Managing Director Candidate Brief

Managing Director Candidate Brief

Letter from Adrian Gregson, Leader Dear Candidate Appointment of Managing Director Thank you for your interest in this exciting role. We are looking for a visionary and practical leader to inspire a hard-working and talented team of colleagues and to work with Councillors and partners to build a vibrant future for Worcester. Our cross-party City Plan sets out a vision to build a successful future on 2,000 years of history. It focuses on ambitious aims of achieving stronger and connected communities, a prosperous city, a healthy and active city, a heritage city for the 21 st Century, and sustaining and improving our assets. As Managing Director, it would be your role to lead the Council s talented officers and to forge strong relationships with Councillors, partners and stakeholders to deliver this challenging agenda. Delivering a meaningful and lasting transformation of how the City Council works is essential to its future. Work is already underway to ensure we work smarter, providing essential services more efficiently against a backdrop of reducing resources. As Managing Director, you would lead and implement this vital programme of fundamental change. Above all, you would show a passion to do the very best you can for the people of Worcester, securing better outcomes and achieving great value for money. For an informal chat about the role, please contact our advising consultants GatenbySanderson who will be happy to help. Worcester is a great place to live and work. I hope this information pack inspires you to apply. I look forward to hearing from you. Adrian Gregson Leader of Worcester City Council

Worcester: Building a successful future on 2000 years of history. The shape and blend of skills and experience within successful leadership teams often reflects the organisation s context and the challenges ahead. Worcester City Council provides essential services for over 95,000 residents. Working with the local community they aim to create a prosperous city and to improve the quality of life for everyone. Providing accessible, efficient and best value services are at the heart of everything they do. They are constantly striving to meet the demands and expectations of their citizens and customers. Approximately 300 people work for the Council which makes it one of the largest employers in the city. There are 35 councillors in total, from 15 wards in the city. Each one is elected for a term of four years, with elections held annually. The vision for Worcester is of a city that is prosperous, accessible, diverse and inclusive; with great opportunities for work, leisure, sport and tourism alongside a quality of life that is attractive to all. The central focus of the corporate city plan is people and communities, making them stronger, more prosperous, helping them to fully participate in the experience of living in their city, to be connected to each other and to achieve their aspirations. Worcester City Council also want Worcester and its residents to play an increasing role in the livelihood and wellbeing of Worcestershire and in the growing prosperity of the West Midlands. By 2021 the Council wants Worcester to be recognised as a growing cosmopolitan cathedral and university city with a great heritage offer, where residents from all communities are given the opportunity to achieve the best possible lives for themselves and their families a city that is uniquely Worcester. They want their riverside to become an international as well as a national destination, and their restaurants, bars and shops to include a fabulous mix of mainstream, independent and designer traders, embracing the artisan and quirky. They want Worcester to remain a safe city with a strong base of creativity and innovation, but for it also to be a city with a growing international reputation for sporting excellence for people of all abilities. Alongside all this success the Council s vision is to maintain Worcester s precious environment through sensitive management of local and city-wide activities and to encourage the use of sustainable energy whenever possible. They want to work to eradicate poverty in some of their poorest neighbourhoods and strive to support everyone to get involved in the city s future. Worcester is known for its strong community spirit, as a city where people support each other, muck in and do their bit, not just for their own families but for their neighbours and communities too. Both public, private and third sector partners in our city work together to provide support where it is needed in the most effective way possible, using their collective resources to achieve the best possible outcomes for the city. The vision is for this community spirit to be enhanced further as we move towards 2021.

The City Plan 2016 2021 outlines five overlapping and interconnected themes, which will together shape Worcester by 2021: 1. Stronger and Connected Communities: Make the people of Worcester feel they are part of a city where they have positive relationships with each other, where they feel safe and where they are able to succeed to the best of their abilities. 2. A Prosperous City: Create sustainable growth from which many people and communities can benefit. Attract good employers, support existing businesses and ensure everyone has the chance to get the opportunities, training and jobs that they need. Work in partnership to increase the proportion of high value employment in the city and for the growing entrepreneurial city to contribute to the prosperity of communities across Worcestershire and to the sustainable growth of the wider West Midlands economy. 3. A Healthy and Active City: Ensure that the city s residents have a good start in life, enjoying healthy and fulfilling lives, through to a dignified end. Offer people the opportunity to be as fit and healthy as they can be by using all of Worcester s assets, from the new swimming pool to the green spaces, to improve their wellbeing. Worcester will become an inspirational sporting city, hosting regular national and international competitions and boosting grassroots participation for people of all abilities. 4. A Heritage City for the 21st Century: Retain the essence of Worcester, whilst accommodating the needs of sustainable growth and development in a way that is sympathetic with a range of views, needs and potential. Attract visitors to enjoy the city s compelling leisure offer - from bars and restaurants to shopping and the strong cultural life and to enjoy its great heritage appeal, through the creation of a heritage partnership, encompassing Worcestershire County Council, historical societies and others. All these elements will create a compelling Worcester package. 5. Sustaining and Improving our Assets: Encourage people to recognise the beauty of the city and to work with the Council to protect, sustain and improve its environment for the benefit of current and future generations. Stimulate sustainable and sympathetic growth that is in tune with the environment. Create a city where people s communities are enriched by the natural world. Worcester City Council will deliver these objectives by creating a new relationship with people and partners that can simultaneously build a successful thriving and welcoming city. They will create a Delivery Board consisting of no more than 10-12 key stakeholders to work in partnership to achieve the outcomes of the City Plan. On an annual basis the Board will agree an annual report on progress with a view to it going through appropriate accountability structures. This plan is dependent on working effectively with existing partners as well as creating new partnerships and relationships. Credible, evidence-based measures will be used to assess progress on each of the five themes. The Council has improved the way it manages its money. A more streamlined management structure has been put in place and a number of shared services established, with a clear focus on efficiencies and value for money..

