The Roles

Strategic Director Operations
Salary: £96,700

Our mission is to improve the lives of Exeter residents, delivering the best possible value while providing opportunities, enhancing life chances, and driving sustainable economic development. We aim to build on the tangible progress we’ve made in recent months through our transformation, and this is a pivotal time for positive change in the City. Strengthening our local economy, alongside our communities and stakeholders, is central to everything we do, forming the core of our commitment to making a meaningful impact on our citizens' quality of life. We are seeking passionate, innovative, and driven senior leaders who understand what excellence looks like and have the confidence to make informed, evidence-based decisions that benefit Exeter and its communities.

In this critical role, you will drive the delivery of the Council’s Corporate Plan, leading the Operations Directorate to ensure effective service delivery across key areas such as environment, asset maintenance, waste management, public realm operations, and environmental health.

As part of the Strategic Management Board, you will provide visionary leadership to a wide range of services, building strong partnerships with stakeholders and ensuring the Council's services are innovative, customer-centric, and aligned with our continuous improvement goals. You will also play a vital role in managing large teams, overseeing substantial budgets, and driving forward initiatives that deliver value for money while maintaining a focus on sustainable economic development and community well-being.

We are looking for experienced leaders with a strong track record of success in managing complex operations, who can engage effectively with elected members, partners, and the community to ensure Exeter is a great place to live, work, and visit.

Requirements:

• Degree level education or equivalent, with evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Extensive leadership and senior management experience in a complex organisation
• Strong track record in budget management and driving performance improvement
• Knowledge of the legislative framework surrounding local government
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and shape the future of key services in Exeter, making a real difference to the community.

For an informal and confidential discussion please contact our retained consultants:

Kelly Ridely on 07709 512415 or Kelly.Ridley@penna.com and Amin Aziz on 07709 514141 or Amin.Aziz@penna.com

Closing date: Thursday 17th October

Head of Service – HR, Workforce Planning & OD
Salary: £71,000

Our mission is to improve the lives of Exeter residents, delivering the best possible value while providing opportunities, enhancing life chances, and driving sustainable economic development. We aim to build on the tangible progress we’ve made in recent months through our transformation, and this is a pivotal time for positive change in the City. Strengthening our local economy, alongside our communities and stakeholders, is central to everything we do, forming the core of our commitment to making a meaningful impact on our citizens' quality of life. We are seeking passionate, innovative, and driven senior leaders who understand what excellence looks like and have the confidence to make informed, evidence-based decisions that benefit Exeter and its communities.

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for driving HR excellence and fostering an inclusive workforce? Exeter City Council is on the lookout for a highly skilled and experienced Head of Service to join our Operational Management Board, providing strategic and operational leadership for our HR, Workforce Planning, and Organisational Development functions. In this role, you’ll oversee key areas such as EDI, workforce health and safety, and payroll, while spearheading a proactive approach to recruitment and retention. As part of our Operational Management Board, you’ll champion a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, ensuring that our HR strategies align with our corporate goals. If you are a HR professional with a track record of managing complex HR functions and are committed to enhancing our workforce, we’d love to hear from you.

For an informal and confidential discussion please contact our retained consultants:

Kelly Ridely on 07709 512415 or Kelly.Ridley@penna.com and Amin Aziz on 07709 514141 or Amin.Aziz@penna.com

Closing date: Thursday 17th October

Head of Service - Digital and Data
Salary: £71,000

Our mission is to improve the lives of Exeter residents, delivering the best possible value while providing opportunities, enhancing life chances, and driving sustainable economic development. We aim to build on the tangible progress we’ve made in recent months through our transformation, and this is a pivotal time for positive change in the City. Strengthening our local economy, alongside our communities and stakeholders, is central to everything we do, forming the core of our commitment to making a meaningful impact on our citizens' quality of life. We are seeking passionate, innovative, and driven senior leaders who understand what excellence looks like and have the confidence to make informed, evidence-based decisions that benefit Exeter and its communities.

