Job Description

Job info	Job info details
Job title	Divisional Director Corporate Services (Interim)
Strategic team/Directorate	Corporate Services
Service	Corporate Services
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Director of Corporate Services
Accountable to (line manager)	Director of Corporate Services
Salary grade	HAY460
JE ref	HAY124

1. Key purpose of job

Responsible and accountable to the Director of Corporate Services for the strategic delivery of a broad range of functions including Business Improvement and Change, Information Governance, Policy and Community Engagement, Risk and Performance, Governance, Elections, and Registrations.

To support the Director of Corporate Services as requested in the strategic delivery of Business Improvement and Change, Information Governance, Policy and Community Engagement, Risk and Performance, Governance, Elections, and Registrations.
To be a member of the Council’s Senior Leadership Team providing strategic leadership to facilitate the best outcomes for Torbay by:

Collaborating as SLT, within teams, across departments and with partners,
Being future focused,
Being adaptable,
Putting people at the centre of everything we do – both our staff and customers.

To do this by:

Working with Members and overseeing the good governance of the Council,
Providing corporate direction and communicating this clearly,
Confronting budget issues and challenging our performance,
Supporting and challenging our colleagues in a safe environment to help tackle issues and develop opportunities,
Getting the best out of our teams and individuals,
Embedding our organisational values in everything we do.
To lead a problem-solving approach to operational and strategic issues across the portfolio ensuring that statutory requirements are met and that opportunities for creative and innovative partnership working are maximised.
To ensure that strong and sustainable relationships are built across the portfolio area, with local and regional partners, including the community, voluntary and private sector, local business as well as other statutory bodies.
To provide strong and focused communication on all aspects relating to the portfolio to ensure that you persuade and influence others in the supporting the operational and strategic agendas of the portfolio.
To be an inspiring communicator of the Council’s vision and priorities both internally and externally, in order to promote high levels of awareness and understanding of the aims, objectives and values of the council and its achievements in delivering services to and developing its communities gaining support of these groups through sensitivity to needs and by achieving organisational goals.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

Services are delivered effectively and efficiently within the relevant professional functions, with innovative solutions for future service delivery actively explored and implemented as appropriate.
Early identification and management of major issues that may be potentially sensitive or contentious.
Issues are fully researched, comprehensively reported, provide options and all of the information needed for the Council to make decisions.
The development of an environment where all colleagues feel safe to challenge the way things are done and suggest improvement, learning from experience.
Resilient and responsive services.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
Responsible for the strategic leadership, professional development and setting of performance standards.
To ensure that services provide good value for money and are managed within allocated budgets.
To ensure the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies for the provision of the functions detailed in 1.1, which are responsive to the needs of the Council and are able to respond to changes in governmental direction and legislative change.
To anticipate the long-term impact on the Council of economic, political, environmental, social and technological developments and create joined up strategies that put into practice and support the Councils vision.
Develop an in-depth insight into customers, services, communities and markets affected by functions detailed in 1.1 and the wider public sector context.
To participate in the corporate management of the Council. To operate with other senior officers as one leadership and management team, connecting across services and drawing together strategy and delivery as appropriate.
Demonstrate the Council’s managerial leadership values and behavioural competencies – providing positive leadership, acting with openness, honesty and integrity, and instilling a clear sense of direction and priority.
To foster a “partnership” between all levels of management and promote the effective management and development of all the Council’s employees, value their contributions, develop their strengths ensuring that they are consulted, empowered, valued and motivated.
Leading people in an inclusive way to deliver strategic and operational objectives.
Early identification of risk and management of major issues that may be potentially sensitive or contentious.
Effective engagement with relevant communities.
Contribution to a culture of trust, openness and mutual respect in between officers and elected Councillors.
Promote and embed a culture of commercial awareness, ensuring that services develop the acumen to identify and develop income generating opportunities.
Sustain and improve the overall reputation of the Council and act in the best interests of Torbay through effective representation locally, regionally and nationally.
As a member of SLT to provide representation on a number of Boards across the organisation to ensure compliance and connectivity across organisational boundaries and services and to act as the Council’s SIRO and CISO.
The post holder must ensure that Health & Safety legislation and the Council’s Health & Safety requirements are complied with and monitored.
To be a named member of the SCG and TCG Emergency Planning response as required and to ensure that services have appropriate business continuity plans and emergency response procedures in place.
Lead the transformation towards using digital technologies across the Council ensuring full consideration of accessibility needs and the diverse range of end users.
Sustain and improve the overall reputation of the Council and act in the best interest of Torbay through effective representation locally, regionally and nationally.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

Responsible for all aspects of Budget development and management of the budgets of the services detailed within 1.1.
Responsible for a identifying, applying for and delivering against a range of grant funding applications and delivery of services associated with those grants

