Executive Director of People Services

As a young and ambitious unitary authority, West Northamptonshire Council is an exciting place to work. Demographically diverse, we also present unique challenges and plenty of opportunities. The southern part of West Northants is rural and affluent, with an older population, and issues of isolation and connectivity. In contrast, Northampton is the UK's largest market town, covering half our population, characterised by an urban and younger population, with significant deprivation and poor health prevalence. However, we are also a rapidly expanding area, attracting significant new business, new homes and investment in regeneration, making us an area of huge potential.

Despite our differences, we share one common goal: to create the conditions for everyone to thrive. From giving our children and young people the best start in life, creating the jobs and skills to drive prosperity, and helping people age well and live their best life. Our new One West Northants Plan outlines our collective ambition to achieve this, with our Thriving People and Thriving Places priorities shared by all our partners, and for everyone's benefit.

We are currently seeking to appoint our next Executive Director of People Services. They will play a pivotal role, shaping and delivering plans for our One West Northamptonshire vision and collaborating across our services, partnerships and sectors, to make a positive impact on resident outcomes, health and wellbeing. Working closely with partners, you will drive forward improvements in outcomes across our population, with a key focus on early intervention and prevention and enabling people to remain independent and well in their community.

You’ll also work hand in hand with partners on the population health agenda within the Integrated Care System and our place-based Integrated Care Partnerships, and for the delivery of local services to meet local need. We particularly want to play an active part at the forefront of joint working across the national health three big shifts, as well as social care and family help reforms. We know that success comes from strong integrated working towards shared aims.

This role sits across our key People directorate services: Adult social care, public health and wellbeing, Education Services, and community partnerships. In addition, the Executive Director of People Services also has a commissioning responsibility for the Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT). But we do not work in silos. The incoming Executive Director will help drive the collaborative work across the Council directorates and partners to ensure that the wider determinants of education, life chances, and health are considered in all aspects of place shaping and future plans.

This role is responsible to the Chief Executive and sits on our Executive Leadership Team alongside our other executive director posts and the other statutory post holders including the DASS, DCS and Director for Housing, to ensure synergies across our thinking and plans. We have a strong culture of teamwork and shared ambition at the council and a recent LGA corporate peer review concluded that our staff love to work here, and that there was a buzz of excitement as we looked to the future.

We’re seeking an inspiring leader with significant senior management experience within people services and the ability to tap into the opportunities presented from national agendas. You’ll have a proven track record and passion for prevention and reducing demand, whilst improving outcomes and reducing inequality. You’ll be a bold leader, with the ability to deliver strategic change, transformation and innovation across children’s, adults and health with our key partners.

If you have the ambition and expertise to progress your career and help us make a real impact for people and communities in West Northamptonshire, then we would love to hear from you.

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.

• Full contact details;
• Names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees (we will ask your permission before contacting referees);
• Details of your current salary and 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.