Medium Term Financial Plan 2017-2022: Key Priorities The proposed MTFP is due to be presented to Scrutiny Committee in January. The key points are: A proposed balanced budget for three years including a 2m savings programme of which approximately 50% is targeted in the Cleaner and Greener service. It includes the expectation of a reduced headcount with the expressed aim of avoiding compulsory redundancies. Alignment of car park budget to include an extra 0.1m of income, in line with current performance Continued freeze on City Council car parking charges Capital programme investment of 6.5m over the next 5 years following completion of the 10m swimming pool in 2016/17 Council Tax increase of an average of 5.00 per annum following the same increase in 2016/17 Growth in Business Rates income of 160k for 2017/18 The Revenue Support Grant (RSG), will be reduced to zero over a 3 year period New Homes Bonus Grant for 2017/18 there is 2.0m due of which approximately 50% will be used to support key services and the remaining 1m will be available to invest in the City Plan priorities. The introduction of the new baseline of 0.4% reduces the amount available for investment from 2020/21 By 185k p.a. The Council wants to develop income generation ideas and initiatives which will deliver financial sustainability over the longer term, in keeping with the themes in the City Plan. To this end 500k has been set aside as an Income Generation Fund Amongst the key aims are: Minimal reliance on the use of general fund balances to achieve a three year balanced budget, with general fund balances maintained at c 1.4m to meet risks in future funding levels Continuous improvements in value for money and customer focus, working with other stakeholders to deliver the best possible outcomes

Job description Job title: Responsible to: Responsible for: Role dimensions: Budget: Managing Director Full Council and Leader of the Council Employees of the Authority People - approximately 300 employees Approximately 55 million revenue expenditure and a net budget of 10 million Job purpose As the most senior officer of the Authority, to provide inspirational leadership ensuring that: a) the strategic aims of the organisation are clear and reflect the Council's vision, values and priorities, the needs of the people of Worcester, and b) these are translated into effective delivery which is visible to the communities we serve and balanced against available resources. To discharge fully the responsibilities of the Head of Paid Service in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Worcester City Council's Constitution. To be the Returning and Electoral Registration Officer of the Authority. To position the organisation to meet the current and future challenges facing the Authority, in an innovative fashion. To lead the delivery of services through a robust mixed economy approach that serve to promote local economic growth and maximise the value for money obtainable through taxpayer spend. To provide leadership and direction to officers of the Authority, securing effective operational leadership and management of all key functions within the Authority, and promoting a customer-focused and performance-driven culture which supports the City Plan, meets changing strategic objectives and responds to the priority needs of the community. To lead, develop and continually improve corporate strategy, policy and organisational culture across the Authority.

To deliver continual service performance improvement and increased customer satisfaction through effective engagement and innovation. To lead and develop strategic partnerships across Worcester and beyond to ensure the development of shared commitment and capacity to achieve improved outcomes and public services for the community of Worcester. To ensure strong leadership and direction ensuring the workforce clearly understand the vision, objectives, priorities and constraints facing the Council and are actively engaged, where relevant, in developing an effective response. To lead the Place Shaping agenda and to work with partner agencies to enable the development of sustainable communities, attract businesses and investment and to develop a balanced visitor economy. Job Specific Accountabilities 1. Corporate and Service Strategies and Planning Working with the Leader of the City Council and elected members, lead the development of corporate and service delivery strategies; the development of policies and plans; ensure that these are communicated effectively and implemented to meet stated objectives and core values. Act as the principal policy adviser to the elected members of the City Council to enable them to make informed choices and decisions concerning the development of policies, options for their delivery, the resource implications and the allocation and re-prioritisation of resources. Lead the Senior Management Team in the development and implementation of corporate policy, strategies and plans to deliver the Council's objectives. Ensure the creative and innovative utilisation of all Council resources to enhance the Council's capacity and ability to achieve its objectives whilst identifying and resolving financial and other risks. Lead large transformational agendas across partnerships within a complex and challenging environment of reducing public resources. 2. Quality Services Ensure the citizens of Worcester receive coordinated and effective services by leading and promoting partnership working throughout the organisation. This includes consultation and coordination of strategies, services and activities with key statutory, voluntary, and private sector partners and influencing the work of a range of key external organisations. Contribute to the leadership of the Council by communicating the vision, objectives and values; encouraging and enabling managers to motivate and inspire their teams to deliver high performance; representing the Council at local, regional and national forums. Develop and maintain a culture of collaborative and consultative working between services, members and external partners to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.

