Director of Customers, Vulnerabilities and Governance

Suffolk Jobs Direct; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Ipswich seeks a leader to enhance service delivery, ensuring compliance and collaboration. The role involves overseeing services for residents, addressing the cost-of-living crisis, and fostering quality governance. Candidates should have a strong background in local government and a passion for innovative service improvement. Benefits include flexible working, generous leave, and health support.

Benefits

Generous leave entitlement

Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme

Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs

Private Health Care Options

Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Paid volunteering days

Flexible and hybrid working arrangements

Great learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong track record in leadership within local government or similar complex organisation.
• Experience and understanding of governance, legal frameworks, and customer service delivery.
• Commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Support the Councils' Strategic Plans by implementing service plans.
• Promote excellence in customer service across councils.
• Oversee legal and audit functions, ensuring robust governance.
• Lead the strategic coordination of services for vulnerable residents.

Skills

Leadership in local government

Governance knowledge

Customer service delivery

Cross-functional team management

Job description

Overview

The main reason for this role is to create more capacity within SLT to lead the twin priorities of Local Government Reform (LGR) and delivering the best services we can in the here and now. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will provide the organisational lead for services related to:

• Customer Experience
• Vulnerable residents
• Democratic Services
• Legal Services
• Internal Audit

You will be responsible for driving service excellence, ensuring statutory compliance, and fostering collaborative partnerships to deliver impactful outcomes for our residents and communities.

Responsibilities

• Support the Councils' Strategic Plans, by developing and implementing service plans, promoting and reporting performance regularly across the two Councils and with partners.
• Promote, lead and champion excellence in customer service, ensuring residents are able to access services across both Councils' and are dealt with in an effective and sensitive way.
• Lead the strategic coordination of services that support vulnerable residents, with a strong focus on addressing the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.
• Oversee legal and audit functions, ensuring robust governance and risk management.
• Provide leadership and oversight of democratic governance, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and statutory obligations, shaping long-term democratic engagement strategies.
• Provide high-level operational oversight of the shared legal partnership, ensuring delivery of high quality, cost-effective legal advice and representation.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to deliver transformation and improved outcomes.
• We work in a hybrid way, with a mix of office, home, and remote based working (Business need permitting). Our hybrid working arrangements support flexibility and collaboration, helping our teams to thrive.
• We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, providing opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible services for our residents.

Qualifications

• A strong track record in leadership within local government or a similar complex organisation.
• Experience and deep understanding of governance, legal frameworks, and customer service delivery.
• Ability to lead, strategically and operationally, cross-functional teams and manage external partnerships.
• Commitment and passion for innovation, transformation and continuous improvement.

About Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils

At Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils we are passionate about building communities that people want to live, work, visit and invest in. We serve around 200,000 residents across our two districts and are well known for our collaboration and partnership working across public, private and voluntary sectors. We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work, with:

• 60 conservation areas
• two National Landscapes
• many picturesque market towns

It is no surprise we are ranked among the top 50 places to live in the UK (United Kingdom).

Benefits

• Generous leave entitlement (26 days a year, rising to 31 days after 5 years).
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs.
• Private Health Care Options.
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (Business needs permitting).
• Great learning and development opportunities.