Brighton & Hove City Council - Director of Environment & Leisure

Director of Environment & Leisure

Salary up to £113,520 | Brighton & Hove City Council

Lead the services that shape the look, feel and everyday experience of Brighton & Hove.

Brighton & Hove is a city like no other – creative, diverse, inclusive and proud. With a thriving cultural scene, strong sense of community and bold vision for the future, we are ambitious for our residents, our city and our organisation.

We are now seeking an exceptional leader to join us as Director of Environment & Leisure – a role responsible for services that shape how residents and visitors experience Brighton & Hove every day.

This is a pivotal leadership position within our City Operations directorate and part of the council’s extended Corporate Leadership Team. You will lead a broad portfolio spanning environmental services, waste and recycling, street cleansing, parks and open spaces, and leisure services – services that are highly visible and central to the quality, sustainability and vitality of our city.

The role comes at an important moment.

You will bring a connected Council approach to delivering our vision of transformation, playing a critical role in delivering our 2030 vision of being connected, being confident, being innovative and creative, being diverse and inclusive and being healthy and psychologically safe. This is the future that we want you to lead the directorate to.

You will oversee our parks and leisure services, balancing community access, biodiversity and events across the city’s much-loved open spaces, while ensuring our leisure offer supports healthier and more active lives. Your leadership in environmental services will also ensure we are a city to be proud of.

You will play a key role in shaping the future of these services – strengthening leadership capacity, developing partnerships across the public, private and voluntary sectors, and ensuring the council continues to deliver value for money in a complex financial

We are looking for a strategic, inclusive and politically astute leader with a track record of delivering transformation and service improvement within complex organisations. You will bring the credibility and judgement required to navigate high levels of public interest and stakeholder engagement, alongside the ability to inspire teams and build a culture of trust, integrity and continuous improvement.

For the right candidate, this is a rare opportunity to lead services that are fundamental to the life, sustainability and reputation of one of the UK’s most distinctive cities.

Closing date: 11:59pm on Sunday 19^th of April 2026

For more information, please download a candidate pack here.

For a confidential discussion, please contact:

·      Andrew Tromans on 07805 226301 or andrew.tromans@penna.com

·      Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 or kelly.ridley@penna.com

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.