Position reference: 50146009 Directorate: Children's Services | Service: Commissioning Teams Salary: £51,356 – £54,495 Working Arrangements: Hybrid – 3 days per week in office Hours per week: 37 Contract type: Permanent Closing date: 26/06/2026 at 23:59 DBS Check and Legal: This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check. If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years, you will be required to obtain an overseas criminal records check. The council does not hold a Home Office licence and is unable to provide visa sponsorship. Benefits: Competitive salary, pension scheme, flexible working, employee discounts, training & development. About The Post Lead transformation. Shape services. Improve lives. Are you a strategic leader with a passion for driving high‑quality services for children and young people? Do you want to play a pivotal role in shaping provision, influencing system‑wide change, and ensuring every child has access to the support they need to thrive? About The Role This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of quality, sufficiency and service improvement across services for children and young people. You Will * Lead quality and improvement at scale – driving a culture of continuous self‑evaluation, learning and excellence across services. * Shape and influence the local market – work with local providers to ensure children and young people have access to the right services, at the right time. * Use insight to drive decision‑making – oversee performance, intelligence and data analysis to inform quality improvement, development and decision making. * Lead and inspire a high‑performing team – lead a team of officers to drive and deliver quality improvement. * Drive system‑wide improvement – develop policies, procedures and frameworks that embed best practice and deliver measurable change. * Champion safeguarding and quality – ensure robust practice and systems are in place to protect and support children and young people. * Work collaboratively across the system – build strong partnerships locally, regionally and nationally to strengthen services and share best practice. * Influence key decisions – represent the service at panels and boards to ensure resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact. What We’re Looking For * Passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people. * Experienced leader of teams and change, capable of driving improvement across complex systems. * Highly analytical and strategic, able to interpret complex data and turn insight into action. * Skilled in building partnerships and influencing stakeholders across organisational boundaries. * Experienced in quality assurance, service development and inspection frameworks. * A strong communicator, able to engage, inspire and challenge to achieve better outcomes. We expect candidates to have a strong understanding of children’s services, including quality standards, safeguarding, policy and the wider local government landscape. Why Join Us? * Shape the future of services for children and young people. * Lead meaningful, system‑wide quality improvement. * Work in a progressive, ambitious organisation committed to innovation and improvement. * Influence decision‑making at a strategic level. * Be part of a culture that values collaboration, courage and creativity. Application Guidance CVs are not accepted for this role. Please refer to the job profile for this role and demonstrate how you meet the required criteria in your application form. Equality and Inclusion We are committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know. We welcome applicants with past convictions and prioritise fairness and non‑discrimination. #J-18808-Ljbffr
