Jobs

An opportunity for a Contracts and Procurement Lawyer has become available to work at Durham County Council as part of the Legal and Democratic Services Team.

Durham County Council is the 8^th Largest Local Authority in the country supported by an experienced and talented legal service. Based in Durham City with excellent transport links our County is a fascinating place to work with rich history and heritage, coastline as well as areas of outstanding natural beauty and a world heritage site on the doorstep.

We actively promote a positive work / life balance and support wellbeing. We offer flexible hybrid working, a friendly and supportive working environment and a wealth of interesting work.

What is Involved

This motivated highly professional team is looking for an individual committed to excellence to undertake contracts and procurement work. The successful candidate will support and assist the Senior Lawyer (Corporate and Commercial Governance) as well as being responsible for their own caseload, providing a professional legal service with support from dedicated Legal Assistants. You will join a small team supplying high quality legal advice with a significant and varied caseload undertaking work relating to all Council functions and the opportunity to provide advice to schools, academies and the Fire Service.

In particular you will be working closely with our excellent Corporate Procurement Team who deal with an annual spend of over £500 million on the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023. You will advise on contracts and procurement for the provision of works, services or supplies, event and art agreements, as well as grant agreements and associated legal documentation. You can expect to be involved in high value and complex construction, regeneration and ICT projects.

We are looking to hear from enthusiastic individuals with a can do approach to join our busy team who are committed to providing an excellent legal service. The Council will happily consider applications from those newly-qualified or those wishing to consider a new specialism.

What Will I Need

You should be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with current practising certificate (will consider those about to qualify having completed all academic stages).

Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the Job Description for your Supporting Statement to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed.

Interviews

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

Benefits & Rewards

We can offer you a range of employee benefits including competitive salaries, a generous leave entitlement of up to 32 days, a government pension scheme and various flexible and hybrid working options (benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions).

Take a look at our comprehensive rewards and benefits package at the link below:-

https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits

Hybrid Working

Durham County Council currently operates a hybrid working policy where a model of 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote will apply. This model is pro-rated for part time roles and arrangements are at managers discretion, alternatively you can work all of your contracted hours within the workplace if you prefer.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and recognise the value of difference, having a diverse talented workforce brings new ideas and new perspectives, which will facilitate growth and improvements to services.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we encourage applications from disabled people and can provide support throughout the recruitment process, for more information please refer to the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion page on our website.

You can find the full Job Description for the role Here

For a confidential discussion please contact brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

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.

This is a full-time, permanent role with hybrid working, and a salary of £34,962 to £38,791

We are seeking an experienced Housing Allocations Officer with the drive and ability to work effectively as part of our busy Housing Allocations Team. 

Your role will involve:

·      Assisting with the administration of the Council’s Housing Needs Register

·      Assessing applications for social housing, applying the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy and banding applications in accordance with need

·      Making nominations to social housing providers in accordance with the Council’s nomination agreements in an efficient and timely manner

·      Dealing with customer enquiries about their housing applications and updating them accordingly

What we are looking for:

·      You will have experience of working in a housing allocation team within a local authority Housing Service, Housing Association or similar

·      You will be able to interpret and apply relevant housing legislation and be comfortable working in a rule driven environment

·      You will have experience of working directly with the public both face to face and over the phone.

·      You will have experience of working in a busy, front line, customer-focused team.

·      You will be experienced in working within a performance driven environment, meeting targets and working to deadlines

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: andrew.barton@penna.com or 07922 386 432

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.

Apply

This is a full-time, permanent role with hybrid working, and a salary of £34,962 to £38,791

We are seeking an experienced Housing Accommodation Officer with the drive and ability to work effectively as part of our busy temporary accommodation team. 

Your role will involve:

·      Assisting with the effective provision of a temporary accommodation service for those in housing need within the borough.

·      Assisting with the day-to-day administration of placements into temporary accommodation and the administration of rent accounts and Housing Benefit payments associated with those placements.

·      Carrying out audit visits, assisting with management transfers and dealing directly on a day-to-day basis with homeless households placed in temporary accommodation

·      Working directly with accommodation providers to ensure that accommodation provided is fit, suitable and in good repair and that any issues arising are quickly dealt with

·      Administering of an effective estate management service for our in-house temporary accommodation units.

What we are looking for:

·      You will have experience of working in temporary accommodation team within a local authority Housing Service or similar

·      You will be able to interpret and apply relevant housing legislation and be comfortable working in a rule driven environment

·      You will have experience of working directly with the public both face to face and over the phone.

·      You will have experience of working in a busy, front line, customer-focused team.

·   You will be experienced in working within a performance driven environment, meeting targets and working to deadlines

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: andrew.barton@penna.com or 07922 386 432

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.

This is a full-time, permanent role with hybrid working, and a salary of £39,526 - £50,446 per annum.

Reporting to the Principal Environmental Health Officer, you will be responsible for regulating all aspects of private housing in the borough, and will play a key role in delivering new duties to protect the rights of tenants, introduced by the Renters Rights Act 2025.

Your role will involve:

• Assessment and improvement of housing conditions using the HHSRS and the Housing Act 2004.
• Making decisions in relation to the licensing and management of houses in multiple occupation and other housing.
• Leading investigations and enforcement action, including issuing civil penalties, for breaches of the Housing Act 2004, the Renters Rights Act 2025, and other relevant legislation.
• Leading investigations into cases of unlawful eviction and harassment.
• Supporting and mentoring junior members of the team and apprentices, and contributing to the development of the service.
• Acting as the Council’s subject matter expert in relevant field e.g. housing standards, property licensing or tenancy rights; providing advice and education to landlords, tenants and colleagues and members.

What we are looking for:

• A professional with substantial experience in a regulatory, enforcement, or tenancy relations role, confident at conducting criminal investigations and taking robust enforcement action. Ideally, the experience will have been gained in a housing related role, but this is not essential.
• Possession of a relevant environmental health, regulatory or housing related qualification.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant housing and public health legislation and commitment to the improvement of public health and well-being.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to deal with people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• Experience of supporting or supervising junior members of staff (desirable not essential).

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: Andreas.Efthymiou@penna.com or 07546 415 794.

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.

Salary up to £70k (FTC to March 2028, extension subject to funding) | Oxfordshire / Hybrid

Please note Enterprise Oxford operate on a 4 day week basis.

Drive global investment into one of the UK’s most powerful innovation economies.

The Opportunity

Oxfordshire is one of the UK’s most successful and internationally recognised economic regions, home to globally leading universities, pioneering research institutions and world-class innovation clusters. Enterprise Oxfordshire plays a central role in enabling that success – supporting business growth, attracting investment, connecting skills with opportunity and promoting the county on the global stage.

We are now seeking a strategic, ambitious and collaborative leader to attract the investment that will help unlock the county’s full potential. Reporting to the Director of Strategic Development & Programmes, you will play a pivotal role in attracting and securing high-value domestic and international investment, strengthening the county’s global position within the innovation economy.

You will lead the design and execution of a targeted investment strategy, develop a strong pipeline of opportunities, and manage key investor relationships from initial engagement through to successful delivery. Working at the interface of public and private sectors, you will help shape a compelling global proposition for Oxfordshire while ensuring that investment translates into inclusive, sustainable growth across the region.

The Organisation

Enterprise Oxfordshire has evolved from the county’s Local Enterprise Partnership into a new economic development and inward investment agency operating at the heart of the Oxfordshire innovation ecosystem. Working in partnership with local authorities, universities, businesses and national government, the organisation supports business growth, promotes inward investment and strengthens the skills pipeline for the region’s key sectors.

With funding secured through to 2028 and a refreshed governance structure being shaped, Enterprise Oxfordshire is entering an exciting new phase. Inward investment is central to this next chapter – with significant opportunity to elevate Oxfordshire’s international profile, deepen global partnerships and secure long-term economic growth.

Candidates

We are seeking a commercially astute and outward-facing leader with a strong track record of delivering inward investment, business development or economic growth at scale.

You will bring experience of operating in complex partnership environments, with the credibility to engage senior stakeholders across government, industry and academia, both in the UK and internationally. A deep understanding of investment drivers, the ability to develop compelling value propositions, and a proven track record of securing investment and building pipelines will be essential.

