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To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and statement of suitability. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and statement of suitability. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

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If those don't work please email scs@levellingup.gov.uk with your application and/or CV before the submission deadline. Any applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

Short summary

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a brand-new performance body at the core of the Local Government sector. As Chief Executive, you will be responsible for building and shaping Oflog as a new office within DLUHC, overseeing the development and operation of the systems and processes necessary to ensure smooth day-to-day running of the body and delivery against its strategic objectives set by the Secretary of State.

Job description

The Chief Executive of this body will need to drive forward its strategic direction and long-term development, ensuring that it evolves in line with the Secretary of State's strategic priorities, working closely with the Chair of Oflog, Lord Morse, other government departments and the sector. They will also need to inspire and guide a range of teams and disciplines to achieve Oflog’s ambitions and vision.

With data being at Oflog’s core, the Chief Executive will oversee the delivery of a highly effective data offer that is both credible and independently derived to drive understanding of local government sector performance, conducting gap analysis to understand the long-term requirements of Oflog. They will steer teams of analysts and data technicians, particularly in identifying the data best suited to analysing local authority performance, as well as the development of technical data dashboards and interactive visualisations for use across Oflog.

The successful candidate will need to ensure that Oflog has the right people, processes and culture needed to deliver these strategic objectives. This will include establishing a high-performing multidisciplinary leadership team, overseeing the development and operation of Oflog's governance model and driving operational excellence and efficiency in service delivery through evolving the body's operating model.

As the leader of a key programme at the heart of our local government strategy, the Chief Executive will need to be visible, establishing and engaging across a broad network of stakeholders to inform and deliver the work of this new body. We are flexible on location and the successful candidate can be based out of our DLUHC offices in London, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Darlington, Bristol or Nottingham. They will be required to attend our Wolverhampton office regularly to fulfil their important leadership role.

Responsibilities

The Chief Executive is responsible for the overall running of the Office for Local Government. Specifically, this includes:

• Building and embedding the Office for Local Government as a new office within DLUHC.

• Shaping the strategic direction and long-term development of Oflog, working closely with the Chair and DLUHC SRO.

• Leading Oflogto meet its strategic priorities, including ensuring that it has the right people, systems, processes and culture in place to ensure effective day-to-day delivery.

• Ensuring that Oflog evolves in line with Ministerial priorities and achieves operational independence.

• Brokering partnerships with a broad network of stakeholders at all levels and across sectors, including local government, to shape Oflog’s development and ensure the best outcomes.

• Implementing the delivery of a credible and effective data offer and steering the development of technical data dashboards and interactive visualisations.

• Championing robust data and analytical insights across products and services.

• Driving operational excellence, efficiency in service delivery and customer satisfaction as well as ensuring value for money.

• Ensuring Oflog operates in accordance with governance, decision-making and financial management standards, including ensuring that budgets are effectively managed in line with spending controls.

These responsibilities will evolve as Oflog becomes more established.

The person

We are looking for a high-performing and experienced leader with an ability to expertly establish and lead organisations of scale and complexity, with a track record of achieving positive outcomes, value for money and efficiency in service delivery.

You will need outstanding leadership skills. You will be a dynamic leader and strategic thinker capable of leading organisational and cultural change. With experience of leading a complex organisation, you will be able to inspire and guide a range of teams and disciplines to achieve Oflog’s ambitions and vision.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of operating at Board (or equivalent) level, in either the public or private sector. They will also need strong commercial awareness and budget management, as well as broad experience of strategic, financial and business planning.

You will have the ability to engage, influence and form strong working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders at all levels, including with Ministers, across government, the local government sector and beyond. You will have excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate a variety of messages to a range of audiences and the presence and character to represent the Office for Local Government.

With robust data and analysis at the core of Oflog, you will be a data expert or have a proven track record of processing and intelligently leading on work which utilises data. You will possess strong interrogation skills in analysing and manipulating data to provide actionable insights.

We encourage individuals from across local government, the wider public sector, the voluntary sector and the private sector to apply for this opportunity, as well as existing civil servants. The role would suit someone with experience of utilising data intelligently to lead the delivery of effective outcomes and drive service improvements in a complex organisation.

As a senior leader in the Civil Service, you will also have a strong commitment to the Civil Service values of impartiality, honesty, integrity and objectivity.

Essential criteria

Leadership

• Experience of establishing and/or leading a complex organisation, being a visible and impactful leader internally and with external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with overall strategy and vision, and an ability to build an inclusive and high-performing team.

• Ability to fulfil the requirements of an Accounting Officer, including strong commercial awareness, business planning, financial control and efficiency, and risk management.

Effective use of data and analysis

• Strong experience and expertise in data and analysis, including excellent analytical skills, able to interpret and utilise a range of different data sources, which may be incomplete or ambiguous, to develop and drive policy priorities. 

Service delivery

• Experience of driving high-quality service delivery and customer satisfaction with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs, improving outcomes and delivering value for money.

Building partnerships and influencing

• Ability to engage, influence and optimise strong working relationships with stakeholders at all levels across a diverse range of sectors and professional backgrounds, particularly navigating central and local government effectively.

• Ability to communicate a variety of messages, shape the debate and navigate conflicting views, including on complex and contentious subjects, using strong influence, appropriate styles, methods and timing to maximise understanding and impact across diverse audiences.
  

Strategic policy thinking

• Significant experience of strategic policy thinking and systems leadership, with an ability to use judgement, creativity and political  awareness to make effective decisions in a complex and dynamic environment.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension

Selection process details

How to apply

Please provide the required information and complete your application through the Be Applied website by 23:55 on 13 August 2023.

You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​

When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of: ​

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and any relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. 

• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification. (max. 2 pages)​

Please remember to save these two items in one document.​

Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact the Recruitment team by emailing scs.recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk.

Catherine Frances would be happy to have an informal discussion with candidates who would like further information about the role before submitting an application. If interested, please contact scs.recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk 

The selection panel will be made up of:

• Paul Gray, Civil Service Commissioner and chair

• Catherine Frances, DLUHC Director General and hiring manager

• Lord Amyas Morse, Interim Chair of the Office for Local Government

• Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Local Government Association

Selection process and assessments

Candidates that are shortlisted may be invited to attend a staff engagement panel. 

At DLUHC we hold staff engagement panels as an integral part of the recruitment process for Senior Civil Servants (SCS) – they are designed to help us build up a rounded picture of each candidate and give us an insight into how you might engage and interact with your team should you be successful. The purpose of the session is to help us assess your engagement and communication skills and is not about testing your subject knowledge or expertise for this particular role. Feedback from the session is passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to a meeting with a Minister or the Secretary of State, and/or other senior stakeholders. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.

Candidates will be made aware before we take references. Any references taken for shortlisted candidates will be passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview. We will also be conducting full due diligence as part of this recruitment campaign.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview. 

All of the evidence presented as part of the process will be considered in the final assessment.

Security Clearance

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.

All colleagues must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

In addition to the BPSS, the level of security clearance required for this role is Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC) and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

All offers of employment are conditional on successful completion of BPSS and National Security Vetting. Candidates should not resign from their current job until these checks have been successfully completed.

If you have any questions or queries with regards to any of these areas please contact the HR Shared Service Centre at HRsharedservices@levellingup.gov.uk.

Salary

For external appointments, remuneration for this role will be between £125,000 and £149,000 pa depending on experience, plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension. 

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for Director.

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.