Assistant Director Strategy, Insight and Performance (12 MTH FTC)

The Assistant Director role will sit at the heart of strategy, partnership and community change across Southwark. It is about shaping how the council works with people, putting them at the heart of the future of the borough and the services they use. You will lead work that supports lasting change in communities, designing interventions alongside residents and partners that contribute to our shared vision of good lives. You will also play a pivotal role in forming a new team and embedding new ways of working, creating the conditions for co-design, partnership and insight-led decision-making to thrive across the council. This is a chance to help build something meaningful, purposeful and enduring, with communities.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Set the strategic direction for co-design, insight and innovation across the council.
• Turn borough priorities and the Southwark 2030 strategy into practical, resident-led programmes.
• Shape engagement and involvement approaches that strengthen relationships with communities.
• Own the council's approach to insight and intelligence, ensuring decisions are evidence-led and outcomes measurable.
• Lead strategic partnerships, particularly across the voluntary and community sector.
• Bring high quality community insight and involvement to our wide-ranging change portfolio.
• Build, develop and inspire multidisciplinary teams to deliver consistently high standards.
• Act as a trusted adviser to councillors and senior leaders, communicating complex ideas with clarity and confidence.

What We Are Looking For:

• Senior experience leading strategy, policy, insight or community-focused services in a complex organisation.
• A strong track record of innovation and co-creation, from concept through to delivery.
• Confidence using data and intelligence to shape decisions and demonstrate impact.
• Political acumen and credibility operating at senior levels.
• A collaborative, empowering leadership style with high expectations of performance.
• Clear, persuasive communication written, verbal and presentational.
• Sharp problem-solving ability with an eye for continuous improvement and innovation.

You will enjoy a flexible work pattern with 3 days working from various sites across the borough including our Tooley Street offices. This role is being offered on a 12-month fixed term or secondment basis. We are unable to offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

Additional Information About Southwark Council:

Southwark Council is the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark's residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues such as The Shard, The Tate Modern and Borough Market along with many social enterprises and we have a young, diverse, and growing population. At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, which is our work with Southwark's communities and the council's staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality, underpins all that we do.

Benefits and More Information:

Working for Southwark Council – Southwark Salary Range: £83,964 – £105,096. This post attracts an additional benefit to the value of £3,503 PA for staff which can be used for benefits or taken as cash.

Application Closing Date: 11:59pm on 26th of February 2026. Interview Date: 11th of March 2025.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you will need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care.
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, in which case we will move the key dates for the process. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.