Role Profile - Executive Director, Corporate Resources

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Role responsibilities and main duties

  • Lead and develop the wider corporate risk strategy for the council, ensuring that all parts of the organisation are managing risk effectively and that this is monitored and reported regularly
  • To provide strategic advice and guidance to the organisation and Members for the allocated areas of responsibility
  • Ensure all projects are fully financially assessed in terms of viability, funding requirements and to manage and mitigate risk effectively and keep programmes within budget.
  • Represent the organisation at high level with company chairs, CEOs and directors, and on external boards
  • Build and manage collaborative partnerships to deliver against the council’s priorities
  • To attend and present as required at Board meetings and stakeholder groups and represent the Council at public meetings
  • To provide leadership, direction and management to the Directorate ensuring the delivery of efficient and effective services to customers aligned to members’ priorities and budgets as set out in the Corporate Plan.
  • Support the Chief Executive in ensuring effective corporate governance and operational delivery across the organisation.
  • Drive a sustainable and deliverable financial strategy across the organisation. Lead and facilitate effective senior leadership team engagement and ownership of strategic financial strategic planning and integrated business and resource planning to support delivery of high quality services and priority projects
  • Responsible for the development and delivery of the council’s corporate change programme and efficiency agenda to ensure delivery of savings identified within the Council’s Mid-term Financial Strategy and improved outcomes from citizen focused services.
  • Develop organisational capacity and skills for change across council services, working with the Head of Service for Business Improvement to sustain a high performance culture and mindset of ambition, innovation and pace to deliver current and future change projects.
  • Support the implementation of the Council’s People Strategy, closely aligned to our change programme, to ensure the values, behaviours and skillsets are developed to promote inclusion and values difference, high performance, agility and innovation within the Council.
  • Corporate lead on effective governance and clienting arrangements to support success of the council’s wholly owned companies
  • To be the council appointed Director to the Council’s wholly owned Direct Services Companies (Oxford Direct Services Ltd)

Corporate Responsibilities

  • To lead corporate projects in accordance with the Council’s agreed methodology.
  • To be a member of the Corporate Management Team, collectively setting and driving strategic direction, creating the conditions for everyone to perform at their best and contributing to the development and implementation of policies and strategies that will optimise service delivery to customers.
  • To develop and implement performance and service planning frameworks that challenge and seek continuous improvement of services and which are sufficiently flexible to respond to changing needs and priorities.
  • To formulate, implement and evaluate innovative areas of partnership working to maximise service delivery for the benefit of the wider community.
  • To ensure that services are planned and developed to meet the Council’s statutory obligations and required changes are incorporated into council plans and meet the expectations of members, partners and the wider community.
  • To act in accordance with all appropriate legislation, council’s standing orders and regulations and code of conduct and to advise the Chief Executive and members as necessary.
  • To promote positively the achievements of the Council and its partners at every opportunity and in appropriate arenas at national, regional and local levels.
  • To demonstrate and model the Council’s vision, values, objectives and performance to staff and ensure that they are given an opportunity to contribute to improvement of services and outcomes for customers.
  • To be a champion for equalities and diversity principles, ensuring that they are integrated into all aspects of service delivery so that the needs of the whole community are met.
  • To ensure effective corporate governance, including the identification, reporting and monitoring corporate and directorate risks and health and safety.
  • To work positively with external regulation and inspection agencies to encourage improvement in council services.

Note : The range of service responsibilities may vary over time, but it is envisaged that at the commencement of this role the direct management responsibility will include Finance, Law & Governance, HR, IT, performance reporting, effective company governance and transformation programmes.

The duties and responsibilities set out in this role profile are indicative of the role.  They are however, subject to change and you will be required from time to time to undertake other duties commensurate with your grade.

Our commitment to Safeguarding

Oxford City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and requires all staff and volunteers to demonstrate this commitment in every aspect of their work.

Who we are looking for

Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of demonstrating that they fulfil the following criteria in their application form and should include clear examples of how they meet these criteria.

Each of the criteria below will be measured through, the application form (A), interview (I), test/exercise (T) or documentation (D).

Essential Criteria A I T D
Educated to degree level or equivalent x x
High level of commercial and financial acumen with a particular focus on delivering savings and income targets. x x
Significant experience in a senior management position in  a related field / sector x x
Experience of developing and implementing transformation and service delivery programmes to drive efficiency and improve service outcomes. x x
Understanding of effective company governance, experience of being a company Director, developing and driving ambitious and successful business plans
Expert knowledge in some of the key areas of allocated responsibility x
Experience of managing and leading organisational and cultural change x x
Highly developed leadership, stakeholder management and critical thinking skills. x x
Exceptional communication and negotiation skills.  Able to represent the organisation at high level with company chairs, CEOs and directors, and on external boards x
Experience of working in and managing collaborative partnerships to deliver large scale projects x x
Understanding of and ability to work within the governance model of a council and experience of working with elected members on strategic and major service issues. x
An appreciation of innovation in technology how it can be used to improve outcomes, efficiency and promote inclusion
Experience of putting together and managing high performing teams to deliver successful outcomes x x
Highly developed project and programme management skills, including the ability to write business cases and project briefs x x
Strong budget and risk management skills x
Evidence of continuing professional development x x
Desirable Criteria A I T D
Management qualification x x

Notes to candidates

In addition to the above criteria, Oxford City Council has developed and embedded a suite of values and behaviours. Full details of these can be found on our web page, under Working for Us.  Please familiarise yourself with these values and behaviours.  If you are invited for interview you will be asked questions based on them.

Timetable

Activity
Timings
Applications Close
Sunday 14 November 2021 at 23:55
Longlist meeting
Monday 22 November 2021
Preliminary interviews
Friday 26 November 2021
Shortlist meeting
Thursday 9 December 2021
Stakeholder Panels and Final Panel Interviews
Friday 17 December 2021