Head of Leadership Office

In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ. 

Looking ahead, there are plans for the delivery of new homes and new schools and the London Cancer Hub is being developed, while the Council is also seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment.

All of this demonstrates a good track record and an authority that is ambitious and set to deliver more improvements for the borough. We've set out our vision for the future of Sutton in our corporate plan - Ambitious for Sutton. This strategic plan will shape the outcomes we achieve, the services we provide, and the impact we have on residents, to make Sutton a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Situated in Zone 5, Sutton is less than 30 minutes by train from central London, and south and south west London are easily accessible by public transport. There are 10 train stations which serve key neighbourhoods within the borough providing direct connections to London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. Sutton also has direct rail connections with Epsom, Dorking, Guildford and Horsham, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and West Croydon for the London Overground. There’s also an extensive road network which provides close and easy access to the M25 and M23.

We are looking for someone to come and head up the London Borough of Sutton’s Leadership Office.

Working across the Council, you will directly support the Leader of the Council and the wider councillor Leadership Team. 

You will be responsible for the overall day-to-day running of the office, including:

• undertaking political research
• providing policy/project advice and guidance to councillors
• assisting with the drafting and issuing of letters to Parliamentarians, Ministers and other key stakeholders
• drafting council press releases and social media posts

You will be a proactive individual, who is highly organised and used to working in a fast-paced environment. We are looking for someone who can build trusted relationships across the Council and with stakeholders from local, regional and national organisations. Previous experience of working in a political environment would be beneficial.  

The job involves occasional attendance at evening meetings and you will be part of an out-of-hours on-call rota.

The Communications & Engagement Team is responsible for ensuring the Council speaks with one voice, seeks out and listens to all opinions and concerns of local people, delivers on its commitments, and responds honestly. The team is made up of the following key areas:

• Strategic direction & external positioning
• Marketing and design
• Internal communications
• Consultation, engagement and participation 
• Press & media relations
• Leadership office
• Public affairs 

The Head of Leadership Office will work across all of the above areas, overseeing the management and development of the Leadership Office, whilst also supporting the Council’s public affairs activity.

We are looking for an individual with experience of providing support, advice and guidance or similar services in a complex organisation. You will also have managed staff previously. It is essential that you have experience of working in a politically-sensitive environment and have an in-depth knowledge of local government and the public sector in general, with a good understanding of the current challenges facing local authorities.

You will have a good knowledge and understanding of relevant national legislation relating to the governance, function and operation of local government, as well as an understanding of the political restrictions placed on council officers in so far as they relate to this post.

As part of Sutton Council's Communications & Engagement Team, you will be able to communicate in plain English – orally and in writing – to councillors, officers, outside bodies and members of the public.You will also need to adopt a flexible working pattern to meet the needs of the job. This will mean working outside ‘normal’ office hours by prior arrangement. You will have experience of developing, implementing and evaluating communications, engagement campaigns, public affairs and projects. You will also be able to undertake administrative tasks, such as organising meetings, drafting agendas and accurately recording decisions.

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across - however big or small - will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
• Flexi-time (Please note, this applies to roles at grades 1-9 only)
• Comprehensive learning and development programme
• Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Car parking scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
• Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
• Subsidised gym membership

Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.

To support our diversity agenda and reduce the risk of bias in our recruitment activities, our short listing process completely anonymises personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc. Our hiring managers review and short list applications based on the information provided as part of your application as to how well you meet the requirements and criteria for the role, as outlined in the job profile.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Borough and we aim to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve - the key highlights from our recent Equalities Workforce Report can be seen here. We are respectful of difference and realise the positive value of diversity in our workforce. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. As part of our Disability Confident Committed status, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.

The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.