Section Leader - Licensing (Fixed Term/Secondment Opportunity) in Wolverhampton

City of Wolverhampton Council is seeking to recruit one Section Leader within the City Environment Directorate to lead on Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing based at our Taxi Licensing Depot in Wolverhampton. This is an exciting opportunity to manage a licensing team working on a range of issues, primarily focused on Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing.

You will have day‑to‑day responsibility for the management, operation, financial control, coordination, and development of vehicle inspections, ensuring high standards of professionalism and customer services across the team. The role is fixed at the Depot and the hours of work are 7:45 – 15:45 Monday to Friday.

We are looking for candidates with significant licensing experience and an in‑depth understanding of relevant legislation and regulation. You should have experience in leading service improvements, engaging with elected members, and presenting reports to committees. We are seeking a flexible and committed individual who can manage a high and varied workload. Strong communication and customer service skills are essential. You will be process‑driven, ensuring that evidence chains are maintained and records are consistently and accurately kept. Experience in delivering high‑profile workstreams and a proven record of professional achievement are highly desirable. Competency with IT systems is essential, as is a high level of personal and professional motivation.

For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification. We are at the forefront of licensing innovation, using state‑of‑the‑art technology to ensure public safety through rigorous checks on drivers, vehicles, and operators. We also invest in our people through professional development opportunities, including:

• Level 6 Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship
• Level 7 Senior Leaders Degree Apprenticeship

You’ll have access to the West Midlands Coaching Pool, offering professional coaching and mentoring, alongside guaranteed quarterly professional development conversations. No two days are the same, and your work will make a meaningful contribution to the local community by helping protect the public from unfit transport providers. Additionally, you’ll be able to access internal job vacancies. We actively encourage career progression across the organisation – we want the best people working for the city.

Our working arrangements include fixed, field or flexible work styles. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed work style work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field work style are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible work style have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.

We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents.

Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential. We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace. As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees.

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post. We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure.