Thank you for your interest in West Sussex County Council and in joining our Executive Leadership Team.
There could not be a more important time for our organisation. We are on an improvement journey that places residents, customers and partners at the heart of everything we do. In the past year we have made giant leaps forward - supporting people through the COVID-19 pandemic, making significant improvements in Children’s Services and Fire and Rescue Services, and setting a new four-year corporate plan to sustain these improvements and build upon them.
In my 18 months as Chief Executive I have been hugely proud of our ongoing response to COVID-19 to support residents, staff, communities and businesses, whilst continuing our commitment to improving our organisation to design and develop fundamental services for West Sussex residents.
There is still more work to do to make these changes sustainable for the longer term and to build on our achievements, which is why the role of Assistant Chief Executive has been created and why we are looking to permanently appoint a Director of Human Resources and Organisational development. We are looking for great leaders to work closely with me and our Executive Leadership Team to lead the alignment, development and delivery of corporate centre that will drive the commitments we have made in our new council plan.
West Sussex is a great place to live and work. We are ambitious for the residents, communities and businesses of West Sussex, as well as this local authority and all our partners. We are confident that we can continue to respond positively as we deliver our improvement work. Our future success will rely on your ability to continue our positive collaboration with our staff and our wide range of partners.
If you are someone who has vision, creativity, passion and resilience with an absolute focus on innovative improvement, you will play an important part in writing the next chapter of our organisation’s history and I have no doubt that you will be very proud of what you helped achieve.
If you have the experience, skills and attitude to make either of these roles a success, and you’re prepared for the challenge that lies ahead, I look forward to exploring our journey with you further.
Becky Shaw Chief Executive
About us
West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has set itself a bold ambition via Our Council Plan. We are focused on:
keeping people safe from vulnerable situations
a sustainable and prosperous economy
helping people and communities to fulfil their potential
making the best use of resources.
We believe in collaborative working across the local government family, the wider public and private sectors. We believe in changing the lives of all our residents for the better by engaging with our residents and delivering outcomes which matter most to their lives.
As an organisation, we have a strong political commitment to improving the lives of our residents. Despite the challenges which lay ahead for our organisation, we have plans to meet these challenge ‘head on’ and this fuels our ambition to improve.
Reporting to the Chief Executive and part of the Executive Leadership Team, these will build on this progress, ensuring the centre of the organisation provides expert support to our service delivery teams and that we continue to place our residents, communities and businesses at the heart of everything we do.
This is a new role, leading the development of a strategic function at the heart of the council that brings together policy and change support, communications and performance into one team, enabling the organisation to deliver on the commitments set out in Our Council Plan.
You will lead and drive a culture of continuous improvement, creating successful relationships across the organisation and between the council and its residents, stakeholders and partners.
It’s likely you’ll have a background in corporate strategy, working closely with senior decision makers and elected politicians. Your business planning skills will help to keep progress on track and the whole organisation to deliver better outcomes for our communities.
Apply below by uploading a CV, a supporting statement (no more than four sides of A4) and complete a Candidate application and equal opportunities monitoring form.
Ensure all gaps in employment and education history are fully explained on your CV - we may wish to verify this information during the recruitment process.
Make sure you complete your application by the closing date. No applications will be accepted once the shortlisting process has begun.
For a confidential conversation, or further information regarding the role, please phone Martin Tucker or Sarah Longbottom on 01213 123 755.
Apply
To apply, please submit your CV, a supporting statement (no more than four sides of A4) and complete a Candidate application and equal opportunities monitoring form at the Assistant Chief Executive recruitment page.
Technical interviews and shortlist meeting - week commencing 13 September 2021
Provisional final interview panels - week commencing 18 October 2021
Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development
About the role
About the role
Reporting to the Chief Executive and part of the Executive Leadership Team, these will build on this progress, ensuring the centre of the organisation provides expert support to our service delivery teams and that we continue to place our residents, communities and businesses at the heart of everything we do.
This role leads the council’s strategic thinking on workforce issues; developing effective ways of implementing modern people management strategies and good practice whilst contributing to the leadership of the council as a whole.
You will lead the HR element of smarter working across the organisation as we build on our experience gained during the pandemic and sustain the benefits of modern, flexible working.
Success will see the effective resourcing and development of a skilled, engaged and empowered workforce underpinned by a supportive and inclusive culture.
An experienced Human Resources professional, you will have a track record of leading a diverse service and providing insight and advice to senior leaders in complex settings.
Apply below by uploading a CV, a supporting statement (no more than four sides of A4) and complete a Candidate application and equal opportunities monitoring form.
Ensure all gaps in employment and education history are fully explained on your CV - we may wish to verify this information during the recruitment process.
Make sure you complete your application by the closing date. No applications will be accepted once the shortlisting process has begun.
For a confidential conversation, or further information regarding the role, please phone Jason Wheatley on 02036 671 235, or Martin Tucker or Sarah Longbottom, both on 01213 123 755.
Apply
To apply, please submit your CV, a supporting statement (no more than four sides of A4) and complete a Candidate application and equal opportunities monitoring form at the Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development recruitment page.
Technical interviews and shortlist meeting - week commencing 13 September 2021
Provisional final interview panels - week commencing 1 November 2021
West Sussex
The county of West Sussex sits on the south coast of England. It covers 768 square miles and is predominately rural in character, but with large administrative and economic centres in Chichester, Horsham, Crawley, Bognor Regis and Worthing. Contained within the South Downs National Park is some of the country’s most beautiful countryside, as well as some of England’s most picturesque villages.
If you love outdoor activities, then this is the county for you. The coast from West Wittering to Worthing offers stunning beaches and the opportunity for kite surfing, sailing and kayaking, while the South Downs are a rambler’s paradise. We also hold some of the country’s finest events:
Cowdray Park is the home of British polo
Goodwood Festival of Speed
Glorious Goodwood
Goodwood Revival.
If you’re a theatre goer, you can take in a show before it hits the West End at the renowned Chichester Festival Theatre.
There's something here for everyone; great shops, lovely homes and a better quality of life. We're also surprisingly well connected with good transport links to London, Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton, and Gatwick Airport in the north of the county offers excellent national and international connections.
So, think you know West Sussex? One should never judge a book by its cover...