Exeter City Council is seeking a highly skilled and experienced leader to join our Operational Management Board, providing strategic and operational support to the development of digital services. We are seeking an experienced and innovative leader to head our Digital & Data service. In this role, you will oversee the management and continuous improvement of key areas including data governance, business intelligence, ICT, GDPR, and digital platforms. We are looking for a driven and ambitious individual with a keen interest in streamlining and enhancing services. You will work collaboratively with internal teams, external partners, customers and political leadership to drive digital transformation, enhance data usage, and support the Council's Digital Customer Strategy. This is a unique opportunity to lead a high-performing team, manage substantial budgets, and deliver customer-centric, data-driven services.

For an informal and confidential discussion please contact our retained consultants:

Kelly Ridely on 07709 512415 or Kelly.Ridley@penna.com and Amin Aziz on 07709 514141 or Amin.Aziz@penna.com

Closing date: Thursday 17th October

Head of Service - Customer and Communities
Salary: £71,000

Our mission is to improve the lives of Exeter residents, delivering the best possible value while providing opportunities, enhancing life chances, and driving sustainable economic development. We aim to build on the tangible progress we’ve made in recent months through our transformation, and this is a pivotal time for positive change in the City. Strengthening our local economy, alongside our communities and stakeholders, is central to everything we do, forming the core of our commitment to making a meaningful impact on our citizens' quality of life. We are seeking passionate, innovative, and driven senior leaders who understand what excellence looks like and have the confidence to make informed, evidence-based decisions that benefit Exeter and its communities.

Exeter City Council is seeking a highly skilled and experienced leader to join our Operational Management Board, providing strategic and operational leadership to our customer services and community development work. You will already be working at a senior level with demonstratable experience of successful senior delivery of significant transformation of a customer management service within a complex public and or private sector environment. You will be a strong collaborator and will have experience of creating and implementing leaner communication process and enhancing customer experience. You will take full responsibility for all things related to the customer and lead the Council’s relationship with its customers across all service areas, driving efforts to assess and evaluate experiences at each touchpoint across the customer journey. You will be a customer advocate operationally and strategically, ensuring the voice of the customer is heard in decision-making and motivating all staff to be ambassadors for your services. You will be experienced in supporting your teams to provide exceptional customer service and act as a driving force behind building a customer centric culture at Exeter. You will also provide strategic leadership to our Community Development work largely delivered through our flagship programme Wellbeing Exeter.

For an informal and confidential discussion please contact our retained consultants:

Kelly Ridely on 07709 512415 or Kelly.Ridley@penna.com and Amin Aziz on 07709 514141 or Amin.Aziz@penna.com

Closing date: Thursday 17th October

Head of Service - Commercial
Salary: £71,000

Our mission is to improve the lives of Exeter residents, delivering the best possible value while providing opportunities, enhancing life chances, and driving sustainable economic development. We aim to build on the tangible progress we’ve made in recent months through our transformation, and this is a pivotal time for positive change in the City. Strengthening our local economy, alongside our communities and stakeholders, is central to everything we do, forming the core of our commitment to making a meaningful impact on our citizens' quality of life. We are seeking passionate, innovative, and driven senior leaders who understand what excellence looks like and have the confidence to make informed, evidence-based decisions that benefit Exeter and its communities.

Exeter City Council is seeking a highly skilled and experienced leader to join our Operational Management Board, providing strategic and operational support to the Commercial Assets service. This role involves managing and improving key areas such as surveying, commercial property, car parking, and the Matford Centre & Markets. You will lead multi-disciplinary teams, optimise property performance, and drive income generation while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and policies. You will have extensive leadership experience, excellent communication skills, and a strong track record in asset management and innovation. RICS membership is desirable.

For an informal and confidential discussion please contact our retained consultants:

Kelly Ridely on 07709 512415 or Kelly.Ridley@penna.com and Amin Aziz on 07709 514141 or Amin.Aziz@penna.com

Closing date: Thursday 17th October