London Borough of Islington - Assistant Director of Affordable Workspace

Join us and help build a thriving borough!

Assistant Director – Affordable Workspace

Salary up to £105,113

Islington is a vibrant and wonderfully diverse inner London borough, home to over 215,000 residents. We are determined to create a more equal Islington – a place where everyone has an equal chance to thrive.

We are seeking bold, innovative leaders to help us deliver a more inclusive economy, redirecting wealth into the local economy and back into the hands of our people and businesses. Following a recent service reorganisation, we have created a new Assistant Director role to shape our Affordable Workspace offering to support economic policy and practice in one of London’s most dynamic boroughs.

There has never been a better time to join us.

You will provide strategic leadership to drive the commercial strategy and operational excellence for our high-profile Affordable Workspace programme. Your work will blend commercial success with community impact, by enabling local small businesses to access high-quality spaces, and supporting residents to start and grow their own businesses. You will play a key role in:

• Negotiating and securing high-value partnerships with leading developers, landlords, and operators to shape a thriving workspace ecosystem.
• Overseeing a diverse portfolio of projects from inception to delivery, ensuring commercial viability and long-term sustainability.
• Designing and implementing a borough-wide Social Impact Strategy that sets new standards for inclusive growth and innovation.

What we are looking for

We want leaders who are:

• Strategic and visionary, with strong corporate leadership skills to improve outcomes for all residents.
• Collaborative, with a proven track record of delivering results through partnership.
• Governance-savvy, ensuring robust organisational performance.
• Innovative and solutions-focused, driving inclusive growth and economic transformation.
• Empowering, creating a culture where everyone can thrive.
• Committed to equality, delivering first-class services and ready to champion a more equal Islington.

Join us and help shape a borough where opportunity is shared, and everyone can prosper.

For more information, please refer to the candidate pack linked below:

LB Islington, Assistant Director of Affordable Workspace – Candidate Briefing Pack

For a confidential discussion contact:

• Pete John pete.john@penna.com / 07701 305617
• Bruna Varante bruna.varante@penna.com / 07858 306725
• Mark Baldwinson mark.baldwinson@penna.com / 07764 698139.

Closing Date: 11:59pm, Sunday 11^th January 2026

How to Apply

• Click "Apply"
• Upload your CV under “Please select one of the options below.”
• Complete the short mandatory fields on the next page.
• Use ‘Add Attachments’ to upload your Supporting Statement and any other documents.
• Please ensure that the file name of your CV and supporting statement includes your full name.
• Ensure both CV and Supporting Statement are uploaded before submitting your application