The Isle of Wight Council is looking to fill a ‘pivotal’ leadership role on up to £124,441 per year to drive business improvement and digital transformation.
Claire Shand, who has previously served as the local authority’s director of corporate services, is retiring after 47 years working in local government.
County Hall wants to hire a successful senior executive to be the next strategic director of corporate and governance services – one of the authority’s most high ranking positions.
The council says it is entering an important period of change, delivery and renewal. County Hall has said
“This pivotal leadership role sits at the heart of the council and offers the chance to influence organisational success at the highest level, leading programmes that improve services, strengthen capability and deliver tangible benefits for residents and communities.
“Your leadership will support the council to deliver its priorities in a challenging but purposeful local government environment strategically directing our future operating model, firming up corporate governance, and leading services that enable the whole organisation to perform at its best.”
Corporate and governance structures include areas such as legal and democratic services, elections, human resources, organisational development, health and safety, procurement, property as well as equality and diversity.
The council says these are central to the council’s resilience, credibility and capacity to deliver.
Strictly speaking, but not mentioned is that the salary range is between
£115,794 and £124,741.
Across the country it depends on the size of the unitary area…in Bradford for example the salary is £162k.
As the roles contain Statutory Duties it means that legally the buck stops with them for any malpractice within the council or governance failure. Every single decision must be checked, cross-checked and re-checked before sign-off. Or should be.
1. Croydon Council (2021) — “Collective Corporate Blindness”
An independent investigation by Richard Penn into Croydon Council’s financial collapse directly targeted senior management. The report concluded that there was systemic organizational dysfunction at the most senior level, noting that “those with the biggest responsibilities and with statutory duties let the organisation down.” The failure of corporate leadership to properly manage risk and exercise statutory financial oversight directly triggered Croydon’s multiple Section 114 “bankruptcy” notices.
2. Slough Borough Council (2022) — Total Governance Failure
While serving as Chief Executive (the Head of Paid Service statutory role), corporate head Josie Wragg was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct by government commissioners. An independent inquiry found she had profoundly failed in corporate leadership, risk management, budget oversight, and maintaining proper statutory appointments. Her actions included executing an un-costed, financially blind council restructure during the pandemic, which was deemed “reckless.”
3. Northumberland County Council (2022) — Unlawful Corporate Spending
The council’s Section 151 Officer failed to prevent—and subsequently had to report—years of unlawful international commercial spending and unauthorized allowance payments associated with the council’s corporate services and external entities. This resulted in an official Section 114 report explicitly citing unlawful expenditure.
Not a solo job I’d want at any price. Should be a committee…but then the salaries would be even higher.