Equally important will be your ability to build and lead a high-performing team, navigate complexity, and translate strategy into delivery. You will be an effective ambassador for Oxfordshire – confident representing the region on the global stage and building long-term relationships with investors, partners and decision-makers.

For a confidential discussion contact: andrew.barton@penna.com or 07922 386 432

You can review the full Job Description here

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.

Salary up to £45k (FTC to March 2028, extension subject to funding) | Oxfordshire / Hybrid

Please note Enterprise Oxford operate on a 4 day week basis.

Champion growth in one of the UK’s most powerful innovation economies.

The Opportunity

Oxfordshire is one of the UK’s most successful and internationally recognised economic regions, home to globally leading universities, pioneering research institutions and world-class innovation clusters. Enterprise Oxfordshire plays a central role in enabling that success – supporting business growth, attracting investment, connecting skills with opportunity and promoting the county on the global stage.

We are now seeking two Sector Leads (Business Development & Investment) to join a new team to help drive the sustainable growth of Oxfordshire’s priority sectors and support the attraction of new investment into the region. Working as part of a new team, you will help deliver targeted business development activity, generate investment opportunities and support the conversion of high-quality inward investment projects.

You will act as a sector specialist, identifying opportunities, account managing existing strategic businesses, engaging with prospective investors and supporting projects from initial enquiry through to delivery. Working closely with partners across government, academia and industry, you will help position Oxfordshire as a globally competitive destination for innovation and investment, while ensuring that growth translates into tangible benefits for local communities.

The Organisation

Enterprise Oxfordshire has evolved from the county’s Local Enterprise Partnership into a new economic development and inward investment agency operating at the heart of the Oxfordshire innovation ecosystem. Working in partnership with local authorities, universities, businesses and national government, the organisation supports business growth, promotes inward investment and strengthens the skills pipeline for the region’s key sectors.

With funding secured through to 2028 and a refreshed governance structure being shaped, Enterprise Oxfordshire is entering an exciting new phase. Strengthening sector-led growth and building a strong pipeline of investment opportunities will be central to this next chapter.

Candidates

We are seeking two commercially minded and proactive individuals with experience in business development, inward investment or economic development, ideally within one of Oxfordshire’s key sectors – such as Digital and Tech, Clean Energy & Sustainability, and Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering.

They will bring strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively across a wide range of stakeholders, including businesses, government partners and academic institutions. A good understanding of investment drivers, foreign direct investment and sector dynamics will be important, alongside the ability to identify opportunities and support their successful delivery.

Equally important will be energy, adaptability and ability to work as part of a collaborative team. Also comfortable in engaging with senior stakeholders, supporting international engagement activity and representing Oxfordshire in a professional and credible manner.

For a confidential discussion contact: andrew.barton@penna.com or 07922 386 432

You can review the full Job Description here

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.

This is a full-time, permanent role with hybrid working, and a salary of £46,355 - £50,446 per annum.

We are seeking an experienced Housing Reviews and Complaints Officer with strong knowledge of Part 6 and 7 of the Housing Act 1996. The Officer will be reviewing homeless applications and dealing with housing complaints, MP and member enquiries, making justified decisions based on assessments carried out.

Your role will involve:

·      Responsibility for fulfilling the council's statutory function under s202 and s204 of the Housing Act 1996 Part VII.  You will review negative homelessness decisions and suitability of offers when requested by applicants and their representatives and will produce written adjudications supplying the full reason for the review decision.

·      Responsibility for conducting appeals against housing register decisions.

·      Making enquiries into possible fraudulent housing applications and refer on those that require further investigation.

·      Acting as the council's representative in any subsequent court challenge to a review decision or in any litigation around the conduct of the review, including that which involves any decision not to conduct a review.

·      Dealing with corporate housing complaints, councillor and member of parliament enquiries

·      Analysing feedback and trends in reviews and complaints and implementing training to improve our customer experience.

What we are looking for:

·      We are looking for an experienced review officer that has detailed experience in the above areas and is keen to develop their knowledge further.  You will need to understand the challenges and complexities around homelessness today, the impact that homelessness has on families and single people and have a commitment to addressing housing issues and reducing homelessness.

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

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.

This is a full-time, permanent role with hybrid working, and a salary of £34,962 to £38,791

In this role, you will play a key part in supporting residents who are at risk of homelessness, providing advice, prevention support, and helping to secure suitable housing solutions. You will work closely with individuals and partner organisations to deliver positive outcomes and minimise the need for temporary accommodation.



We are seeking an experienced Housing Options Officer with the drive and ability to work effectively as part of our busy Housing Options Team. 

Your role will involve:

·      Working as part of the Housing Options Team you will provide an effective and comprehensive housing advice and homelessness service to the residents of our borough

·      Working with customers to provide effective solutions to their housing issues using a range of homelessness prevention options

·      Making enquiries in respect of statutory homelessness applications, gather the required information and make statutory homelessness decisions

·      Dealing with customer enquiries about their housing applications and housing issues face to face, by telephone and online and updating them accordingly

What we are looking for:

·      You will have experience of working in a housing options team within a local authority Housing Service or similar

·      You will be able to interpret and apply relevant housing legislation and be comfortable working in a rule driven environment

·      You will have experience of working directly with the public both face to face and over the phone.

·      You will have experience of working in a busy, front line, customer-focused team.

·      You will be experienced in working within a performance driven environment, meeting targets and working to deadlines

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: Andreas.Efthymiou@penna.com or 07546 415 794.

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.

We are recruiting two Private Rented Sector Enabling Officers. These are full-time, permanent positions offering hybrid working and a salary of £34,962 to £38,791 per annum.

In this role, you will support residents who need help accessing and sustaining private rented accommodation. Working as part of a busy team, you will liaise with landlords, tenants and partners to secure housing solutions and help prevent homelessness.

We are looking for proactive and collaborative individuals with an interest in housing, who are comfortable managing a varied caseload and communicating clearly with a range of audiences. A flexible approach and a commitment to achieving positive outcomes for residents are key to success in this role.

Your role will involve:

• To operationally deliver RBWM use of the private rented sector to prevent homelessness and reduce the use of temporary accommodation. This activity may be undertaken by directly manage staff or via agents or providers contracted to the local authority. 
• To proactively manage a case load of households requiring a move into the private rented sector. To support and advise this cohort to achieve sustainable outcomes.
• To contribute to the development of policy, strategies and policies required by a local authority housing service. 
• To maintain and cultivate a series of relationships with landlords, agents and other providers of private rented sector accommodation. To negotiate with such parties to achieve sustainable lettings for households within the case work cohort.
• To maintain a good knowledge of the local private rented sector and apply such knowledge to serve the best interests of the Borough.

What we are looking for:

• Experience working with private sector landlords
• Proven delivery of operational services across housing or related sectors
• Strong knowledge of social housing and local authority housing and homelessness duties
• Understanding of public sector IT systems and data issues
• Ability to work under pressure, make sound decisions, and manage changing priorities
• Highly motivated, results-focused approach
• Strong communication skills to build effective partnerships and stakeholder relationships

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: Andreas.Efthymiou@penna.com or 07546 415 794.

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.

The Housing Service at RBWM is facing a period of unprecedented challenges and demand. To anticipate and plan for these pressures, we are seeking a Housing Policy and Procurement Officer to join our Strategy and Enabling Team.

The successful candidates will be knowledgeable of social housing issues such as homelessness and development. They will also be capable of working independently, as directed on a range of policy, procurement, contractual workstreams.

As important as knowledge and technical skills are qualities of flexibility and innovation and a desire to learn from the skill sets and experience of colleagues.