To enhance the Council s profile, reputation and influence at local, regional and national levels, working collaboratively with businesses, partner organisations, media and other stakeholders. 3. Communication and Customer Focus Ensure that strategies, policies and systems are in place to receive feedback (including complaints and suggestions) from service users, partners, stakeholders and employees, and to evaluate that feedback and to take appropriate action for continuous improvement. Ensure that customer focus is promoted as a core value of the Authority. Ensure that robust strategies, policies and systems are in place to communicate with and consult about the activities and priorities of the Council externally with the public and key partners. Ensure that robust and effective strategies, policies and systems are in place to manage the reputation of the Council with the public, key partners and employees. Represent the Council at civic functions and act as an ambassador for the Authority with the public, partners and stakeholders. 4. Financial and Performance Management Define the required outcomes for the City Council, taking into account the needs of citizens and partners and the availability of resources. Focus the organisation on performance and ensure it is equipped to deliver the agreed outcomes and value for money. Champion performance management by ensuring the organisation is business-like, measures outcomes and sets itself ambitious and suitably challenging goals - and achieves them. Provide bold, visionary and entrepreneurial leadership to facilitate the evaluation of potential service options that seeks to provide improved outcomes for the citizens of Worcester and increased value for money. Ensure with the s151 Officer appropriate budget and medium-term financial advice is given, leading to robust financial plans. 5. People Management Lead, inspire, manage, motivate and develop the Senior Management Team to ensure that the Authority can attract, motivate, reward, retain and continue to develop a high calibre workforce. Maximise the capacity of the team to manage people, performance, programmes and change. Sustain and enhance the outward facing community and customer focus of the workforce.

6. Governance and Risk Management Ensure the effective governance of the City Council and the legality, probity, integrity, proper public accountability and scrutiny of its decision-making processes. Lead the overall management of risk within the City Council, ensuring that lines of accountability are clear and well understood and systems are in place for monitoring, evaluating and managing risk to secure the reputation and physical, virtual and intellectual resources of the Council. Support the City Council's response to a major incident, in conjunction with statutory partner organisations, and lead the work of the City Emergency Management Team when required. 7. Programme and Change Management Lead and ensure appropriate engagement with relevant programmes and projects across the Authority, and with partner organisations, to foster the effective management of change and improvement in the delivery of services.

Person Specification - Managing Director Education, qualifications and training Essential: Evidence of commitment towards continuous personal and professional development. Educated to degree level or equivalent. Desirable: Postgraduate level management qualification. Knowledge requirements Essential: Detailed knowledge and understanding of managing a large multi-functional organisation at senior/executive level. Clear knowledge of effective financial, performance and people management approaches. Desirable: Knowledge or understanding of public sector services. Understanding of governance arrangements in a complex public sector organisation. Experience and skills Essential: Significant experience of working within public or private sector governance arrangements, including working with elected members or non-executive directors; ability to demonstrate political sensitivity and to interpret political will. Extensive knowledge and understanding of the management environment in complex public or private sector organisations.

Desirable: Demonstrable and sustained record of achievement in customer-focused, service delivery environments. Substantial experience of successfully working as part of a strategic management team to achieve outcomes, including organisational change, improvement and effective delivery. Experience sufficient in breadth and depth to enable the postholder to operate at the highest level of the organisation, providing strategic vision, direction, leadership and management. Direct involvement with supporting minority political administrations. Management skills of the highest order, specifically: the ability to think and plan strategically; the ability to set and deliver realistic objectives; the ability to innovate, initiate and effectively manage sustainable change; the ability to lead and inspire teams of people; a creative and innovative approach to problem solving; the ability to prioritise the use of resources - human, financial, physical, time - to achieve objectives. Can demonstrate an experienced track record of success in leading, mobilising, deploying, motivating, developing and inspiring a wellmotivated customer-focused workforce. Evidence of ability to provide a clear overview of complex issues and provide sound, professional and reliable advice and guidance. A high degree of political sensitivity, understanding and responding to the implications of working within a political and democratically accountable organisation. Ability to gain the confidence of elected members, partners, colleagues, customers and employees. A good understanding of and commitment to diversity and health and safety in policy, service delivery and employment terms.