Executive Director, Place - Cheshire East Council

Executive Director, Place

Salary: £135,407 – £153,585

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

Choose Challenge. Choose Change. Choose Cheshire East.

The Organisation

Cheshire East Council is transforming, embarking on a programme of organisational change aimed at strengthening delivery, strategic direction, modernising services and ensuring long-term financial resilience. At the same time, Cheshire East is working closely with the new and emerging Combined Authority, creating real 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.

The Opportunity

This is a highly influential role at the heart of Cheshire East’s Place and future. As Executive Director – Place, you will provide strategic leadership across a broad and critical portfolio, including planning, housing, regeneration, infrastructure, transport and environmental services. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, reporting to the Chief Executive, you will play a central role in shaping the council’s direction and delivering its ambitions for sustainable growth and improved outcomes for residents and businesses alike.

This is a role defined by place-shaping and delivery. You will lead the development of a coherent spatial vision for Cheshire East – bringing together planning, infrastructure, housing and economic development to define and create a new legacy for the borough. Working closely with Members, partners and the Combined Authority, you will translate ambition into delivery – unlocking growth, addressing inequalities and ensuring that investment delivers community growth tangible benefits. For an experienced leader, this is a career-defining opportunity to shape a place of significant scale and potential.

Candidates

We are seeking an outstanding senior leader with a strong track record of delivering growth, regeneration and service transformation within a large and complex organisation. You will bring significant experience across one or more place-based disciplines – such as planning, housing, infrastructure or economic development – alongside the ability to lead large, multi-disciplinary services and deliver outcomes at scale.

You will be a visible and motivational leader, with a collaborative and inclusive approach to inspiring a large and diverse directorate while building strong relationships with Members, partners and stakeholders. Political nous, resilience and commercial acumen will be essential, as will the ability to collaborate effectively across stakeholder and organisational boundaries. Above all, you will bring the vision, credibility and leadership required to define and deliver a compelling future for Cheshire East as a place.

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:

·       Pete John – 07701 305617 or pete.john@penna.com

·       Ali Tasker – 07843 573373 or ali.tasker@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.