Head of Governance in Chesterfield

Directorate: Legal and Democratic Services

Grade: G19

Salary: £62,470-£69,070

Location: East Midlands

Contract: Permanent

This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior leadership position at the heart of one of the UK’s newest and most ambitious Combined County Authorities - shaping how power, funding and decisions are made for the East Midlands as devolution deepens. At EMCCA, we are unlocking billions of pounds of investment and bringing together powers over transport, housing, skills, economic development and net zero to transform lives across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. As Head of Governance, you will be central to that mission — designing, embedding and continuously evolving the governance framework that underpins delivery at scale.

Why this role matters

Good governance here is not about process for its own sake. It is about enabling confident, timely, lawful decision-making that delivers real outcomes for our communities and building a model of excellence. We are deliberately doing governance differently at EMCCA creating an “East Midlands way” that evolves as our powers grow and our organisation matures. This role gives you the platform to lead that change.

What makes this role different

You will not be maintaining a static governance model, you will be building one in real time. You will:

• Lead democratic services and governance arrangements for a devolved authority
• Shape and evolve the constitution, decision-making framework and member support offer
• Work directly with the Mayor, Board, committees and senior leadership
• Play a key role as a senior governance leader within a growing organisation

Five big things we are delivering for the East Midlands

This role sits at the centre of real, tangible impact:

• Securing and deploying major devolved funding to unlock regional growth and opportunity
• Taking strategic control of transport, skills and economic development to improve daily life for residents
• Driving long-term regeneration and net zero ambitions across towns, cities and rural communities
• Building combined authority governance that supports delivery at scale

The role

Reporting to the Director of Law, Governance & Compliance, you will:

• Lead and manage the Governance and Democratic Services function
• Ensure all decisions are lawful, robust and aligned with the Constitution
• Support the Monitoring Officer in key statutory and governance functions
• Build strong relationships with Members, officers and external partners
• Drive continuous improvement in governance, transparency and accountability
• Enable the organisation to move at pace while maintaining strong governance discipline

About you

You will bring:

• Deep expertise in local authority or combined authority governance and decision-making
• Strong understanding of the legislative and constitutional framework underpinning combined authorities
• Experience operating in a political environment at senior level
• Credible leadership, influencing and relationship-building skills
• The ability to translate complex governance into practical, enabling solutions
• A mindset focused on delivery, contact improvement, evolution and impact

Our culture

We are building something exciting. Our values guide how we work:

• We Lift Our Region
• We Work Together
• We Make an Impact
• We Are Human

This is an organisation where:

• people work collaboratively across systems
• ambition is matched by accountability

This is the moment to join EMCCA. Devolution is not static, it is accelerating.

• Powers will grow.
• Expectations will grow.
• Impact will grow.

So will this role. If you want a position where you can:

• shape how a region is governed
• influence major investment and policy decisions