Chief of Staff

Role Responsibility

A fantastic opportunity to accelerate your career by gaining a breadth of experience in a newly-created senior role, in one of the largest local authorities in the country

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive, and working closely with the most senior members of the council’s SMT, you will work with senior stakeholders, local authority partners, as well as other national organisations and government departments.

Focusing on the Council’s strategic priorities you will be tasked with:

• Defining the significant issues facing Local Authorities and public sector organisations and ensuring that the council can deploy the necessary capacity and capability to deliver effective solutions.
• Developing and managing influential relationships, at the highest levels, with a range of internal and external stakeholders and partners.
• Project Management – taking the lead on significant projects on behalf of the Chief Executive.

Through forward-planning and stakeholder-management, you will be a catalyst for the Chief Executive and the council’s senior team, significantly enhancing the council’s ability to influence, set the agenda, transform services, and deliver improved outcomes for Kent and the county’s residents.

Kent County Council

This is a great time to join Kent – a great county to live in, with excellent schools, vibrant cities, golden beaches and stunning countryside.

As the largest county council in the country, Kent is a very large canvas and there is a real opportunity to make a tangible difference.

And as this is a newly-created role, there’s scope for you to make the role what you want it to be.

There is genuinely no better place to deliver great services, make a difference, and enjoy yourself whilst developing your career.

Candidates

This role calls for experience of working in large and complex organisations, with colleagues, stakeholders and partners at the highest levels.

The ability to operate in ambiguous situations, providing a combination of support and challenge to colleagues working with competing priorities and opposing views will be required for success.

Next Steps

If you are looking for a fantastic opportunity to accelerate your career by gaining a breadth of experience in a newly-created senior role, in one of the largest local authorities in the country, we want to hear from you.

Follow this link to read a welcome letter for this role from David Cockburn, Chief Executive of Kent County Council: https://jobs.kent.gov.uk/were-recruiting/chief-of-staff

Contact Details

Contact Andrew Tromans on 07805 226 301 / andrew.tromans@penna.com for a confidential conversation, or visit https://execroles.penna.com/apply/c89515e1-0866-4f35-b65b-84b27681f405 for details on how to apply.

Preliminary Interviews: 17^th/18^th October 2022​
Final Interviews: 27^th / 28^th October 2022 in Maidstone, Kent (in-person)

Please note that the successful candidate will be required to participate in enhanced pre-employment screening undertaken by the County Council.

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.