The Role
Corporate Director of Legal and Governance
Peterborough City Council
£101,900 - £121,707 p.a.
The Council
Peterborough is a city of opportunity with a positive future and there has never been a better time to work for our council. We’re the second fastest growing city in the UK a place with prospects, potential and great ambition for our residents. An explosion of growth is taking place here which will benefit everyone who lives, works and spends time in our city. Cranes, scaffolding, and new buildings emerging on our skyline are a common sight – with plenty more schemes currently being planned.
Our new university opened in 2022 with phases two and three currently under construction, a new Government hub now sits across the road from the council offices, and we are progressing plans for a reimagined Station Quarter which has received £48m Levelling Up funding. We’ve also just launched our new Investment Prospectus, which describes multiple investment opportunities to drive forward a new growth vision for the city designed to benefit everyone.
In 2022 we launched our new Corporate Strategy and City Priorities, setting out what we are striving to achieve for our city and our residents in four key areas.
As an organisation we are focussed on being the best employer that we can be. We’ve launched a new set of Corporate Values, committing us all to ensuring we are transparent, inclusive, innovative, respectful, collaborative, and always acting with integrity.
We offer an attractive set of staff benefits including generous annual leave, flexible working, enhanced maternity and paternity pay, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, salary sacrifice schemes including car leasing and a cycle to work scheme and the chance to complete volunteering days in the community.
Overall, we’re on an impressive improvement journey and have taken huge strides forward in our finances, governance, and the culture in the past two years, confirmed by our Independent Improvement Panel.
The Role
As Director of Legal and Governance, you will be a key member of the corporate leadership team and report to the Chief Executive. In this role you will play a lead role in creating a sustainable future city council, leading the strategic management of the council, continuing the drive for change, and helping define our future direction and culture, through influencing key stakeholders and delivering modern governance improvements to raise our reputation, locally, nationally, and internationally.
More specifically you will be the council’s Monitoring Officer and lead advisor on all matters relating to constitutional services; and be accountable for legal services, democratic services, electoral and constitutional services, and information governance. In this crucial role you will provide sound and clear advice and support councillors and officers to successfully deliver our priorities.
As part of our improvement journey, we are reviewing all our contracts and commercial entities and you will play a key role in this process, ensuring there are robust governance arrangements in place. You will also support our politicians from all political groups to improve collaboration with one another, leading to an improved political culture overall.
You will collaborate with other partners in the wider city and regional governance systems; building strong external relationships to certify robust and transparent governance arrangements for the council and make the most of opportunities for residents and communities.
Find Out More
For a confidential discussion contact Zara Bruton on 07743 980867 or Julie Towers on 07764 791736.
Closing Date - 21st February 2024 Midnight
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