Chief Legal & Governance Officer

West Midlands Combined Authority

West Midlands

Permanent

£143,918 - £152,446 per annum

REF: 1707139

Expires: 18/10/26 23:59

Chief Legal & Governance Officer

West Midlands Combined Authority

The West Midlands Combined Authority is entering one of the most significant periods of change in its development. As devolution accelerates and fiscal devolution develops, WMCA is taking on greater responsibilities, developing new models of delivery and operating across an increasingly complex network of organisations and regional partnerships. From bus franchising, housing and regeneration to skills, employment, police and fire functions, the decisions we make over the coming years will have a lasting impact on the West Midlands and help shape the future of devolution nationally. As Chief Legal & Governance Officer, you will be at the centre of that journey: a trusted partner to the Mayor, Chief Executive, Members and senior leaders, an independent guardian of lawful, transparent and well-governed decision-making, and a member of WMCA's Executive Board.

This is much more than a traditional legal leadership role. As one of WMCA's most senior leaders, you will combine professional independence with collective corporate leadership, working as one Executive Board team to set direction, lead transformation and support long-term organisational sustainability and performance. You will help WMCA turn ambitious and complex ideas into practical, lawful and deliverable outcomes, bringing constructive challenge where needed alongside the innovation, collaboration and solutions-focused thinking to find a way forward. You will also help shape the future WMCA, its group model, governance, culture, resilience and capability as responsibilities transfer and new powers, funding arrangements and delivery models emerge. With a wider leadership role across the region's Monitoring Officer community, this is an opportunity to influence not only how WMCA operates, but how governance enables devolution across the West Midlands.

What you'll be doing:

Act as WMCA's statutory Monitoring Officer and Chief Legal & Governance Officer to the Mayor, Chief Executive, Members and senior officers. You will provide authoritative advice on legality, probity, constitutional and governance matters, bringing the independence and confidence to challenge when required while helping colleagues identify practical, lawful routes to achieving their ambitions. Play a full role as a member of the Executive Board, accountable to the Chief Executive for your portfolio and collectively responsible with Executive Board colleagues for organisational strategy, culture, resilience, workforce sustainability and performance. You will work across portfolios, bringing enterprise-wide leadership and helping the Board make coherent decisions for WMCA as a whole. Provide strategic legal and governance leadership across WMCA's expanding responsibilities, including bus franchising, housing and development, investment, skills and employment, police and fire functions and the Mayoral Development Corporation. You will help shape the structures, governance arrangements and legal frameworks needed to support new powers, fiscal devolution, evolving funding and investment models, and new ways of delivering services. Lead complex change and transformation within the legal and governance function, developing an operating model that is fit for a larger, more integrated and more complex organisation. You will build capacity and capability, lead and develop senior professional teams, oversee significant legal risk and external legal support, and ensure governance, scrutiny, constitutional and assurance arrangements remain robust, proportionate and future-focused. Build strong relationships with constituent authorities, government, public bodies and regional partners, providing visible leadership and influence across the wider Monitoring Officer community. You will operate with credibility at Executive Board, regional and national level, helping to shape complex proposals, resolve difficult issues and embed effective governance across WMCA and its developing group structure.

What you'll bring:

You will be a qualified legal professional with substantial senior-level public-sector experience and significant, direct experience of operating as a Monitoring Officer, or carrying equivalent statutory responsibilities, within a complex organisation. You will bring extensive knowledge of local government law and governance, including constitutions, scrutiny, ethical standards, decision-making, risk and the wider statutory responsibilities associated with the Monitoring Officer role, together with sound judgement on complex, sensitive and high-risk matters. You will be an experienced senior executive leader, able to operate effectively at Board level and contribute beyond your own professional portfolio to collective organisational strategy, culture, resilience and performance. You will bring the confidence to provide robust independent challenge while remaining a constructive, collaborative colleague. You will have a strong track record of leading complex change and transformation, building organisational capability and translating strategy into delivery in a complex public-sector environment. You will combine political awareness, personal gravitas and exceptional influencing skills to work successfully with the Mayor, Chief Executive, Members, government, regional partners and senior stakeholders. You will be a visible and inclusive leader of people, able to create high-performing teams and contribute to the wider leadership of WMCA's culture, organisational resilience and workforce sustainability through a period of significant change.

Closing date: Midnight Sunday 18th October