in our history as we have now moved into our new Town Hall at the Grade II-listed former Royal London Hospital opposite the new Whitechapel Station on the Elizabeth Line. And we’re on course to be a carbon neutral council by 2025.
Tower Hamlets offers the best of London in one borough. We provide the UK’s third largest economic output. We’re steeped in London's history and are one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. We’re the fastest growing and most densely populated place in the UK. We have destinations that would be the envy of any city.
And we’re a borough of contrasts. From Canary Wharf to Columbia Road Market, from St Katherine’s Dock to Brick Lane and from Spitalfields to Victoria Park, there is extreme wealth and poverty. It is our mission to broker opportunities to create a Tower Hamlets for everyone.
Our mission – a Tower Hamlets for everyone
As our Director of Finance, Procurement & Audit you’ll be responsible for the on-going development and coordination of our corporate financial framework, including the medium-term financial strategy, work that will enable us to prioritise our financial resources and comply with professional standards and Government legislation. Ensuring that robust financial systems and policies are supported by the necessary training and guidance, you’ll deliver accountancy and treasury management services that enable resources to be monitored while maximising our reserves and ensuring sufficient cash flow.
You’ll have a wide range of additional responsibilities, including providing responsive financial advice and guidance to our management teams and budget managers, and delivering a framework for the council to achieve value for money and its corporate objectives. When it comes to our Audit and Risk Management function, it’ll be your task to ensure robust controls are in place to protect the council’s resources and reputation while identifying and managing risks.
Making an important contribution to the leadership of the council in a way that promotes a ‘one organisation’ approach, we’ll expect you to develop supportive relationships with the Executive Mayor and elected members to ensure the council and directorate’s strategic priorities are effectively implemented. Promoting equality, sustainability, innovation and an inclusive approach in everything we do, you’ll also support organisational change and learning, ensuring positive systems are in place for our services and workforce.
Use your leadership skills to inspire and motivate everyone you work with
To be a success in this role you’ll possess a degree or qualification in Finance, be a member of a CCAB body (including CIMA but preferably CIPFA) and have a solid track record of leading successful services of the highest quality. Capable of engaging with senior and strategic level colleagues while building productive partnerships with key stakeholders, you’ll have led new ways of working while delivering cultural change in a large, complex organisation.
With a deep understanding of the external commercial and political environment, and the ability to translate this into organisational actions, you’ll be capable of balancing strategic leadership and direction with effective operational management. Skilled at fostering an open and trusting culture, and dedicated to applying both discretion and initiative as you deal with complex issues, your relationship management and networking abilities will allow you to foster joint working across boundaries. Engaging and approachable, and with the ability to inspire the respect, trust and confidence of everyone you work with, you’ll be a superb negotiator and influencer, and committed to adopting innovative working practices.
It’s essential that you possess financial and commercial awareness, highly effective budgeting and financial management skills, and the ability to maintain a clear overview of the many issues you’ll deal with. Politically sensitive and with a strong belief in the value of local democracy and accountability, we’ll also expect you to have a strong commitment to our values, behaviours and equal opportunity policy, and be ready to demonstrate personal leadership on the importance of diversity.
Our council is a beacon for diversity and inclusion. We want a borough where everyone feels valued and included, and we want a council that collaborates to deliver excellence. That’s why we look for people with our TOWER values of Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and being Respectful.
For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact: Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 (kelly.ridley@penna.com), Andrew Tromans on 07805 226301 (andrew.tromans@penna.com), or Julie Towers on 07764 791736 or (julie.towers@penna.com)
Closing date for applications: 14th July 2023
Apply for Director of Finance, Procurement & Audit role Director of Finance, Procurement & Audit Job Description & Person Specification
To download the Summary of Terms and Conditions - Director, please click the link: Summary of Terms and Conditions - Director
To download the Budget Report, please click the link: Budget Report
To download the Finance Structure Chart, please click the link: Finance Structure Chart
