Interim Chief Executive
Job introduction
The upcoming departure of our current Chief Executive means we’re looking for a
dynamic, talented and ambitious senior leader with experience at the highest level in
a large and complex organisation.
This post is offered as a fixed term contract for a minimum of 6 months and until a permanent Chief Executive is appointed. Applications for secondments are welcome.
Closing Date for Applications: Thursday 23rd March 2023 (applications must be received by noon)
Shortlisting takes place and decisions notified to candidates: Friday 24th March 2023
Interviews will take place on 27th and/or 28th March 2023. Shortlisted candidates must be available on these dates due to the short timescales for appointment. The appointment of the successful candidate will be subject to approval of Full Council at a meeting on 30th March 2023.
Please note the interviews may be subject to change.
About the role
It’s a fantastic opportunity to lead a local authority in one of the best places to live and
work in the UK with a budget of almost £1 billion and 9,000 staff.
Not only is Brighton & Hove a major economic, social and cultural force in the southeast
region, we have a vibrant, dynamic, diverse and proud community that makes the
city so unique.
We host England’s largest arts and culture festival and one of Europe’s biggest
LGBTQ+ Pride festivals plus hundreds more events throughout the year including the
Brighton Marathon.
We also have fantastic restaurants, bars and shopping, and with our beautiful seafront
to the south and the rolling Downs to the north, we attract no less than 11 million
visitors a year as a worldwide destination of choice.
If all that doesn’t whet your appetite for the role, The Sunday Times recently named
Brighton & Hove the UK’s ‘best seafront city,’ while the travel magazine Condé Nast
Traveller highlighted that our special city is one of the friendliest in the UK.
The recent Centre for Cities think tank report states we’re the 2nd highest in the
country for business start-ups, 9th lowest for hidden unemployment, 6th highest for
innovation and new economy businesses and 3rd for emissions per capita.
Of course there are major issues that need to be tackled, including a wealth divide in
the city through having some of the most deprived areas in the country along with
some of the wealthiest.
However, along with our many partners, we are determined to narrow the gap and ensure
all our residents have the opportunities to work, learn and be as healthy as possible.
Despite this being an interim position, there are major but incredibly interesting and
rewarding challenges ahead for the successful applicant.
As well as being the driving force for the local authority, you’ll continue to steer the
organisation and its hard-working, dedicated staff through a period of significant
change and challenge until the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive.
Crucially, councillors have just agreed one of our most difficult ever budgets and there
are important local elections in May. We must also continue addressing the cost-of living
crisis and recovery from Covid-19 as well as working towards our goal to become
carbon neutral by 2030 and taking action on the climate and biodiversity emergency.
Following the election, there will be new corporate priorities to implement as well as taking
a leading role in shaping the culture and organisational development of the council.
This includes keeping Our People Promise, becoming an anti-racist council and
achieving our aim to be a fair and inclusive place to work for all our staff.
You will of course be at the forefront in ensuring we continue delivering the best
possible services for our residents, businesses and visitors as well as staff.
You will:
- be an experienced, visible leader and people person
- have vision, be strategic, be innovative with the ability to develop and maintain trust
- have fantastic motivational skills to drive significant culture change
- be able to build relationships with trade unions, city partners, government departments, businesses, the voluntary sector, our diverse communities and other stakeholder organisations
- have the skills and experience of working with Members of all political groups
If this sounds like you, why not apply.
For an informal conversation about the role with current Chief Executive, Geoff
Raw please email CEO@brighton-hove.gov.uk or call 01273 291132 for this to
be arranged or contact Alison McManamon, Director of HR & Organisational
Development email alison.mcmanamon@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
This role is politically restricted. For further information on what this means for employees in post, please click on the document attachment below.
Please read our Apply for a job at the council (brighton-hove.gov.uk) pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.
As part of your application, you will need to upload your CV and a supporting statement. Your supporting statement is the most important part of your application as it will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (CV guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) and Supporting statement guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.
Additional information
Work Permits: This role does not meet the requirement for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Points-based Immigration System. Successful candidates will need to evidence that they have the Right to Work in the UK.
Part office / part home – hybrid - We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining.
For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us (brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Company information
Encouraging a diverse workforce
Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.
Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).