Director of Streets and Environment

Croydon is one of London\’s largest and most diverse boroughs, home to more than 390,000 residents, with a proud civic history and a clear ambition to deliver better outcomes for its communities. The Council is operating in a challenging context, with significant financial pressures and high public expectations, but it is also at a point of renewal – focused on stability, delivery and rebuilding trust through consistently good public services.We are now seeking a Director of Streets and Environment to lead a portfolio that sits at the very heart of residents\’ everyday experience of Croydon. This is a senior, high-profile leadership role with responsibility for some of the Council\’s most visible and operationally complex services, from waste and recycling, highways and traffic management, parks and open spaces, through to environmental health, licensing, parking, SEND transport and fleet management.Reporting to the Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery, you will lead a large and diverse directorate and be accountable for significant budgets, income streams and transformation activity. You will be expected to balance strong operational grip with long-term strategic thinking, ensuring services are safe, compliant and responsive, while also driving improvement, efficiency and value for money.This is a role for someone who understands the realities of running large-scale public services in a complex urban environment. You will need to be comfortable working in a highly political and public-facing context, advising elected members with clarity and confidence, and working constructively with partners across London and beyond. You will also act as the Council\’s senior professional lead across highways, traffic, environmental protection and waste, and as Croydon\’s representative on the South London Waste Partnership.Croydon has clear ambitions around climate resilience, net zero and environmental sustainability, and this role will play a central part in turning those ambitions into practical, deliverable action. At the same time, you will be responsible for maintaining the basics that matter most to residents: clean streets, reliable waste services, safe roads, well-managed parks and fair, proportionate regulation.We are looking for an experienced senior leader, ideally from local government or a comparable public sector environment, with a strong track record of leading complex operational services at scale. You will bring sound financial judgement, experience of delivering savings and service improvement, and the ability to build and sustain high-performing, inclusive teams. Just as importantly, you will bring resilience, emotional intelligence and a collaborative leadership style, with a clear commitment to public service and to the people who live and work in Croydon.For more information please contact our search partners, Ben Parsonage (ben.parsonage@gatenbysanderson) or Louise Bickley (louise.bickley@gatenbysanderson.com) for a confidential conversation.Closing date: Sunday 1st February 2026

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