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

To undertake the supervision of the Heads of Service within the team as required and ensure the regular supervision of each team member using identified mechanisms.
To assertively and continually challenge teams and managers to improve performance.
To establish annual objectives and ensure that these are cascaded to team members, monitoring their performance through the Council’s appraisal process.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

Normal working conditions and environment

7. Physical demands of the post

Normal physical demands

8. Specific resources used by the post

Normal Resources

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

Central Government, Other Local Authorities, Other public sector organisations, The Council’s auditors, Private and voluntary organisations and employers, businesses, community and voluntary sector groups, Business Improvement Districts, Public Health England, Food Standards Agency, Health and Safety Executive

Internal

Leader, Cabinet, Members, Chief Executive, Senior staff across the Council, Trades Unions, and employees at all levels across the Council

10. Other duties

To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job
To deputise for the Director of Corporate Services when required.
To undertake improvement work that may include complex, innovative or novel initiatives, which may fall outside the normal area of work or expertise but would reasonably be commensurate with the level of seniority in the Council

Other Information

All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Childrens Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council
This post is office based at Town Hall but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.

The post is eligible for hybrid home working.
You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Divisional Director Corporate Services (Interim)
Strategic team/Directorate	Corporate Services
Service	Corporate Services

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

Ability to influence and win the confidence of a wide cross sector of people within differing organisations.
Display passion and enthusiasm for the work, helping to inspire colleagues and stakeholders to fully engage with the aims and long term vision of the organisation.
Ability to anticipate long term impacts, monitor and evaluate services and practices to ensure agreed standards are maintained and intervene constructively where necessary.
Excellent analytical and performance management skills.
First class communication, ambassadorial and media management skills – ensuring that the reputation of Torbay Council is promoted at every opportunity.
Proven ability to lead change and to support services during periods of change and development, minimising the impact on staff morale and maximising and sustaining performance improvements to a service.
Champion the importance of continuing professional development – and role model good practice in this area.
Able to create jointed up strategies that think creatively and develop innovative solutions.
Manage conflicting priorities.
High degree of customer awareness.
Achievement and performance driven.
Ability to use judgement, tact and sensitivity.
High degree of personal integrity and political awareness and sensitivity.
Able to develop, negotiate and extend challenging outcomes and goals, make complex decisions based on facts and complete tasks to a high standard.
High level of financial acumen and ability to manage budgets and control costs.
Proven effective presentation and report writing skills.
Proven commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.
Ability to personally lead organisational change and develop a “can do” culture
High level analytical skills, with the ability to exercise sound judgement and cultural sensitivity in seeking creative solutions to complex situations.
To encourage innovative thinking and challenges to the status quo, ensuring a flexible approach is taken to the development of existing and new services.
Ability to assess the effectiveness of interventions, programmes and services
Ability to develop and implement policy and strategy to secure measurable and sustained changes in outcomes.
Proven ability to lead and collaborate to improve outcomes for the community.
Ability to understand and interpret the needs of a locality and translate these into evidence based interventions.
This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

None

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

Detailed knowledge of national and regional service priorities and the requirements for their local implementation in the context of the political and operational environment.
Detailed knowledge and understanding of the role of the regulatory services and legal procedures.
Excellent understanding of how best to achieve service outcomes with proven approaches to ensuring the correct approach is taken.
A high level of knowledge and understanding of confidentiality, data protection and ethics.
Demonstrable and detailed knowledge of performance management and improvement models.
Understanding of wider local government issues and the political context and environment in which it operates.
Relevant legislation and wider issues in the context of the political and operational environment.

Desirable knowledge

None

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

Proven experience of using models of influence to shape and develop strategic plans based on needs assessment and delivery of required outcomes.
Experience of developing and implementing new ways of delivering services and innovative working practice to succeed in achieving and maintaining service improvements and achieving best outcomes for service users.
Experience of successfully planning for and contributing to relevant audit and inspection processes.
Experience of developing, designing and embedding capability and performance approaches through future horizon scanning.
Successful senior leadership role within a relevant organisation.
Experience of leading and managing complex teams and working within partnership arrangements.
Proven experience of successful project/programme management.
Experience of managing budgets.
Proven success in contributing to larger “corporate” agendas, ensuring that services are informed by the Council’s agreed economic, environmental and social priorities.
Competence and confidence in working with elected members, regulators and partners.
Proven experience of working in partnership with other statutory agencies at a senior level.
Proven experience of working with a wide range of community and voluntary sector organisation.

Desirable experience and achievements

Commercial experience in a related field
Public Sector expertise
Relevant professional experience of environmental health or other similar regulatory service.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

Educated to Degree standard or equivalent
Commitment to ongoing professional development

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

Educated Higher Degree level or equivalent
A recognised qualification in project management (e.g. Prince2) or equivalent
A recognised management qualification (e.g. ILM, Institute of Management) or equivalent at Level 5 or above

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties
Ability to accommodate unsociable hours
Ability to accommodate on-call working
Ability to accommodate occasional home-working