London Borough of Tower Hamlets - Corporate Director - Resources

Corporate Director, Resources (Section 151 Officer)

We are looking for an exceptional Corporate Director of Resources 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 serve 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 Resources and the Council's Section 151 Officer, you will be a key member of the Corporate Leadership Team, providing strategic leadership across a broad portfolio that underpins the delivery of every council service.

Leading a core suite of enabling services, you will ensure the Council remains financially sustainable, resilient and well governed, while supporting the delivery of ambitious priorities for residents and communities.

Your leadership will be critical in ensuring that resources are deployed effectively, value for money is achieved and robust governance, transparency and accountability are embedded across the organisation.

This role includes:

• Financial leadership and stewardship – acting as the Council's Section 151 Officer, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met, maintaining financial resilience and delivering a robust Medium-Term Financial Strategy.

• Corporate transformation – driving innovation, continuous improvement and modernisation across finance, procurement and corporate services to improve outcomes and organisational effectiveness.

• Strategic influence and governance – providing trusted advice and challenge to the Chief Executive, Executive Mayor, Members and senior leaders on complex financial and strategic issues.

• Partnership and collaboration – building strong relationships with government, regulators, partners and stakeholders to maximise opportunities, strengthen resilience and support long-term success.

This is a career-defining opportunity to shape the future of one of London's most dynamic boroughs. You will play a leading role in supporting the Council's improvement journey while ensuring the organisation has the financial strength, governance and capacity required to deliver for residents.

About You

We are seeking an accomplished senior leader with:

• Significant experience leading large-scale finance and corporate services functions within a complex local government or public sector environment.

• Deep expertise in local government finance, including capital and revenue programmes, treasury management, financial planning and governance.

• A recognised professional finance qualification and membership of a relevant professional body such as CIPFA, ACA, ACCA or CIMA.

• A strong track record of leading transformation, organisational improvement and cultural change while maintaining high-quality service delivery.

• Outstanding communication, influencing and relationship-building skills, with the credibility to operate confidently at the highest levels.

• Political awareness, commercial acumen and a commitment to delivering excellent services and value for money.

You will be a visible, collaborative and ambitious leader who can inspire confidence, build capability and help shape the future of 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

Kelly Ridley – 07709 512415

Closing date: 11:59pm, Friday 24^th 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.