Job Description: Corporate Director

Job Description: Corporate Director

Role Profile and Person Specification

Job Description:Director of Strategy
Grade: Chief Officer /

Post No:

Responsible to: Chief Executive
Dimensions:
Financial:
Direct resources 2011/12: £1.6m
Indirect 2011/12:Variable; related to leadership of partnership resources and programmes of work, e.g. c£6m Low Carbon Living; c£1m Local Economic Partnership
Non-Financial
Directly:25.2 FTE staff
Indirectly:c45 staff in partner organisations (but this resource flexes according to work programme requirements)

Job Purpose

This post is the strategic lead on:
  1. Corporate Planning
  2. Corporate Policy
  3. Performance Management:
  4. Performance Improvement
  5. Partnership Working
  6. Communications
  7. Economic Development and Inward Investment
The post also provides general support for Chief Executive in managing the Chief Executive’s Department, and in managing the political interface.
As a member of the Corporate Leadership Team, the post has collaborative and individual responsibilities, in which the key elements are to shape the strategic direction of the Council and to ensure delivery of its priorities.
As an integral part of this corporate role, and on behalf of the Council as a whole, the post provides strategic direction to a range of functions and ensures their effective performance, actively fostering collaborative working across services and organisations to improve outcomes:
  • Corporate Plan
  • Continuous Performance Improvement
  • Community Strategy
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Economic Development
  • Equalities & Cohesion
/
  • Central Government Liaison
  • MKC Relationships & Profile
  • Public Relations
  • Strategic & Corporate Communications
  • Organisational Change & Development

Statutory Responsibilities
Through effective leadership and management of direct and indirect resources, the post ensures that:
a)The Council meets all statutory requirements in respect of its governance arrangements within all aspects of the Director of Strategy, Economy and Improvement remit.
b)All statutory and inspection requirements within the Chief Executive’s Office are met.
c)Effective preparations are made to meet changes.
This job profile will be supplemented by annual key tasks, to be developed in conjunction with the post holder via the formal performance appraisal process. The Council reserves the right to amend or add to the core responsibilities.
Key Tasks
1 / Lead the corporate planning process, provide the strategic steer for the Corporate Plan, pull together and articulate a clear overall set of objectives for the organisation, and drive effective and consistent service planning across the organisation as a whole.
2 / Lead on major cross-cutting policy issues; support the management and forward planning of the CLT strategic agenda; promote organisational development, lead and implement change.
3 / Lead and develop the Council’s approach to performance management: oversee the development of effective corporate processes to monitor, manage and report service and corporate performance.
4 / Lead and develop the performance improvement agenda, oversee the co-ordination of sustained performance improvement across the organisation.
5 / Build, develop and maintain effective strategic relationships with strategic partners (locally and sub-regionally), liaise to ensure maximum alignment between their activities and the delivery of the Council's objectives.
6 / Lead and develop the Councils approach to city marketing; evaluate options and initiatives to develop and promote the city and raise its profile with external audiences.
7 / Lead and oversee external and internal communications/public relations to ensure all audiences are appropriately engaged and informed.
8 / Lead economic development and inward investment, steer and support the implementation of the city’s Economic Development Strategy, and secure the buy-in and support of local and sub-regional stakeholders.
9 / Lead specific strategic projects: e.g. University Centre MK and Low Carbon Living,that support achievement of the Council’s priorities, and others that have council-wide implications.
10 / Build strong productive relationships with elected Members of all parties;provide impartial and objective support and advice to elected members, including the executive and scrutiny functions, and maintain theconfidentiality of that advice where appropriate.
11 / In addition to the strategic leadership roles described above, deputise for the Chief Executive in the following areas:
  • Member relations and support
  • Partnership working in Milton Keynes, and regionally, with overall responsibility for the Sustainable Community Strategy.
  • Representing the Council nationally as required
  • The giving of advice and support to the Leader of the Council
  • At Leaders’ meetings
  • In relation to regional bodies, in conjunction with Corporate Directors in relation to service specific matters

12 / Ensure the application of corporate systems and frameworks to meet corporately agreed standards for managing people, budgets, services and risks; fulfil the requirements of the manager role in Milton Keynes Council, including:
  • provide leadership and effective performance management to senior managers and staff
  • attend and contribute to corporate development events for managers
  • produce and monitor implementation of annual service plans
  • ensure all staff have annual appraisals and produce and implementation of an annual training plan for the service
  • ensure effective two way communication with staff
  • meet health and safety requirements, including regular scheduled inspections
  • effective monitoring and control of budgets within the department
  • ensure the department meets corporate equalities requirements; promote the council’s equalities and diversity policies within the organisation and in all aspects of the role.

Person Specification
Education and Training
E / A / A degree or relevant professional qualification.
E / A / Post-graduate management qualification or significant evidence of management development.
E / A / Substantial evidence of continuing professional development.
Experience
E / A / Substantial experience as a senior manager, in a large complex organisation, with extensive knowledge of key local government issues and statutory requirements.
E / A / Substantial evidence of successful contributions to corporate management including the development and effective implementation of community and corporate strategies and policies, and the mainstreaming of crosscutting issues within them.
E / A / Significant evidence of productive joint working with other agencies on significant multi-agency initiatives
Key Competencies
Application form & Interview / Provides direction
  • Develops the strategic agenda for the community, the organisation and the department, with a strong intellectual grasp of political developments and current thinking in the areas of policy and service provision.
  • Uses knowledge and understanding of the political environment to influence strategy and outcomes positively
  • Provides leadership to the organisation and the department
  • Leads and communicates with people to gain commitment and align their efforts and energies with strategic plans and priorities
  • Provides governance and ensures statutory obligations are met

Application form & Interview / Facilitates change
  • Promotes and actively supports innovation
  • Generates and applies innovative and creative solutions to strategic issues
  • Drives service improvement; promotes, leads, manages and evaluates change programmes and projects

Application form & Interview / Achieves results
  • Leads the department to achieve community and performance focussed goals and meet customer needs
  • Leads the development, and monitors and maintains the implementation, of robust performance management systems
  • Leads cross-cutting programmes and projects and positions cross-cutting issues, such as equalities and social inclusion, at the heart of strategy and policy development
  • Facilitates organisational, individual and personal learning and development
  • Flexible and willing to undertake a range of tasks for the effective running of the department, willing to work the hours required for the successful completion of tasks

Application form & Interview / Manages resources
  • Maintains clarity about organisational and/or partnership priorities and how to use resources to achieve them
  • Manages complex budgets in a system of devolved financial management and in the context of corporate frameworks
  • Manages risks in line with shared goals and corporate risk management principles

Application form & Interview / Works with people
  • Leads and inspires others to high standards and high levels of personal performance and service delivery
  • Ensures corporate people management standards are applied fairly and consistently
  • Builds relationships, networks and partnerships with a wide range of internal and external bodies and key partner organisations to develop and deliver the strategic agenda
  • Leads partnerships internally and externally
  • Values and promotes diversity

E = Essential criteria; A = Application form will be method of assessment

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