Your role will involve:

• Supporting the commissioning, research and design of varied accommodation provision across the borough
• Assisting with the development of housing strategies, policies and service plans
• Supporting senior officers in the delivery of a range of housing strategy projects
• Applying knowledge of social housing policy to practical project work
• Helping to deliver housing projects with internal teams and external partners
• Assisting with the commissioning and procurement of housing-related services
• Supporting projects linked to IT systems and data management within the service

What we are looking for: 

• Experience working in a housing strategy, development or enabling role within a local housing authority, registered provider, consultancy, government agency or charitable body
• Strong understanding of the social housing environment and local authority statutory duties relating to homelessness
• Sound knowledge of the wider housing agenda, relevant legislation and policy developments
• Ability to work effectively under pressure with a motivated, results‑focused approach
• Strong communication skills across a range of settings and media
• (Desirable) Relevant professional qualification or membership (e.g. CIH)
• (Desirable) Knowledge of social housing development, planning processes, and public sector IT and data issues

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: Andreas.Efthymiou@penna.com or 07546 415 794.

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.

This is a full-time, permanent role with hybrid working, and a salary of £34,962 to £38,791

We are seeking an experienced Housing Options Officer with the drive and ability to work effectively as part of our busy Housing Reception Team. Our Housing Reception Team is the gateway to our housing service and is the front line of our homelessness prevention work. You will deal with a range of customers in a face-to-face environment dealing with housing enquiries and wherever possible, preventing homelessness.

Your role will involve:

·      Working as part of the Housing Reception Team you will provide an effective and comprehensive housing advice and homelessness service to the residents of our borough

·      Working with customers to provide effective solutions to their housing issues using a range of homelessness prevention options

·      Making enquiries in respect of statutory homelessness applications, gather the required information and make statutory homelessness decisions

·      Dealing with customer enquiries about their housing applications and housing issues face to face, by telephone and online and updating them accordingly

What we are looking for:

·      You will have experience of working in a housing options team within a local authority Housing Service or similar

·      You will be able to interpret and apply relevant housing legislation and be comfortable working in a rule driven environment

·      You will have experience of working directly with the public both face to face and over the phone.

·      You will have experience of working in a busy, front line, customer-focused team.

·      You will be experienced in working within a performance driven environment, meeting targets and working to deadlines

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

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.

This is a full-time, permanent role with a salary of £25,706 - £27,306 per annum

We are seeking a Housing Assistant with the drive and ability to work effectively as part of our busy Housing Solutions Team. As part of the team, you will help deliver an effective and efficient housing options and homelessness prevention service to the residents of our borough.

Your role will involve:

·      Working within the Housing Reception Team, dealing with customers face to face and by telephone, providing advice on homelessness, housing options and homelessness prevention

·      Assisting in assessing homelessness applications, interviewing customers and gathering information

·      Assisting with applications for the Councils Housing Needs Register

·      Helping customers find solutions to their housing problems using a range of homelessness prevention initiatives

What we are looking for:

·      You will have an understanding of the current housing landscape and the issues surrounding homelessness

·      You will have experience of working within a housing related environment, such as a local authority housing service, housing association or other housing field

·      You will be able to interpret and apply relevant housing legislation and be comfortable working in a rule driven environment

·      You will have experience of working directly with the public both face to face and over the phone.

·      You will have experience of working in a busy, front line, customer-focused team.

·      You will be experienced in working within a performance driven environment, meeting targets and working to deadlines

For more information on this role and others, please visit: https://rbwmjobs.co.uk/

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

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.

Salary range: Grade 17 (£66,378 - £68,784 p.a.) plus fantastic benefits

Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Croydon

Croydon Council has faced significant challenges in recent years in terms of its financial position. The financial challenge is steep, but the Government has noted our strong progress, with an Executive Mayor, Cabinet, Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team, who all share a commitment to the task ahead and putting Croydon’s people first.

This is a very exciting time to join Croydon as we move from the recovery and improvement phases to the transformational phase of our journey to bring the Council back to financial sustainability.

Croydon is a fantastic place; a vital part of London’s growth story with a strong identity in its own right and this is a rare chance to make genuine change in a place of great opportunity. What we do together over the next four years will help shape the future of one of London’s most diverse and exciting boroughs.

As a Finance Manager, you will be supporting the Director of Finance (Deputy S151 Officer) and Head of Strategic Finance (Chief Accountant), deputising when required. You will have responsibility for overseeing financial planning, monitoring and statutory reporting of capital expenditure and financing.

You will also lead your team of two Principal Accountants.

To be suitable for the role you need to hold a CCAB/CIMA accountancy qualification or extensive knowledge and experience of local government capital finance. You should have evidence of successfully managing key financial capital processes (budgeting, monitoring, closing of accounts, and completion of grant and statistical returns), and have experience of working successfully as part of a professional team to deliver strong financial management advice to managers.

To view the Finance Manager (Capital) role profile please click here.

About Us

Croydon Council’s priorities:

• The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services.
• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable.
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon’s diverse communities and businesses.
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors.
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice; and
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities.

Key business plan outcomes:

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning.
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential.
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we’re proud to call home.
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer; and
• Croydon Council’s new ways of working.

Our values

We are committed to excellence in all we do. Our values reflect the attitude and approach we take to working together to deliver services to our borough.

• One team - Crossing boundaries to work together towards shared goals with colleagues, partners and communities.
• Proud to serve - Striving to always do our best for the community, getting the most from limited resources and using taxpayers’ money wisely.
• Honest and open - Working hard to build trust by treating everyone with honesty and integrity.
• Taking responsibility - Encouraging and supporting each other to take responsibility and show what we can do, learning together and recognising all of our contributions.
• Valuing diversity - We make the most of the many perspectives that make Croydon distinctive.

Staff Benefits

Benefits and personal development

We want Croydon Council to be a place where our staff enjoy their jobs and are proud to be here. We reward talent and excellence with our flagship benefits scheme, Croydon Options, allowing you to enjoy a healthy work life balance.

• Generous paid Annual Leave of up to 31 days (eligibility criteria applies)
• Provision to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave per year (eligibility criteria applies)
• Flexible and Agile working
• Generous sick leave, maternity leave and family leave provisions
• Unbeatable benefits of being in the Local Government Pension Scheme; which includes employer contributions of 20% (average); “life assurance” (3 years’ salary) and benefit provisions for dependants
• Discounted season tickets for parking in local car parks or an option to cap the daily cost to less than £6
• Interest free travel loans for season tickets
• Confidential and free employee assistance programme and access to staff network groups - BAME, Working Carers, LGBT+, Women’s and Mental Health & Wellbeing

Popular benefits

Discounted parking with NCP, Q-Park and Council Car Parks for Council Employees

The Council has negotiated various corporate rates with NCP and Q-Park. Employees can also avail a negotiated daily parking rate of £5 per day with these car parks.

Employee assistance programme

With ever increasing pressures at work and at home, there are times when we all need some extra support, this is why we have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place to support your total well-being.

Benefits of the EAP

• Free of charge
• Available24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• Confidential
• Accessible by phone, email, our website and via instant messaging
• Information on a range of work, family and personal issues
• Up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions per issue. Topics need not be work related
• Independent from your employer and completely unprejudiced

Your development

At Croydon we believe that a skilled and committed workforce is crucial to our future success. To deliver council outcomes successfully we need to equip our people with the knowledge and skills they need to operate in a fast paced, ever evolving environment.

We provide a range of learning activities including inductions for new colleagues, management skills development and personal effectiveness training. We continue to develop different options for you to access the learning you need, whether through face-to-face workshops, e-learning or online content.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.

Further Information

Strategic Structure Chart: Strategic Finance structure for recruitment

Executive Mayor’s Business Plan: Mayor's Business plan 2022 - 2026

2026-27 Budget agreed at Full Council:  Agenda item - The Council's Budget 2026-27 | Croydon Council

2025-26 Period 9 Financial Performance Report:  2025-26-period-9-financial-performance-report.pdf

2024-25 Annual accounts: Financial accounts | Croydon Council

For a confidential discussion contact: Andreas.Efthymiou@penna.com or 07546 415 794.

Provisional Interview Date: 3rd July 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.

Salary range: Grade 17 (£66,378 - £68,784 p.a.) plus fantastic benefits

Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Croydon

Croydon Council has faced significant challenges in recent years in terms of its financial position. The financial challenge is steep, but the Government has noted our strong progress, with an Executive Mayor, Cabinet, Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team, who all share a commitment to the task ahead and putting Croydon’s people first.

This is a very exciting time to join Croydon as we move from the recovery and improvement phases to the transformational phase of our journey to bring the Council back to financial sustainability.

