Director of Place & Growth
Initial 12‑month contract – immediate start
£1,000 per day
Inside IR35
South East England Local Authority
Hybrid working – on‑site presence required
You will step into a critical senior leadership role providing full strategic oversight of the council’s Place & Growth portfolio. This includes economic development, regeneration, towns initiatives, skills and employment, planning oversight and strategic challenge across highways and transport. The council is seeking an experienced, politically astute Director who can bring stability, clarity and pace during a period of organisational change.
If you are a seasoned Place leader with the credibility to influence Members, drive improvement and deliver tangible outcomes for residents and businesses, this is an opportunity to move quickly on.
Your Role as Director of Place & Growth
- Providing strategic leadership across Economic Development, Regeneration, Town Centre Programmes, Employment & Skills and wider Place‑shaping functions
- Driving a proactive economic growth agenda, strengthening business engagement, inward investment and opportunities for commercial growth
- Overseeing major regeneration schemes and town‑centre programmes, ensuring strong governance, programme discipline and delivery at pace
- Providing senior challenge and assurance to Highways & Transport, embedding new ways of working, modernisation and improved service outcomes
- Offering strategic oversight to Planning services, ensuring alignment of policy, delivery and corporate priorities (operational management sits elsewhere)
- Strengthening Place partnerships with government departments, LEPs, developers, investors, Combined Authorities, transport partners and regional stakeholders
- Leading cultural and operational change across the Place directorate, embedding best practice, accountability and performance-focused service delivery
- Ensuring robust financial oversight of large capital and revenue budgets, with clear governance, risk management and corporate reporting
- Supporting major corporate programmes including transformation, devolution-related work, organisational reform and cross‑council strategic initiatives
- Acting as a key adviser to senior officers and Members, providing high‑quality briefings, political insight and professional leadership
Your Experience as Director of Place & Growth
- Extensive senior leadership experience at Director or Assistant Director level in Place, Growth, Regeneration or Economic Development within local government
- A strong track record of delivering town-centre regeneration, major growth programmes, economic strategies and partnership‑led investment
- Experience challenging and improving Highways/Transport delivery models, introducing new approaches and strengthening service performance
- Strategic understanding of planning, spatial policy and place‑shaping, with experience providing corporate assurance to planning functions
- Demonstrable success leading multi‑disciplinary teams, complex change programmes and cross‑council improvement
- Skilled stakeholder manager with credibility working with Members, MPs, senior officers, developers, investors, regional partners and government bodies
- Financially confident, with experience managing large capital programmes, investment plans and high-value service portfolios
- Politically astute, outcome‑driven and comfortable operating at pace in high‑pressure, high‑visibility environments
If you’re interested in discussing this opportunity in more detail, or know someone who may be suitable, please contact Melanie or George on 0117 313 7110 / m.machin@baltimoreconsultingltd.com or apply today.
(We offer a senior referral scheme upon successful placement of your recommendation, so please do get in touch.)
Our clients are committed to building an inclusive workforce and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Recruiting decisions are based solely on experience and capability. Any reasonable adjustments required during the application or interview process will be fully supported.
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