Job Description

Head of Thriving Neighbourhoods

MB1 (64,690 - 73,364)

37 Hours, Full Time

Permanent

Stopford House

Application Deadline: 12 May 2025, 11:59pm

Please be aware that we may close this vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Shortlisting Date: 14 May 2025

Interview Date: 19 May 2025

Interview Type: Face to face

Your Role

We are seeking an inspiring and innovative leader to drive the ambitious development of our Thriving Neighbourhoods service. As part of the Place Directorate, this role will directly impact the wellbeing of our residents by ensuring our public places and spaces are vibrant, safe, accessible, clean, and welcoming. The services we deliver under Thriving Neighbourhoods impact every person in the borough, presenting our greatest opportunity to reduce inequalities and reach those who may not otherwise access the support they need.


You will have a clear vision for how our Thriving Neighbourhoods services can enhance communities, ensuring consistently high standards across our public realm teams and excellent customer service from our officers. This role requires exceptional people management and development skills, embodying the organisation's positive culture in line with our One Team Values.


In collaboration with public sector and VCFSE partners, you will develop strategies and plans contributing to our flagship Stockport Live Well strategy, which focuses on a preventative, community-led offer tailored to the borough's needs.


As Head of Thriving Neighbourhoods, you will provide senior management and leadership across multiple teams and priorities, including community safety with experience of organisational and performance management to support continuous improvement. You will be the figurehead for your areas of responsibility, requiring exceptional communication skills to effectively lead and influence colleagues, partners, and the public. Political astuteness and a good understanding of the political landscape are essential.


Once in post, you will support your service managers in developing and delivering ambitious Place Plans and policy initiatives for Stockport's neighbourhoods, identifying and addressing priorities.


You will foster a neighbourhood-focused culture, establish strong partnerships with elected members, Heads of Service, other officers, and external stakeholders to promote community resilience. This role is integral to our communities, and we seek someone passionate about service improvement to benefit our businesses, visitors, and residents.


This is an exciting time to join our forward-thinking team, and we welcome applications from individuals who possess the skills and qualities needed to deliver a truly people-focused place offer in a fast-paced and politically sensitive environment.

About You

We are looking for a leader with excellent skills in driving and implementing change while fulfilling the council's priorities. You should take a creative approach to identifying opportunities for improvement within the service.


You will have strong leadership abilities to motivate your team and colleagues, along with excellent negotiation skills and the ability to build and maintain working relationships with external stakeholders.


Strong communication and analytical skills are essential, as is the ability to provide clear, balanced advice and guidance on strategic issues. You will provide robust management within a political environment.

About Us

At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We're keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.


We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.

Click here

to find out more about the Employee Benefits you will receive when you join our team!

If you would like to find out more about the role please contact Emma Stubbs at emma.stubbs@stockport.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

This post is politically restricted under the terms of the 1989 Local Government and Housing Act. This dictates that you must seek the council's permission before taking up any additional appointments or positions.

Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.

Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed an interview if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.

Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme

Privacy Notice

Follow our recruitment team on

X

,

Instagram

and

Facebook

for updates on our vacancies and recruitment events.

Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce.


We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.