Director of City Development

Director of City Development

Salary – £116,487 - £139,874 (Grade 14)

Hours - 37 Hours per week

Contract type - Permanent, Full Time

We are looking for an outstanding and experienced leader to join our Strategic Executive Board as Director of City Development. This is a pivotal role at the heart of our organisation, responsible for shaping and delivering the Council’s strategic priorities and driving forward an ambitious programme of regeneration and transformation.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact – leading major development programmes, supporting economic growth, and delivering lasting benefits for our communities.

About the role

As Director of City Development, you will:

• Provide strategic leadership as a member of the Council's senior leadership team Strategic Executive Board (SEB).
• Lead and deliver major regeneration programmes, including high-profile capital projects and development sites.
• Drive organisational transformation and change, embedding a culture of continuous improvement.
• Oversee key service areas including:
  • Assets
  • City Planning
  • City Development
  • Green Cities and Circular Economy
  • Special projects including the Green Innovation Corridor
• Develop innovative and commercial approaches to service delivery and commissioning.
• Build strong partnerships with regional, national and private sector stakeholders.
• Ensure effective management of significant financial, people and physical resources to deliver value for money.

You will also play a key role in shaping policy, advising elected members, and supporting the Council’s long-term vision and priorities.

About you

We are looking for a highly experienced and credible senior leader who can operate effectively at strategic level within a complex organisation.

You will bring:

• Extensive experience leading large, complex, multi-service portfolios.
• A strong track record of delivering major regeneration and capital projects.
• Proven experience of driving large-scale organisational change and transformation.
• A deep understanding of the economic, political and strategic challenges facing local government.
• Significant experience managing multi-million-pound budgets and resources.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at local, regional and national level.
• Strong commitment to partnership working, social value, and delivering outcomes for communities.

You will be someone who can think strategically, lead confidently, and deliver results in complex and often ambiguous environments.

Why join us?

This is a rare opportunity to:

• Shape the future of a growing and ambitious city.
• Lead high-impact programmes that deliver real benefits for residents and businesses.
• Work at the centre of decision-making as part of the senior leadership team.
• Drive innovation, transformation and long-term economic growth.

Interview Details

Interviews will take place on Thursday 23 July 2026 and will consist of the following:

• Stakeholder Panel
• Special Appointments Committee

As part of the recruitment process, candidates will be required to complete a Lumina Splash profile.

Should you wish to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Charlotte Johns, Executive Director, Economy at charlotte.johns@wolverhampton.gov.uk.

For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Our working arrangements

All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. 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 workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle 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 workstyle 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.

Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.

For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies, employee benefits and much more please click here.

Diversity

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 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 - Learn more about the staff equality forums here

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

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 - Learn more here

Employment Information & Support

If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here