Located in the heart of Suffolk, the districts of Babergh and Mid Suffolk enjoy incredible landscapes, including two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, coastal scenes and conservation areas. Babergh is part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, which includes the Stour and Orwell estuaries, a site of European nature conservation interest, and Dedham Vale and Stour Valley AONB.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are at the forefront of joint working and are a progressive, award-winning partnership. Serving 197,592 residents across our two districts, we are two sovereign councils, each with a strong sense of identity, but with a shared vision of the future. We have integrated our two councils’ workforces and were one of the first districts nationally to move to a joint headquarters, creating a public sector hub with our health partners and Suffolk County Council colleagues. We are active founding partners of the Suffolk Alliances, bringing together commissioners and providers to improve shared health, wellbeing, social and economic outcomes for our communities with a single vision and shared delivery plans.

Following a period of growth and development across the two councils, we have recently reshaped our joint senior leadership team and are now looking for three new Directors to accelerate us to the next level. We seek a new Director of Communities & Wellbeing to lead services across the areas of community development, wellbeing, community safety and leisure services. As Director, you will actively champion the importance of health and wellbeing for our communities and drive forward our plans to support all our people.

You will be an inspirational, transformational strategic system-leader, with a proven track record of delivering performance improvement and excellent outcomes. You will be a successful collaborator, who models and embeds a culture of collaboration and is a leader of people and place. You will constantly want to develop yourself and others and take an evidence-based and asset-based approach, empowering local communities by ‘doing with rather than doing to’. Working closely with councillors, senior stakeholders and key partners both internally and across the county, your ability to negotiate, influence and advocate will be key to success in this role. Ultimately, you will build resilient relationships to ensure the successful delivery of our community and wellbeing strategies to improve the lives of our people.

Whilst we’re open-minded about your background, you will ideally have some experience and/or an understanding of the local government context and an awareness of the complexities of the National Health Service. However, what’s important is your ability to innovate and invigorate your portfolio services to take Babergh & Mid Suffolk to new heights. As a strong operational and strategic leader, you will set the future vision for your services and develop and motivate your expert teams to ensure we’re all fit for the future.

By working together, we know we can accelerate Babergh and Mid Suffolk towards a brighter, more sustainable and enriching future – we’re doubly certain of that.

For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact our recruitment partners at Tile Hill: Helen Anderson (07534 602845), Greg Hayes (07423 243415) or Anita Denton (07725 554802).

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 7^th August 2022

To apply please click the Apply Now link below.