Head of Client

West Midlands Combined Authority; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

EV car benefit

Healthcare plans

Employee discounts

Job summary

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) seeks an experienced Head of Client to lead WMCA’s Bus Company client function. You will coordinate governance, finance, safety and communications, connecting colleagues across the Bus Company, TfWM and WMCA’s corporate shareholder function to support informed decision-making.

You will be the primary contact for Bus Company activity, managing the strategic relationship and providing assurance and recommendations to senior leaders.

Qualifications

• Experience managing senior stakeholder relationships and credibility with senior leaders and boards.
• Ability to operate in formal governance, board reporting and secretariat environments.
• Strong political, commercial and organisational judgement.

Responsibilities

• Serve WMCA as primary point of contact for Bus Company activity.
• Coordinate engagement between Bus Company and WMCA operational leads.
• Maintain oversight of actions, issues, risks and governance insights.
• Escalate critical issues to the Bus Company Board with clear analysis.
• Prepare and coordinate board papers, briefs and reporting for decisions.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Governance

Board reporting

Strategic relationship

Tools

Governance tools

Job description

We are looking for an experienced leader to join Transport for West Midlands as Head of Client, taking operational leadership of WMCA's Bus Company client function.

This is a highly visible role that will connect colleagues across the Bus Company, TfWM, governance, finance, safety, communications and WMCA's corporate shareholder function. You will provide the coordination, challenge and assurance needed to support effective ownership oversight and well-informed decision-making.

What you will be doing.

As Head of Client, you will become WMCA's primary point of contact for Bus Company activity and manage the strategic relationship between the organisations.

• Coordinate working-level engagement between the Bus Company and WMCA operational leads.
• Maintain oversight of key activity, actions, issues and risks.
• Identify and investigate critical issues requiring escalation to the Bus Company Board.
• Ensure Board-level decisions are supported by clear operational, financial and governance insight.
• Act as Board Secretary, supporting the Chair with governance, agendas, papers and decision‑making requirements.
• Coordinate Board reporting and escalation materials.
• Work closely with governance colleagues and the corporate shareholder function to support effective governance.
• Monitor and analyse Bus Company financial performance and support oversight of its business plan.
• Provide professional advice, recommendations and assurance to senior leaders.
• Lead, manage and develop managers and specialist colleagues.
• Drive service improvement, risk management and high-quality operational delivery.

What's essential.

You will already be comfortable working across organisational boundaries, bringing together different perspectives and influencing colleagues and stakeholders without necessarily having direct line authority.

You'll need substantial experience of managing complex senior stakeholder relationships and the credibility to operate effectively with senior leaders, Board members, Elected Members, operational leads and external partners.

We are particularly looking for evidence of:

• Operating successfully within formal governance, Board reporting, secretariat or corporate decision‑making environments.
• Strong stakeholder management, networking and influencing.
• Sound political, commercial and organisational judgement.
• Managing complex, fast‑moving or sensitive issues.
• Interpreting operational and financial information and translating it into clear advice.
• Budget, resource, risk, governance and compliance management.
• Effective operational and people leadership.
• Leading improvement, change or transformation.
• Producing clear Board papers, briefings and senior‑level communications.
• Constructive challenge and effective decision‑making in a matrix environment.

Experience within the bus sector, passenger transport or a comparable regulated operational environment would be advantageous but is listed as desirable rather than essential. Understanding of public‑sector governance and accountability frameworks is also desirable.

Location.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year‑on‑year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing, and mortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e‑bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big‑name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a Costco membership through the WMCA.
• Boundless unlocks unlimited entry to top‑rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• Eye Care Scheme, offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser‑focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters, your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people's lives, every day.

Our Values and Behaviours.

• Collaborative - We work as one organisation. Together we build trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and residents to create the biggest impact for our region.
• Driven - We are focused on outcomes. We perform at our best to unlock productivity and delivery, achieving the greatest regional impact.
• Inclusive - We value difference. Creating an environment where people belong, and feel psychologically safe, so we can all thrive and shape a West Midlands built for everyone.
• Innovative - We are courageous. We embrace new ideas and challenge the status quo to continuously improve and shape the future of the West Midlands.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We're a Disability Confident Employer with 'Leader' status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.

We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not ask about criminal convictions at the initial application stage, and will only ask after an offer is made as part of our onboarding checks, which helps us remove barriers for people with past convictions and supporting fair opportunities for all.

We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying.

Sponsorship / Right to work requirements

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. As part of our commitment to supporting inclusive growth across the West Midlands, we are keen to attract talented individuals who can contribute to the region's future success.

For roles that meet the relevant skill and sponsorship requirements, we are also pleased to consider applications from overseas candidates who may