Head of Innovation in Barnsley

The Head of Innovation is a senior, high-profile leadership role with responsibility for setting the strategic direction for innovation, data, AI and automation across the council. You will work at the heart of the organisation, helping to embed intelligence-led decision-making, encourage curiosity and experimentation, and ensure innovation is applied in a purposeful, ethical and value-driven way. Joining at a formative moment, you will have genuine scope to shape both the role and its impact. We are not looking for someone to arrive with a fixed blueprint; instead, we want a leader who can horizon-scan, challenge assumptions, and help the organisation think differently about where change sits and how it should be delivered.

You will work closely with established technical teams across data engineering, analytics and AI, allowing you to focus on identifying the right problems, building momentum and scaling innovation across services, partnerships and the wider system. You will provide strategic leadership on data governance, ethical AI and compliance, ensuring robust guardrails are in place while still enabling pace, creativity and learning. This role is as much about influence and communication as it is about strategy. You will act as an advocate for insight-led decision-making, building confidence and capability among senior leaders, elected members and the wider workforce, and helping to embed a culture where data, evidence and innovation are central to how decisions are made.

We are open to candidates from a wide range of sectors and professional backgrounds. What matters most is your ability to operate at a strategic level in complex environments and to lead innovation that delivers real, lasting impact. You will bring a strong track record of shaping and delivering innovative solutions to complex challenges, with the credibility and political awareness needed to work effectively with senior leaders, elected members, partners and communities. You recognise the opportunities data and AI provide, but your expertise lies in translating insight into action, fostering innovation, and driving organisational change. You will be a compelling communicator and natural evangelist, able to inspire confidence, build momentum and bring people with you. Above all, you will bring curiosity, energy and credibility, with the confidence to ask the right questions, challenge the status quo and help Barnsley continue to evolve as a high-performing, forward-thinking council.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit our dedicated microsite - Head of Innovation Technology and Innovation. For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Chantelle Wooldridge on 07557 018320 or Tom McElroy Williams on 07535 316017.

To apply, please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV (three sides of A4 maximum), along with a supporting statement (three sides of A4 maximum) detailing your experience, and achievements and addressing the key criteria for the role set out on this site and using examples to demonstrate how you meet the requirements. Documents should be uploaded via our website, please include and upload the below information in two documents only. If you experience any issues whilst applying, please contact ella.vanderhook@tile-hill.co.uk. Applications should include:

• Names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees (we will ask your permission before contacting referees);
• Details of your notice period;
• Notification of any dates when you are not available for an interview.

At Tile Hill, we are committed to inclusion and accessibility. We champion and support all individuals to ensure everyone feels valued, listened to and motivated to get the very best out of each recruitment process and that processes are designed to meet the needs of individuals. If you have any specific requests and would like a confidential discussion with the Tile Hill team, then please email inclusion@tile-hill.co.uk.