Chief Operating Officer

West-Norfolk; King's Lynn; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in King's Lynn is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to drive transformation and operational excellence across key services. This influential role requires a leader who can strategically inspire change and strengthen community ties through effective management and innovative practices. Your leadership will directly impact residents' lives, ensuring high-quality service delivery while fostering commercial opportunities. Ideal candidates will bring strategic thinking and visible leadership to shape the future of local governance.

Qualifications

• Authentic and inclusive leadership with a collaborative approach.
• Ability to deliver results that improve lives and strengthen communities.
• Experience in unlocking value from key assets for commercial benefits.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership as Chief Operating Officer.
• Drive operational excellence in frontline services.
• Champion a culture of accountability and innovation.
• Foster partnerships and inspire change at scale.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Influencing at the highest level

Collaboration

Commercial acumen

Job description

We’re setting our sights high transforming our services with ambition and putting our communities at the heart of everything we do.

This is a pivotal moment for us. As Chief Operating Officer, you will be a key member of our Executive Leadership Team, providing strategic oversight of a significant proportion of our workforce and leading the frontline services that residents rely on every day. This is a big, influential, and exciting role one where you will see real-world results, drive visible improvements, and help shape the future of local government.

Alongside delivering operational excellence, you will provide visible leadership across diverse service areas, championing a culture of accountability, innovation, and high performance. You will also be instrumental in driving commercial opportunities across our leisure centres, theatre, and extensive property portfolio, ensuring these assets are used creatively and sustainably to benefit our communities and strengthen our financial resilience.

With responsibility for frontline delivery, you will be at the forefront of making tangible differences to people’s lives seeing firsthand how your leadership translates into better experiences and outcomes for our residents.

But this role is about more than managing operations. It’s about inspiring change, fostering strong partnerships, and steering transformation at scale. You will bring strategic clarity, resilience, and a collaborative mindset to help us deliver on our bold vision for the borough.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Thinks strategically and influences confidently at the highest level
• Leads with authenticity, inclusion, visible leadership, and a spirit of collaboration
• Delivers results that improve lives and strengthen communities
• Brings commercial acumen to unlock value and maximise the potential of our key assets

If you’re ready to take on a role with real impact one where your leadership will shape services, empower people, and help define the future of our borough we would love to hear from you

How to apply

See below for the full job details before you apply.

Application is through a CV together with a supporting statement.Please note to ensure all information you wish to be considered is uploaded, please save as one document before submitting.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Kate Blakemore via the PAs [e-mail]

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, 26 January 2026