Croydon is a fantastic place; a vital part of London’s growth story with a strong identity in its own right and this is a rare chance to make genuine change in a place of great opportunity. What we do together over the next four years will help shape the future of one of London’s most diverse and exciting boroughs.

As a Finance Manager, you will be supporting the Director of Finance (Deputy S151 Officer) and Head of Strategic Finance, deputising when required. You will have finance business partner responsibility for overseeing financial planning, monitoring and coordination of financial arrangements for both revenue and capital finance. You will also lead your team of two Principal Accountants and an Accountant.

To be suitable for the role you need to hold a CCAB/CIMA accountancy qualification or extensive knowledge and experience of local government finance. You should have evidence of successfully managing key financial processes (budgeting, monitoring, closing of accounts, and completion of grant and statistical returns) for the Dedicated Schools Grant and Education General Fund services, and have experience of working successfully as part of a professional team to deliver strong financial management advice to managers and schools.

To view the Finance Manager (Education) role profile please click here.

About Us

Croydon Council’s priorities:

• The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services.
• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable.
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon’s diverse communities and businesses.
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors.
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice; and
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities.

Key business plan outcomes:

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning.
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential.
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we’re proud to call home.
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer; and
• Croydon Council’s new ways of working.

Our values

We are committed to excellence in all we do. Our values reflect the attitude and approach we take to working together to deliver services to our borough.

• One team - Crossing boundaries to work together towards shared goals with colleagues, partners and communities.
• Proud to serve - Striving to always do our best for the community, getting the most from limited resources and using taxpayers’ money wisely.
• Honest and open - Working hard to build trust by treating everyone with honesty and integrity.
• Taking responsibility - Encouraging and supporting each other to take responsibility and show what we can do, learning together and recognising all of our contributions.
•  Valuing diversity - We make the most of the many perspectives that make Croydon distinctive.

Staff Benefits

Benefits and personal development

We want Croydon Council to be a place where our staff enjoy their jobs and are proud to be here. We reward talent and excellence with our flagship benefits scheme, Croydon Options, allowing you to enjoy a healthy work life balance.

• Generous paid Annual Leave of up to 31 days (eligibility criteria applies)
• Provision to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave per year (eligibility criteria applies)
• Flexible and Agile working
• Generous sick leave, maternity leave and family leave provisions
• Unbeatable benefits of being in the Local Government Pension Scheme; which includes employer contributions of 20% (average); “life assurance” (3 years’ salary) and benefit provisions for dependants
• Discounted season tickets for parking in local car parks or an option to cap the daily cost to less than £6
• Interest free travel loans for season tickets
• Confidential and free employee assistance programme and access to staff network groups - BAME, Working Carers, LGBT+, Women’s and Mental Health & Wellbeing

Popular benefits

Discounted parking with NCP, Q-Park and Council Car Parks for Council Employees

The Council has negotiated various corporate rates with NCP and Q-Park. Employees can also avail a negotiated daily parking rate of £5 per day with these car parks.

Employee assistance programme

With ever increasing pressures at work and at home, there are times when we all need some extra support, this is why we have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place to support your total well-being.

Benefits of the EAP

• Free of charge
• Available24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• Confidential
• Accessible by phone, email, our website and via instant messaging
• Information on a range of work, family and personal issues
• Up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions per issue. Topics need not be work related
• Independent from your employer and completely unprejudiced

Your development

At Croydon we believe that a skilled and committed workforce is crucial to our future success. To deliver council outcomes successfully we need to equip our people with the knowledge and skills they need to operate in a fast paced, ever evolving environment.

We provide a range of learning activities including inductions for new colleagues, management skills development and personal effectiveness training. We continue to develop different options for you to access the learning you need, whether through face-to-face workshops, e-learning or online content.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.

Further Information

Strategic Structure Chart: Strategic Finance structure for recruitment

Executive Mayor’s Business Plan: Mayor's Business plan 2022 - 2026

2026-27 Budget agreed at Full Council:  Agenda item - The Council's Budget 2026-27 | Croydon Council

2025-26 Period 9 Financial Performance Report:  2025-26-period-9-financial-performance-report.pdf

2024-25 Annual accounts: Financial accounts | Croydon Council

For a confidential discussion contact: Andreas.Efthymiou@penna.com or 07546 415 794.

Provisional Interview Dates: 22nd / 23rd / 24th June 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.

Salary range: Grade 14 (£53,172 to £55,323) plus fantastic benefits

Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Croydon

Croydon Council has faced significant challenges in recent years in terms of its financial position. The financial challenge is steep, but the Government has noted our strong progress, with an Executive Mayor, Cabinet, Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team, who all share a commitment to the task ahead and putting Croydon’s people first.

This is a very exciting time to join Croydon as we move from the recovery and improvement phases to the transformational phase of our journey to bring the Council back to financial sustainability.

Croydon is a fantastic place; a vital part of London’s growth story with a strong identity in its own right and this is a rare chance to make genuine change in a place of great opportunity. What we do together over the next four years will help shape the future of one of London’s most diverse and exciting boroughs.

As the Principal Accountant in the Chief Accountant’s Team, you will be supporting the Head of Strategic Finance (Chief Accountant) and Finance Manager (Closing/Reporting), deputising when required. You will support ensuring that the Council’s annual accounts are produced on time and meet the

required legislative standards and maintain an open and positive relationship with the external auditor.

To be suitable for the role you need to hold a CCAB/CIMA accountancy qualification or senior finance relevant accounting experience. You should have evidence of knowledge and application of local government finance and an understanding of relevant financial legislation, professional accountancy codes and financial best practice.

To view the Principal Accountant role profile please click here.

About Us

Croydon Council’s priorities:

• The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services.
• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable.
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon’s diverse communities and businesses.
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors.
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice; and
•  Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities.

Key business plan outcomes:

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning.
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential.
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we’re proud to call home.
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer; and
• Croydon Council’s new ways of working.

Our values

We are committed to excellence in all we do. Our values reflect the attitude and approach we take to working together to deliver services to our borough.

• One team - Crossing boundaries to work together towards shared goals with colleagues, partners and communities.
• Proud to serve - Striving to always do our best for the community, getting the most from limited resources and using taxpayers’ money wisely.
• Honest and open - Working hard to build trust by treating everyone with honesty and integrity.
• Taking responsibility - Encouraging and supporting each other to take responsibility and show what we can do, learning together and recognising all of our contributions.
• Valuing diversity - We make the most of the many perspectives that make Croydon distinctive.

Staff Benefits

Benefits and personal development

We want Croydon Council to be a place where our staff enjoy their jobs and are proud to be here. We reward talent and excellence with our flagship benefits scheme, Croydon Options, allowing you to enjoy a healthy work life balance.

• Generous paid Annual Leave of up to 31 days (eligibility criteria applies)
• Provision to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave per year (eligibility criteria applies)
• Flexible and Agile working
• Generous sick leave, maternity leave and family leave provisions
• Unbeatable benefits of being in the Local Government Pension Scheme; which includes employer contributions of 20% (average); “life assurance” (3 years’ salary) and benefit provisions for dependants
• Discounted season tickets for parking in local car parks or an option to cap the daily cost to less than £6
• Interest free travel loans for season tickets
• Confidential and free employee assistance programme and access to staff network groups - BAME, Working Carers, LGBT+, Women’s and Mental Health & Wellbeing

Popular benefits

Discounted parking with NCP, Q-Park and Council Car Parks for Council Employees

The Council has negotiated various corporate rates with NCP and Q-Park. Employees can also avail a negotiated daily parking rate of £5 per day with these car parks.

Employee assistance programme

With ever increasing pressures at work and at home, there are times when we all need some extra support, this is why we have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place to support your total well-being.

Benefits of the EAP

• Free of charge
• Available24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• Confidential
• Accessible by phone, email, our website and via instant messaging
• Information on a range of work, family and personal issues
• Up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions per issue. Topics need not be work related
• Independent from your employer and completely unprejudiced

Your development

At Croydon we believe that a skilled and committed workforce is crucial to our future success. To deliver council outcomes successfully we need to equip our people with the knowledge and skills they need to operate in a fast paced, ever evolving environment.

