At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic governance and improvement initiatives for children's services.
- Company: Join Birmingham City Council, dedicated to enhancing services for children and families.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working options and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on local services while collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
- Qualifications: Experience in leadership, governance, and strategic planning is essential.
- Other info: Applications must include a CV and Personal Statement outlining your fit for the role.
The predicted salary is between 73000 - 100000 £ per year.
Job Description
#internal
Please note this vacancy is only available to Birmingham City Council employees.
Assistant Director, Strategic Governance, Planning and Improvement
Permanent
Grade B01: £85,004 – £126,484
Consultation grade – subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review
Working 36.5 hours per week
Birmingham City Council is committed to delivering high-quality services to children, young people, and families. As a major city council, we are shaping the future of local services through strategic governance, continuous improvement, and strong partnerships. We are now seeking a talented and visionary leader to join our team and drive forward the strategic direction, governance, and improvement initiatives for the Directorate of Children and Families.
As the Assistant Director of Strategic Governance, Planning and Improvement you will play a crucial role in leading and shaping the future of services across the Directorate. This senior leadership position offers an exciting opportunity to impact the development of services for children, young people, and families while driving governance, strategic planning, and continuous improvement.
You will be accountable for embedding a culture of improvement and excellence across services, ensuring that we meet statutory duties, service targets, and the Council\’s priorities. The role also involves leading a high-performing team and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders to deliver sustainable, efficient services that offer real value for money.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership: Take the lead in developing, designing, and implementing the Directorate\’s continuous improvement framework, ensuring that services are aligned with the Council\’s vision and priorities. Be accountable for the impact and delivery of the framework across governance, reporting, planning, and improvement functions.
Governance & Risk Management: Ensure the effective delivery of strategic governance and risk management practices. Lead the Directorate\’s inspection readiness, external audits, quality assurance, Directorate\’s improvement and transformation initiatives through the development of a project pipeline and the strategic direction of service improvements across all levels.
Stakeholder Engagement: Represent the Directorate at senior national and regional levels, influencing government policy and best practices. Lead collaboration across diverse teams and agencies, including the Children and Young People Partnership Board, to drive integrated working and sustainable change.
Strategic Direction & Partnership Working: Shape and determine the Directorate\’s strategic direction in collaboration with senior leadership, elected members, and external partners. Ensure strategic plans are outcome-focused and linked to national/local policy and inspections.
Performance Management: Lead efforts to embed a performance culture across the Directorate. Ensure continuous improvement is integrated into the delivery of services, with a focus on positive outcomes for children and families.
Advice and Guidance: Provide expert advice to senior leaders, elected members, and external partners on strategic planning, policy issues, and service delivery. Act as the corporate lead for governance, risk, and improvement.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD): Lead the development of practice frameworks and CPD opportunities for staff, ensuring that learning is systematically embedded in service improvement.
Safeguarding: Promote the safeguarding of children and young people, ensuring alignment with corporate safeguarding policies and the Birmingham Children Safeguarding Partnership\’s procedures.
Please upload an up-to-date CV and Personal Statement via the attachments part of your application. The Personal Statement should outline how you meet the essential criteria for the role through your personal qualities, skills and experience and include your motivation for applying to the post. Note the Personal Statement should be no more than 1500 words. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached
Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.
We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.
We welcome applications from people with caring responsibilities and flexible working options will be considered.
Job Description and Person Specification
About Us
We are a disability confident employer and we encourage applicants with disabilities to apply. We also welcome applications from people with caring responsibilities and flexible working options will be considered.
Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) may need to apply for a visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and may require a Certificate of Sponsorship from Birmingham City Council for a skilled worker visa (if the job is eligible). #J-18808-Ljbffr
Assistant Director, Strategic Governance, Planning and Improvement employer: Birmingham City Council
Contact Detail:
Birmingham City Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Director, Strategic Governance, Planning and Improvement
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Birmingham City Council's strategic priorities and recent initiatives in children's services. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your alignment with their goals during discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Birmingham City Council, especially those in leadership roles. They can provide insights into the organisational culture and expectations for the Assistant Director position.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully led governance and improvement initiatives in previous roles. Tailoring your experiences to reflect the responsibilities outlined in the job description will make a strong impression.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on current trends and policies affecting children's services at both local and national levels. Being well-informed will enable you to engage in meaningful conversations about strategic direction and policy influence.
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Director, Strategic Governance, Planning and Improvement
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description thoroughly to grasp the key responsibilities and expectations for the Assistant Director position. Tailor your application to highlight how your experience aligns with their strategic governance and improvement initiatives.
Craft a Compelling Personal Statement: Your Personal Statement should clearly outline how you meet the essential criteria for the role. Use specific examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your leadership skills, strategic planning abilities, and commitment to continuous improvement.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV, focus on showcasing your previous roles that involved governance, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. Emphasise any achievements that reflect your capability to lead high-performing teams and drive service improvements.
Proofread and Format: Before submitting your application, ensure that both your CV and Personal Statement are well-formatted and free of errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail and professionalism, which is crucial for a senior leadership role.
How to prepare for a job interview at Birmingham City Council
✨Understand the Strategic Vision
Familiarise yourself with Birmingham City Council's strategic vision and priorities, especially in relation to children and families. Be prepared to discuss how your leadership style and experience align with their goals for continuous improvement and governance.
✨Showcase Stakeholder Engagement Skills
Highlight your experience in engaging with diverse stakeholders. Be ready to provide examples of how you've influenced policy or driven collaboration across teams, as this role requires strong partnership working at various levels.
✨Demonstrate a Culture of Improvement
Prepare to discuss specific initiatives you've led that fostered a culture of continuous improvement. Share measurable outcomes from these initiatives to illustrate your impact on service delivery and performance management.
✨Craft a Compelling Personal Statement
Your personal statement is crucial. Ensure it clearly outlines how your skills and experiences meet the essential criteria for the role. Keep it concise and focused, while also expressing your motivation for applying to this position.