leader

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council; Dudley; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Dudley Council is seeking a senior leader to shape and lead the Corporate Operations & Support function, overseeing executive support, FOI coordination and governance. You will drive a modern operating model and strategic corporate coordination across a broad portfolio.

You will lead a large, diverse function, managing resources around £5m, champion digital solutions, process improvement and a one-council approach to operations and support.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience within a large, complex public sector or similarly complex organisation.
• Experience designing and implementing modern operating models and standardising services.
• Strong knowledge of corporate governance, organisational processes and regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrable experience of leading service transformation and the use of digital technology and automation.
• Credibility and judgement to influence senior officers, elected members and external stakeholders.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness with experience managing significant budgets and capacity.
• Commitment to developing high-performing teams and a professional, customer-focused culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Council's Corporate Business Operations & Support function and set a modern operating model.
• Build clear standards and flexible deployment of resources where needed.
• Strengthen corporate coordination and governance with visible meetings, plans and actions.
• Provide high-quality support for senior leaders and elected members, including executive support and enquiries.
• Oversee Freedom of Information coordination and statutory compliance.
• Drive process improvement to remove duplication and enhance efficiency.
• Champion digital technology, data and automation to improve productivity and information quality.
• Create a resilient, professional, customer-focused function with scalable capacity.
• Provide authoritative advice on corporate operations and processes.
• Embed performance, risk, governance and assurance across the function.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Public sector leadership

Operating model design

Corporate governance

Service transformation

Digital automation

Stakeholder influence

Budget management

Team development

Job description

Dudley Council is seeking an outstanding senior leader to shape and lead our new Corporate Business Operations & Support function at an important point in the Council's improvement and transformation journey. This is a significant corporate leadership role with visibility across the organisation, working closely with senior officers, elected members and services. You will lead a large and diverse function responsible for providing the organisational infrastructure, coordination and support that enables the Council to operate effectively. You will have responsibility for a broad portfolio spanning executive and business support, corporate governance and forward planning, member and mayoral support, Freedom of Information coordination, organisational processes, records and information management, corporate events and wider organisational coordination.

The Opportunity As Business Operations & Corporate Support Lead, you will:

• Lead the Council's Corporate Business Operations & Support function, providing visible leadership to a large corporate service managing resources of around £5m.
• Develop and embed a modern corporate business support operating model, creating clear standards, consistent ways of working and a flexible approach to deploying resources where they are needed most.
• Strengthen corporate coordination and governance - ensuring key meetings, decisions, forward plans, actions and organisational activity are effectively managed and visible.
• Lead high-quality support arrangements for senior leaders and elected members, including executive support, member enquiries, mayoral and civic activity and wider corporate requirements.
• Oversee the Council's arrangements for Freedom of Information requests, ensuring effective coordination, statutory compliance and strong corporate standards.
• Drive process and systems improvement - simplifying activity, removing duplication and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and customer experience.
• Champion digital technology, automation, data and emerging solutions to improve productivity, collaboration and the quality of management information.
• Build a resilient, professional and customer-focused function that can flex capacity in response to changing organisational priorities.
• Provide authoritative advice and constructive challenge on corporate business operations, organisational processes and support arrangements.
• Embed strong performance, risk, governance and assurance arrangements, ensuring the function delivers demonstrable quality, value for money and organisational impact., This role offers a rare opportunity to shape a significant part of the Council's corporate infrastructure and establish a modern, resilient and high-performing business operations and support function.

Your leadership will directly influence how effectively the organisation operates - strengthening corporate coordination, improving the experience of senior leaders, elected members, services and colleagues, and ensuring our resources are deployed effectively against the Council's priorities. You will also have the opportunity to modernise the service, making better use of technology, data and automation while developing a more flexible and consistent One Council approach to business operations and support. If you are ready to operate at corporate scale, lead a substantial organisational function and play a key role in Dudley's continued improvement and transformation journey, we would welcome your application.

We are seeking a high-calibre senior leader with:

• Significant leadership experience within a large, complex public sector or similarly complex organisation.
• A strong track record of leading large, diverse operational or corporate support functions and delivering high-quality services at scale.
• Experience of designing and implementing modern operating models, standardising services and improving organisational ways of working.
• Strong knowledge of corporate governance, business operations, organisational processes and regulatory or statutory requirements.
• Demonstrable experience of leading service transformation, process improvement and the effective use of digital technology and automation.
• The credibility and judgement to influence senior officers, elected members and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness, with experience of managing significant budgets, resources and organisational capacity.
• A clear commitment to developing high-performing teams, strengthening accountability and creating a professional, responsive and customer-focused culture.

You will combine strategic leadership with strong operational grip - able to see the organisation as a whole while ensuring the corporate processes, systems and support arrangements underpinning it work effectively every day.

About Dudley Council It's an incredibly exciting time to work in Dudley Council as we embark on numerous multi-million pound regeneration schemes which will be real game-changers for the borough. In addition to the exciting schemes such as the Midland Metro we also have the ongoing and very serious challenges of ensuring vulnerable people across the borough receive the services they deserve. At Dudley Council we have a 'one council' ethos that builds an effective and dynamic organisation which grows the economy and creates jobs, creating a cleaner and greener place and supports stronger and safer communities. We are rightly proud to be the historic capital of the Black Country and, working with our partners, Dudley Council is also committed to looking forward and helping to deliver our borough vision of 'Forge a Future for all' www.dudleyboroughvision2030.org.uk We ensure communities influence council decisions and are committed to delivering services in partnership with communities. We provide flexible and responsive service in partnership and help communities help themselves. In joining a local authority that serves 320,000 residents you will become an integral part of a council that:

• is ready to embrace change, providing an environment in which you will be encouraged to make your mark
• is aware of its key challenges and the need for a new energy to innovate the council, in order to find cost effective ways of delivering services
• has aligned its political and managerial leadership structures and is committed to protecting, securing and transforming the lives of children, families, the vulnerable and older people
• wants borough residents to have their say through our community forums
• dedicates time to meaningful consultation and listen to the views of our residents
• is working with the community to encourage active involvement of our residents