We provide a range of learning activities including inductions for new colleagues, management skills development and personal effectiveness training. We continue to develop different options for you to access the learning you need, whether through face-to-face workshops, e-learning or online content.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.

Further Information

Strategic Structure Chart: Strategic Finance structure for recruitment

Executive Mayor’s Business Plan: Mayor's Business plan 2022 - 2026

2026-27 Budget agreed at Full Council:  Agenda item - The Council's Budget 2026-27 | Croydon Council

2025-26 Period 9 Financial Performance Report:  2025-26-period-9-financial-performance-report.pdf

2024-25 Annual accounts: Financial accounts | Croydon Council

For a confidential discussion contact: andrew.barton@penna.com or 07922 386 432

Provisional Interview Date: 23rd June 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.

Salary range: Grade CSRA with a market supplement (£75,784 to £83,011 with £15,480 market supplement) plus fantastic benefits

Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Croydon

Croydon Council has faced significant challenges in recent years in terms of its financial position. The financial challenge is steep, but the Government has noted our strong progress, with an Executive Mayor, Cabinet, Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team, who all share a commitment to the task ahead and putting Croydon’s people first.

This is a very exciting time to join Croydon as we move from the recovery and improvement phases to the transformational phase of our journey to bring the Council back to financial sustainability.

Croydon is a fantastic place; a vital part of London’s growth story with a strong identity in its own right and this is a rare chance to make genuine change in a place of great opportunity. What we do together over the next four years will help shape the future of one of London’s most diverse and exciting boroughs.

As the Head of Strategic Finance (Corporate Finance), you will be supporting the Director of Finance (Deputy S151 Officer) and Corporate Director of Resources (S151 Officer), deputising when required. You will have responsibility for producing the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and finance business partner responsibility for the Resources, Assistant Chief Executive and Corporate directorates. This includes overseeing financial planning, monitoring and coordination of financial arrangements for both revenue and capital finance. You will also lead your team of Finance Managers, Principal Accountants and Accountants.

To be suitable for the role you need to hold a CCAB/CIMA accountancy qualification or significant strategic knowledge and experience in local government finance. You should have evidence of successfully managing key financial processes (budgeting, monitoring, closing of accounts, and completion of grant and statistical returns) for both revenue and capital, working successfully to lead a professional team to deliver strong financial management advice to senior leaders. Also, strong experience of ensuring that the MTFS takes into account accurate budgeting for the Collection Fund, core grants and the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Capital Investment Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP).

To view the Head of Strategic Finance role profile please click here.

About Us

Croydon Council’s priorities:

• The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services.
• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable.
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon’s diverse communities and businesses.
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors.
•  Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice; and
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities.

Key business plan outcomes:

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning.
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential.
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we’re proud to call home.
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer; and
• Croydon Council’s new ways of working.

Our values

We are committed to excellence in all we do. Our values reflect the attitude and approach we take to working together to deliver services to our borough.

• One team - Crossing boundaries to work together towards shared goals with colleagues, partners and communities.
• Proud to serve - Striving to always do our best for the community, getting the most from limited resources and using taxpayers’ money wisely.
• Honest and open - Working hard to build trust by treating everyone with honesty and integrity.
• Taking responsibility - Encouraging and supporting each other to take responsibility and show what we can do, learning together and recognising all of our contributions.
• Valuing diversity - We make the most of the many perspectives that make Croydon distinctive.

Staff Benefits

Benefits and personal development

We want Croydon Council to be a place where our staff enjoy their jobs and are proud to be here. We reward talent and excellence with our flagship benefits scheme, Croydon Options, allowing you to enjoy a healthy work life balance.

• Generous paid Annual Leave of up to 31 days (eligibility criteria applies)
• Provision to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave per year (eligibility criteria applies)
• Flexible and Agile working
• Generous sick leave, maternity leave and family leave provisions
• Unbeatable benefits of being in the Local Government Pension Scheme; which includes employer contributions of 20% (average); “life assurance” (3 years’ salary) and benefit provisions for dependants
• Discounted season tickets for parking in local car parks or an option to cap the daily cost to less than £6
• Interest free travel loans for season tickets
• Confidential and free employee assistance programme and access to staff network groups - BAME, Working Carers, LGBT+, Women’s and Mental Health & Wellbeing

Popular benefits

Discounted parking with NCP, Q-Park and Council Car Parks for Council Employees

The Council has negotiated various corporate rates with NCP and Q-Park. Employees can also avail a negotiated daily parking rate of £5 per day with these car parks.

Employee assistance programme

With ever increasing pressures at work and at home, there are times when we all need some extra support, this is why we have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place to support your total well-being.

Benefits of the EAP

• Free of charge
• Available24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• Confidential
• Accessible by phone, email, our website and via instant messaging
• Information on a range of work, family and personal issues
• Up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions per issue. Topics need not be work related
• Independent from your employer and completely unprejudiced

Your development

At Croydon we believe that a skilled and committed workforce is crucial to our future success. To deliver council outcomes successfully we need to equip our people with the knowledge and skills they need to operate in a fast paced, ever evolving environment.

We provide a range of learning activities including inductions for new colleagues, management skills development and personal effectiveness training. We continue to develop different options for you to access the learning you need, whether through face-to-face workshops, e-learning or online content.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.

Further Information

Strategic Structure Chart: Strategic Finance structure for recruitment

Executive Mayor’s Business Plan: Mayor's Business plan 2022 - 2026

2026-27 Budget agreed at Full Council:  Agenda item - The Council's Budget 2026-27 | Croydon Council

2025-26 Period 9 Financial Performance Report:  2025-26-period-9-financial-performance-report.pdf

2024-25 Annual accounts: Financial accounts | Croydon Council

For a confidential discussion contact: andrew.barton@penna.com or 07922 386 432

Provisional Interview Dates: 29th & 30th June

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.

Salary: £60,573 - £62,766

Golden Hello: £3,000 (external applicants)

Working Pattern: Hybrid working, minimum two days per week in the office

Location: Merton (team days Monday and Wednesday) with attendance at partner boroughs as required.

Optional: 9‑day working fortnight available for those that choose it, following successful probation period (keeping in mind the needs of the service and colleagues)

South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) are recruiting a Litigation Lawyer to join a growing in‑house legal service for 5 London Boroughs, following the merger of our General Litigation and Debt Recovery functions. This vacancy has arisen due to a leaver and presents an opportunity for a confident litigator to take ownership of a broad and complex litigation caseload with management responsibilities. See what the team has to say Here

This is a generalist litigation role but ideally with experience of commercial and/or residential (non-housing) property litigation, ideal for a lawyer who enjoys varied, non-routine disputes and operating as a technical expert in areas not typically covered by all the team.

The Role

You will handle a wide spectrum of   property and general litigation cases. The work is fast paced, legally interesting and often strategically important, requiring sound judgement and strong litigation skills. You will work closely with each part of the 5 partner boroughs and be supported by experienced managers with a defined supervision structure.

Main Areas of the Role

• Managing a wide ranging residential (non-housing) and commercial property litigation caseload from pre-action and issue, through to resolution and acting as a subject matter expert including:
  • Leasehold disputes

o   Landlord and tenant matters

o   Property related contractual and commercial disputes

o    property cases before courts and tribunals

o   Claims and disputes that are not insured against

• Providing clear, strategic advice to officers across estates, property and commercial teams
• Conducting and overseeing general litigation whether defending or pursuing claims for the 5 Boroughs relating to:
  • Contractual disputes
  • Public law issues
  • Regulatory issues
  • Information governance
  • Tortious claims
• Representing the borough’s interests in tribunal proceedings and contested hearings
• Supporting and supervising a small team (currently three direct reports) alongside two experienced managers
• Managing competing demands in a high volume, varied workload

About You

You will be:

• A qualified solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow of CILEX) with practising rights.
• An experienced general litigator and/or commercial property litigator
• Confident dealing with contested matters and technically complex disputes
• Comfortable working across residential, commercial and landlord litigation
• A clear communicator, able to explain legal risk and options pragmatically
• Organised and resilient, with the ability to multitask effectively

Prior local authority experience is welcome but not essential; applicants from private practice or other in‑house environments are encouraged.

