London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Corporate Director - Communities

Corporate Director, Communities

We are looking for an exceptional Corporate Director of Communities to play a crucial role in delivering one of the most ambitious agendas in local government.

Tower Hamlets is like a city within a city. Our workforce of over 7,000 people serves more than 320,000 residents in the most densely populated and fastest growing place in the UK.

Millions of visitors come to our borough from across the world to see our iconic destinations. We deliver the third largest economic output in the UK with areas such as Canary Wharf and our borough borders The City, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the River Thames.

Our population is one of the most diverse in the UK, and we face the challenges of significant contrasts in wealth and poverty across the borough.

As Corporate Director of Communities, you will lead many of the services that residents experience every day and that have the greatest impact on the quality of life across our borough.

As a key member of the Corporate Leadership Team, you will provide strategic leadership across a diverse portfolio of services with responsibility for ensuring high-quality frontline services, supporting community cohesion and delivering visible improvements that matter to residents, businesses and visitors alike.

This role includes:

• Frontline service leadership – leading a wide-ranging operational portfolio that directly shapes residents' experience of the borough and delivers essential statutory services.

• Place and community improvement – driving improvements to the public realm, environmental services, leisure provision and community safety while ensuring services remain efficient, effective and responsive.

• Partnership and community engagement – working closely with residents, elected members, public sector partners, police, businesses and community organisations to deliver joined-up solutions and better outcomes.

• Organisational leadership and transformation – embedding innovation, accountability and continuous improvement while ensuring services are financially sustainable and represent excellent value for money.

This is a rare opportunity to influence the future of one of London's most diverse and vibrant boroughs. The breadth and visibility of the portfolio mean you will have a direct impact on the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of residents while helping to shape the borough's future.

About You

We are seeking a highly credible and inspirational leader with:

• A strong track record of leading large-scale frontline, place-based or operational services within a complex organisation.

• Significant experience of delivering service transformation, organisational improvement and measurable outcomes for communities.

• Exceptional stakeholder management and partnership-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across organisational and political boundaries.

• Strong commercial, financial and operational leadership capability, coupled with a relentless focus on customer experience and service excellence.

• Experience of leading diverse workforces through change while creating high-performing, inclusive and accountable cultures.

• Political awareness, resilience and the ability to balance strategic leadership with operational delivery.

You will be an engaging and visible leader who can inspire confidence, build partnerships and drive meaningful improvements for residents and communities across Tower Hamlets.

Our council is a beacon for diversity and inclusion. We want a borough where everyone feels valued and included, and we want a council that collaborates to deliver excellence.

That's why we look for people with our TOWER values of Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and Respectful.

For more information or a confidential discussion, please contact our retained consultants at Penna:

Julie Towers – 07764 791736

Andrew Tromans – 07805 226301

Ali Tasker – 07514 728114

Closing date: 11:59pm, Friday 24th July

How to Apply

1. Upload your CV under “Please select one of the options below.”
2. Complete the short mandatory fields on the next page.
3. Use ‘Add Attachments’ to upload your Supporting Statement and any other documents.
4. Please ensure that the file name of your CV and supporting statement includes your full name.
5. Ensure both CV and Supporting Statement are uploaded before submitting your application.
6. If you have a long-term health condition or disability and would like your application to be considered in accordance with a Disability Confident Scheme, please email: execapplications@penna.com to inform the Penna team.