Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) - Cheshire East Council

Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer)

Salary: Competitive

Location: Crewe / Macclesfield (hybrid, with borough‑wide travel)

Choose Challenge. Choose Change. Choose Cheshire East.

The Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to join a major local authority at a pivotal moment in its development. As Director of Law and Governance at Cheshire East, and the Council’s statutory Monitoring Officer, you will play a central role in ensuring strong governance, lawful decision-making and effective democratic leadership across the organisation. Reporting to the Chief Executive and working closely with the Leader, Cabinet and Corporate Leadership Team, you will be the council’s principal adviser on governance, ethics and constitutional matters while leading the Legal and Democratic Services functions.

Beyond fulfilling the statutory responsibilities of the Monitoring Officer, this role offers the chance to help shape the next chapter of the council’s journey. You will support the organisation as it embeds a new governance model, strengthens leadership capability and continues its programme of organisational improvement. For an experienced governance leader, this is a career-defining opportunity to influence the future of a major local authority and the communities it serves.

The Organisation

Cheshire East Council is entering a significant period of transformation and renewal. The council has recently embarked on a programme of organisational change aimed at strengthening leadership stability, modernising services and ensuring long-term financial resilience. At the same time, Cheshire East is preparing to work closely with the emerging Combined Authority, creating new opportunities to shape regional growth and collaboration.

The council is committed to building a cohesive and resilient senior leadership team capable of delivering sustainable improvement and delivering lasting impact for residents, communities and businesses across the borough.

Candidates

This role calls for a senior legal and governance professional with the credibility and judgement to operate at the heart of a complex public organisation. You will be a qualified solicitor or barrister with extensive knowledge of local government governance and legislation, and experience advising senior Members and executives within politically sensitive environments.

Alongside professional expertise, political awareness, emotional intelligence and the ability to build constructive relationships across a diverse political landscape will be required for success.

For more information on the role please visit https://wearecheshireeast.co.uk/

If you have any questions or would like confidential discussion, please contact our retained consultants at Penna:

·       Rachael Morris – 07840 711217 or rachael.morris@penna.com

·       Kelly Ridley - 07709 512415 or Kelly.ridley@penna.com

·       Julie Towers – 07764 791736 or julie.towers@penna.com

Closing date: 23:59pm on Sunday 24^th May 2026.

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.