What We Offer

• A genuinely varied litigation role with real responsibility
• Exposure to complex, non-routine disputes
• Strong management support within a clearly structured team
• Hybrid working and a collaborative professional culture
• The opportunity to develop as a technical specialist within a public sector setting

·        SLLP offers hybrid working, a 9‑day working fortnight, one team day per week in Merton, flexible use of offices across partner boroughs, and a genuine commitment to good work life balance while maintaining high professional standards.

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or on 07716 098175.

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.

Salary: £60,573 to £70,203 (including annually reviewed £7,437 Market Supplement)

Golden Hello: £3,000 for external applicants

Working Pattern Hybrid working, minimum monthly in the office

Location: Merton (team day Thursday) with attendance at partner boroughs as required

Team Structure: Advocates have no management responsibility and report to Assistant Head of Law and/or Head of Law.

The South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) are recruiting an experienced childcare advocate to join its Social Care and Education Team. This role is aimed at advocates who want to focus on high quality public law advocacy and child protection decision‑making, without the commercial pressures of private practice.

SLLP provides inhouse legal services to the London Boroughs of Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Wandsworth and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The scale of the partnership offers exposure to complex and challenging care proceedings, while maintaining a supportive and collegiate inhouse environment. See what the team has to say Here

The Role

This is an advocacy focused role, reporting to an Assistant Head of Law within a small specialist team, with no line management responsibilities. You will act as an inhouse advocate in public law childcare proceedings and contribute as a trusted subject matter expert across the service.

Main areas of the role include:

• Acting as an in-house advocate in public law childcare proceedings, representing local authorities in the Family Court
• Conducting advocacy at all stages of proceedings, including CMHs (Case Management Hearings), IRHs (Issues Resolution Hearings) and final hearings
• Preparing, analysing, and progressing cases from issue through to conclusion, with a strong focus on child protection and risk management
• Advising social workers and managers on the application of the Children Act 1989 and related public law frameworks
• Working closely with legal colleagues and frontline professionals on case strategy and decision‑making
• Sharing expertise and good practice across the service and contributing to a strong advocacy culture
• Managing a substantial advocacy caseload while maintaining high professional and ethical standards
• Promoting robust public law outcomes that safeguard children and support families
• Deliver training to social work clients and legal colleagues, supporting continuous professional development.

·        Deliver training to social work clients and legal colleagues, supporting continuous professional development.

About You

You will be:

·        A qualified as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow of CILEX) with rights of advocacy

·        Solid experience in public law children’s work. Experience may be from local government or private practice; prior in-house experience is not essential.

·        Excellent drafting, communication, and client care skills

What we offer

• Strong management support within a clearly structured team

·        This role offers sustained advocacy work, realistic case ownership, hybrid working and a genuine focus on work-life balance, while doing work that has a direct and lasting impact on children’s lives.

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

Please see the Job Description for the role Here

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.

Salary: £60,573 - £62,766

Golden Hello: £3,000 (external applicants)

Experience Level: Senior lawyer - minimum 5 years’ PQE (step up candidate’s welcome)

Working Pattern: Hybrid working, minimum two days per week in the office

Location: Merton (team days Monday and Wednesday) with attendance at partner boroughs as required.

Optional: 9‑day working fortnight available for those that choose it, following successful probation period (keeping in mind the needs of the service and colleagues)

South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) are seeking an experienced Senior Housing Lawyer to join a well-established and supportive in house housing legal team representing 5 London Boroughs.  This role is designed for a lawyer who is a subject matter expert in housing law, comfortable leading people as well as cases, and motivated by delivering high quality, practical legal advice in a public service environment.

This is a senior role with real responsibility, combining case ownership, advocacy and people management, supported by a strong management and professional support structure. See what the team has to say Here.

The Role

You will act as one of the team’s senior housing law specialists, managing a complex and varied caseload while providing direct leadership to a small team of housing lawyers. The role offers scope for experienced managers as well as strong housing lawyers looking to take their first step into people management, with training and support in place.

You will be expected to balance competing priorities, communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, and lead with patience and professionalism in a demanding but rewarding area of law.

Main Areas of the Role

• Acting as the subject matter expert in housing law across the service
• Managing a complex housing law caseload, including advocacy where required
• Advising on:
  • Social housing and homelessness
  • Applications and duties under the Housing Act 1996 and Code of Guidance
  • Housing disrepair
  • Tenancy management, including possession proceedings
  • Anti‑social behaviour (ASB) and tenancy fraud
• Leading and supervising a team of approximately five direct reports
• Supporting and developing junior lawyers, including those in training
• Working closely with housing officers and senior managers to deliver clear, timely and effective legal advice
• Contributing to service planning, quality assurance and continuous improvement

About You

You will be:

• A qualified solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow of CILEX) with litigation practising rights
• A housing lawyer with around 5 years’ PQE or more
• Confident operating as a senior technical expert
• An effective and approachable people manager, or a strong practitioner ready to step up
• A clear and calm communicator, able to manage pressure and multiple priorities
• Patient, supportive and committed to developing others

Experience within local government, housing associations or relevant private practice is welcome.

What We Offer

• A senior role combining technical leadership and people management
• A genuinely varied and interesting housing caseload
• Strong management support and a clear supervision framework
• Hybrid working and a collaborative team culture
• The opportunity to shape housing law practice and mentor the next generation of lawyers
• Meaningful work that directly impacts residents and communities
• SLLP offers hybrid working, a 9‑day working fortnight, one team day per week in Merton, flexible use of offices across partner boroughs, and a genuine commitment to good work life balance while maintaining high professional standards.

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

Please see the Job Description for the role Here

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.

Salary: £54,267 - £58,461

Golden Hello: £3,000 (external applicants)

Working Pattern: Hybrid working – minimum two days per week in the office

Location: Merton (team days Monday and Wednesday) with attendance at partner boroughs as required.

Optional: 9‑day working fortnight available for those that choose it,  following successful probation period (keeping in mind the needs of the service and colleagues)

South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) are looking to recruit a Housing Lawyer specialist to join a supportive and collegiate local authority legal team representing 5 London Boroughs.   This role is ideal for a housing lawyer who enjoys a varied caseload, advocacy work and direct ownership of cases, and who values working in a team environment that invests in development and progression. See what the team has to say Here

The role offers a broad and interesting mix of work across social housing including homelessness, disrepair and tenancy management, with real opportunities to shape outcomes for residents and communities.

The Role

You will run your own caseload of housing matters, acting as a trusted adviser to housing officers and managers, and undertaking advocacy where required. The work is varied and challenging, with exposure across the full range of housing law, including both strategic and frontline matters. This is a hands-on role combining legal advice, advocacy and collaboration.

Main Areas of Work

• Managing a diverse housing law caseload with autonomy and responsibility
• Conducting advocacy in housing related proceedings as required
• Advising on social housing including homelessness matters, applications under the Housing Act 1996 and associated Code of Guidance
• Handling housing disrepair claims from inception through to trial
• Advising on tenancy management, including possession proceedings
• Dealing with antisocial behaviour (ASB) and tenancy fraud matters
• Supporting and advising housing officers and managers with practical, solution focused legal advice

About You

You must be qualified as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow of CILEX) with litigation practising rights and solid experience in public law.  Experience may be from local government or private practice; prior in-house experience is not essential.

You will have solid experience in housing law and will be confident running your own caseloads. You will be approachable, supportive and comfortable working closely with others.

We welcome applications from lawyers with experience in:

• Housing law (local government, housing association or private practice)
• Social housing and/or homelessness work
• Disrepair and tenancy enforcement matters

What We Offer

• A genuinely wide and interesting housing law workload
• Regular advocacy alongside advisory work
• Hybrid working with two days per week in the office
• A supportive, experienced team culture
• Real investment in training and progression, including developing lawyers into senior roles
• The opportunity to do meaningful legal work that directly impacts residents
• SLLP offers hybrid working, a 9‑day working fortnight, one team day per week in Merton, flexible use of offices across partner boroughs, and a genuine commitment to good work life balance while maintaining high professional standards.

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

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.

Salary: £60,573 to £70,203 (including annually reviewed £7,437 Market Supplement)

Golden Hello: £3,000 (external applicants)

Working Pattern: Hybrid working

Location: Merton (team day Tuesday) with attendance at partner boroughs as required.

Optional: 9‑day working fortnight available for those that choose it (keeping in mind the needs of the service and colleagues)

South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) are recruiting an experienced procurement and contracts lawyer considering a move that offers high quality work, professional autonomy and a healthier work life balance, the South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) could be the right next step.

SLLP is the shared in-house legal service for the London Boroughs of Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Wandsworth and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, providing legal advice at scale across South West London. The partnership model offers the opportunity to work on complex and high‑profile matters while remaining part of a supportive and well‑resourced in‑house team. See what the team has to say Here

The Role

This is a newly upgraded role, designed for an expert level procurement and contracts lawyer. You will join a small specialist team, reporting to a Principal Lawyer, with no line management responsibilities. The role is advisory focused and non-contentious, allowing you to concentrate on delivering high quality legal advice including on complex, cross-team and high-profile cases.

Main areas of the role include:

• Acting as a trusted expert in public procurement and contracts law
• Managing a diverse and extensive procurement law caseload with autonomy and responsibility
• Drafting, reviewing and advising on a wide range of commercial and public sector contracts
• Advising officers and elected members on a wide range of issues impacting local government procurement, including subsidy control and contractual risk
• Supporting and deputising for the Principal Lawyer as required
• Contributing to knowledge‑sharing across the service, including acting as a training principal / PSL style resource
• Providing clear, effective and pragmatic legal advice within a public facing environment

This role does not involve litigation, but you will be able to advise on procurement challenges and work collaboratively with Litigation colleagues as and when needed.

About You

You will:

•  be qualified as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow of CILEX) with solid experience in public procurement law.
•  be experienced in public sector client work from local government or private practice; prior in-house experience is not essential.
• have a minimum of around 5 years PQE experience in public procurement and contracts law and will be confident running your own caseload. 
• have excellent drafting, communication, and client care skills. 
• be approachable, supportive, comfortable working closely with others and willing to share your expertise within a collaborative team.

What We Offer

• A wide and varied public procurement law workload
• Hybrid working with one team day per week in the office
• A supportive, experienced team
• The opportunity to do meaningful legal work that directly impacts residents
• SLLP offers hybrid working, a 9‑day working fortnight, one team day per week in Merton, flexible use of offices across partner boroughs, and a genuine commitment to good work life balance while maintaining high professional standards.

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

Please see the Job Description for the role Here

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.

Director of Governance & Assurance

Permanent Contract – Birmingham

£90,000pa

The Gambling Commission is internationally recognised for its expertise, independence and innovation, and it is our purpose that truly brings our work to life. We regulate a dynamic, multi‑billion‑pound industry shaped by sport, technology and rapidly evolving consumer behaviour. The decisions we make directly influence how millions of people experience gambling across the country, and our regulatory powers play a crucial role in ensuring that this significant sector operates safely, fairly and with integrity. As we enter a period of organisational change and renewed strategic focus, we are seeking a Director of Governance who can bring clarity, confidence and connection to a defining year for the Commission.

The role

As Director of Governance & Assurance, you will be at the centre of how the Commission functions and how we uphold our responsibilities to the public. You will lead our governance, risk, assurance, information management and contact centre teams, working closely with the Chief Executive, Executive Team and Board to support strong decision‑making and ensure good governance is lived across the organisation.

Your remit will be broad and influential. The Board and its Committees will rely on you to provide the insight and assurance needed for effective decision‑making. A mature, proactive risk culture will continue to develop under your leadership, strengthening how emerging issues are identified, understood and addressed. You will also oversee the systems and frameworks that ensure information is managed with the rigour, responsibility and transparency expected of a trusted regulator.

You’ll also provide leadership on conduct and ethical standards, overseeing whistleblowing, FOI, data protection and organisational integrity. This role offers a central hand in key organisational shifts - from preparing for a new Chair and Board members, to guiding colleagues through evolving expectations and new ways of working.

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for a leader who combines expertise with humanity - someone who understands the technical demands of governance but also the importance of relationships, influence and thoughtful leadership.

You’ll bring senior governance experience from the public or third sector, a sophisticated understanding of risk and assurance, and the confidence to operate with pace and clarity in a complex environment. You’ll be skilled in advising senior leaders with nuance and diplomacy and offer sound judgement in moments of complexity.

Experience in information and records management is essential, and familiarity with internal audit, Board recruitment or induction, or previous Data Protection Officer responsibilities would be an advantage. Most importantly, you will bring gravitas, empathy and the ability to build trust quickly — helping teams to thrive and supporting colleagues through sustained organisational change.

Why join us?

The Commission is a place where colleagues feel genuinely connected to the work they do. Our strong 4.1 Glassdoor rating reflects the pride shared across our c.400 people and a culture built on openness, curiosity and collaboration. Colleagues are supported, trusted and encouraged to thrive and our flexible approach to working is shaped with their wellbeing firmly in mind.

We are also an organisation with a clear sense of direction. Decisions here carry weight, and your leadership would help shape discussions that influence how we operate and how we respond to a fast‑changing regulatory environment. You’ll be joining a community of talented, committed colleagues who care about doing the right thing and who value thoughtful, constructive partnership.

If this role feels like the right next step for you, we would be delighted to receive your application. It’s an opportunity to bring your leadership into an organisation that listens, evolves and values the contribution of its people. We hope you’ll consider joining us at such an important moment in our journey.

For further information, please download the Candidate Briefing Pack

For a confidential conversation please contact:

·      Kelly Ridley — 07709 512415 | kelly.ridley@penna.com

·      James Miller — 07701 233159 | james.miller@penna.com

·      Rachael Morris — 07840 711217 | rachael.morris@penna.com

Recruitment timeline:

·      Application Deadline - 31st May          

·      Longlist Meeting (candidates are not required to attend) - 10th June     

·      Technical/Preliminary Interviews - 17th & 18th June    

·      Shortlist Meeting (candidates are not required to attend) - 8th July      

·      Stakeholder Panel Interviews (online) - w/c 13th July  

·      Final interviews (Victoria Square House, Birmingham) - 21st 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.     

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.

Director of Transport and Infrastructure

Salary: £100,993 – £119,532

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

Choose Challenge. Choose Change. Choose Cheshire East.

The Opportunity

This is a high-impact leadership role at the centre of Cheshire East’s ambitions for growth, connectivity and regeneration: a career-defining opportunity to deliver infrastructure at scale and shape the future of a major place.

As Director of Transport and Infrastructure, you will lead the council’s highways, transport and infrastructure services, ensuring the delivery of major capital programmes while maintaining safe, efficient and resilient networks for residents and businesses. Reporting to the Executive Director – Place, you will play a key role in shaping how the borough connects, moves and grows.

This is a role defined by delivery. You will take ownership of a complex portfolio that includes the Local Transport Plan, major infrastructure schemes, contract management of the highways service, and oversight of critical regeneration projects such as Crewe Station and wider rail connectivity. Working across organisational and geographic boundaries, you will bring pace, grip and clarity to delivery – ensuring that investment translates into tangible outcomes.

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

We are seeking a transport / infrastructure professional with a track record of delivering complex infrastructure and transport programmes within large and politically sensitive organisations. You will bring significant experience across highways, transport or infrastructure services, alongside the ability to manage major contracts, capital programmes and multi-disciplinary teams to deliver high-quality outcomes.

You will be a confident and credible leader, with the political awareness, resilience and judgement required to operate effectively within a No Overall Control environment. Strong partnership skills will be essential, as will the ability to work collaboratively with Government, regional bodies and external stakeholders to secure investment and drive delivery. Above all, you will bring the focus, energy and leadership required to turn strategy into delivery and deliver meaningful change at scale.

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

·       Bruna Varante – 07858 306725 or bruna.varante@penna.com

·       Tom Niven – 07860 657044 or tom.niven@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.

Director of People

Salary: £100,993 – £119,532

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

Choose Challenge. Choose Change. Choose Cheshire East.

The Opportunity

This is a core leadership role at the heart of Cheshire East’s transformation. As Director of People, you will lead the council’s workforce strategy and organisational development, shaping a modern, high-performing organisation capable of delivering for residents and communities. Reporting to the Executive Director of Resources, you will have a core role in enabling the council’s wider transformation and future operating model.

This is a role defined by change. You will build and redefine the People function: clarifying purpose, modernising its operating model and ensuring it delivers real value to the organisation, putting its people at the heart of your work. You will lead major workforce transformation programmes, including organisational redesign, workforce planning, and significant change initiatives, while embedding a culture that is inclusive, high-performing and focused on outcomes. For an experienced leader, this is a career-defining opportunity to shape culture, capability and performance at scale.

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

We are seeking an experienced HR and Organisational Development leader with a track record of delivering large-scale transformation within complex, ideally public sector organisations. You will bring deep expertise across workforce strategy, organisational design, employee relations and culture change, alongside experience of leading high-performing HR and OD functions.

You will be a resilient, pragmatic and values-driven leader, with the credibility and political awareness required to operate effectively at senior levels. You will be comfortable leading significant change, including workforce restructuring and modernisation, while maintaining strong engagement and trust across the organisation. Above all, you will bring the clarity, energy and leadership required to rebuild the People function and enable the council to deliver its ambitions.

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.

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.

Head of Housing

Salary: £76,271 - £88,631

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

Choose Challenge. Choose Change. Choose Cheshire East.

The Opportunity

This is a pivotal leadership role at the centre of Cheshire East’s ambitions to strengthen its housing offer, support communities and enable sustainable growth. As Head of Housing, you will lead the council’s full housing function, ensuring the delivery of statutory responsibilities while shaping a more proactive, interventionist approach to housing across the borough.

This is a role that combines strategic leadership with operational grip. You will oversee housing strategy, homelessness services, housing standards and development activity, while leading the council’s emerging approach to becoming a more active participant in the housing market. This includes influencing supply, working with developers and partners, and exploring opportunities to acquire and manage housing assets. In a context of rising demand, deprivation and housing pressure, this is a career-defining opportunity to shape housing delivery at scale and make a tangible difference to communities.

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

We are seeking a senior housing professional with a track record of delivering across housing strategy, homelessness and service delivery within a complex public sector environment. You will bring experience of operating at scale, alongside the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams, manage performance and deliver high-quality, customer-focused services.

You will be a confident and pragmatic leader, with the resilience and political awareness required to operate effectively in a No Overall Control environment. Strong partnership skills will be essential, as will the ability to work across organisational boundaries and align housing with regeneration and growth agendas. Above all, you will bring the clarity, credibility and leadership required to stabilise, strengthen and transform housing services in a challenging and high-profile environment.

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

·       Bruna Varante – 07858 306725 or bruna.varante@penna.com

·       Tom Niven – 07860 657044 or tom.niven@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.

Head of Transformation

Salary: £76,271- £88,631

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

Choose Challenge. Choose Change. Choose Cheshire East.

The Opportunity

This is a core leadership role at the heart of one of the most ambitious transformation programmes in local government. As Head of Transformation, you will lead a resourced and focused corporate function responsible for delivering a portfolio of cross-council programmes and projects that will reshape how Cheshire East operates. With a stable and embedded PMO already in place, you will build on strong foundations to drive delivery at pace and scale.

Your immediate priorities will include developing a high-performing team culture, establishing strong relationships across the organisation, and defining the council’s approach to service design, transformation and its future target operating model. You will oversee a wide-ranging portfolio spanning prevention, demand management, service redesign, digital enablement and efficiency. In doing so, you will play a critical role in delivering both significant financial savings and tangible improvements to frontline services and resident experience.

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

We are seeking a transformation professional with a track record of delivering complex, organisation-wide change. You will bring expertise in business change, portfolio and programme management, and service redesign, with the ability to operate credibly at senior levels within a large and complex organisation.

You will be a collaborative and influential leader, able to build relationships across organisational boundaries, negotiate effectively and bring people with you through change. Experience of leading large-scale transformation in the public sector or similarly complex environments will be highly valued, alongside a clear understanding of how to balance financial outcomes with service improvement.

Above all, you will be motivated by the scale of the challenge and the opportunity to shape the future of a major local authority – delivering meaningful, lasting change that improves outcomes for communities.

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:

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

·       Kelly Ridley – 07709 512415 or kelly.ridley@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.

Director of Housing – Manchester City Council

Band SS4 £111,669 - £123,071

Neighbourhoods Directorate

Building Care in Quality, Building Care in Homes, Building Care in Manchester

Manchester is a city shaped by its neighbourhoods—diverse, ambitious communities powered by a shared belief that great places transform lives. We are now seeking a visionary Director of Housing to lead our housing delivery functions and drive forward a modern, high‑performing service rooted in community wellbeing, building safety, sustainable neighbourhoods and excellent resident experience.

As a senior leader within the Neighbourhoods Directorate, you will guide our strategic approach to Neighbourhood Housing, Repairs & Maintenance, Asset & Repairs, Building Safety & Compliance and Resident Experience & Income functions —ensuring high‑quality services and performance that meet the aspirations of our residents and support the city’s long‑term growth.

You will provide clear, compassionate leadership to the management team and wider service, championing innovative approaches to place‑based delivery and continuous improvement building on our recent C2 rating from the Regulator of Social Housing. A core aspect and your immediate focus will be to lead in delivering transformational change and improvement, in particular to the in-sourcing of the Repairs & Maintenance contract and establishing an in-house direct labour organisation.

With strong political awareness and a commitment to the values of Our Manchester, you will forge robust & trusting relationships across the Council, with partners, and at regional and national levels.

This is a role for a leader who is passionate about the power of good housing to build strong, safe, thriving communities—and who can turn strategic vision into meaningful impact on the ground.

To find out more please visit www.leadinginmanchester.co.uk

Download the Candidate Briefing Pack

For a confidential discussion, contact our recruitment partners at Penna: Pete John on 07701 305617 or pete.john@penna.com or Ali Tasker on 07514 724114 or ali.tasker@penna.com

Closing Date: 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.

Managing Director, Enterprise Oxfordshire (Fixed Term)

Up to £130k | Oxford / Remote | 4 days/week

Shape the future of one of the UK’s most powerful innovation economies.

The Opportunity

Oxfordshire is one of the UK’s most successful and internationally recognised economic regions, home to globally leading universities, pioneering research institutions and world-class innovation clusters. Enterprise Oxfordshire plays a central role in enabling that success – supporting business growth, attracting investment, connecting skills with opportunity and promoting the county on the global stage.

We are now seeking an exceptional Managing Director to lead the organisation through its next phase of development. Reporting to the Enterprise Oxfordshire Board and working closely with Oxfordshire County Council and system partners, you will provide strategic leadership for the county’s economic development platform.

You will oversee the delivery of a newly agreed business plan while shaping the organisation’s future role in driving inclusive, sustainable growth across Oxfordshire.

The Organisation

Enterprise Oxfordshire has evolved from the county’s Local Enterprise Partnership into a new economic development and inward investment agency operating at the heart of the Oxfordshire innovation ecosystem. Working in partnership with local authorities, universities, businesses and national government, the organisation supports business growth, promotes inward investment and strengthens the skills pipeline for the region’s key sectors.

With funding secured through to 2028 and a refreshed governance structure being shaped, Enterprise Oxfordshire is entering an exciting new phase.

Candidates

We are seeking a credible and influential leader with experience operating at senior level in complex partnership environments. You will bring strong strategic leadership, commercial awareness and the ability to engage effectively across public, private and academic sectors.

Equally important will be your ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, navigate political and organisational complexity, and champion Oxfordshire’s economic potential nationally and internationally.

For further information, please download the candidate briefing pack by clicking the link below:

Candidate Briefing Pack – Managing Director

For a confidential discussion and details of how to apply, please contact our recruitment partners at Penna:

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

·       Ali Tasker on 07843 573373 or at ali.tasker@penna.com

Closing Date: 23:59pm on Friday 29^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.