Chief Officer Finance & ICT (statutory role Section 151 Officer) Vacant June 2021
Dear Applicant
Thank you for your interest in the post of Chief Officer Finance & ICT. This role is due to become vacant as a result of the retirement of the current post holder in June 2021. We see this appointment as a real opportunity for the Council to recruit a critical member of the Senior Leadership Team who can make a significant contribution to improving Wrexham. It is also an opportunity for a committed and positive applicant to develop their career in an Authority that has huge potential to fulfil its vision at the heart of North Wales as its major urban centre.
This is an exciting opportunity to join our Senior Leadership Team, which has seven Chief Officers and has been in place since April 2019, the post holder will report directly to the Chief Executive. You will lead on the Finance & ICT portfolio, as well as actively contributing to our collective leadership goals to deliver long-term improvement and sustainable services for Wrexham County Borough Council.
As Leader/Portfolio Holder and Chief Executive we see this as a key appointment and critical to building on our success and developing and strengthening our services to benefit the Community of Wrexham.
This portfolio covers the Council’s Statutory Financial functions, Strategic Finance, Accounting, Revenues and Benefits. It is also has a number of other key functions these include Procurement, Audit and Governance, Corporate Health and Safety and responsibility for the ICT service. The role as our principal adviser to the Council on financial matters also holds the Statutory position of Section 151 Officer.
You will advise the Chief Executive and our Elected Members on key Finance, ICT and Governance issues including leading some of our most important change work and other partnership projects. Expectations will be high both within and outside the Council but collective accountability and strong support will be provided.
You will be able to demonstrate excellent and visible leadership skills, be an accomplished communicator with a proven track record of consistent achievement in the delivery of strategic outcomes, be innovative and have the ability to improve customer services and deliver change programmes. We are seeking someone with excellent knowledge and skills in this area, or transferable skills gained in a similar and complex finance and customer facing organisation. If successful, you will be part of a team of committed public servants working on behalf of Wrexham County Borough Council and its residents.
We believe that Wrexham and the Council as an organisation, is a great place to be and will provide an opportunity for you to develop your skills and be part of our One Council approach of building on the success of a dynamic and developing organisation.
We look forward to receiving your completed application and will be actively involved throughout the recruitment process to ensure that we recruit someone who fits with our values and principles and to help enable you to assess whether Wrexham is the right fit for you.
Yours sincerely
| Cllr Mark Pritchard | Ian Bancroft |
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| Leader Lead Member for Organisation – Finance, Performance, Health and Safety and Governance | Chief Executive |
About the role
This Chief Officer role is a key position on our strategic leadership team. As a Chief Officer you will be responsible for providing the leadership and vision to ensure that your services are structured, managed and resourced effectively to ensure that our priorities and objectives are delivered.
You will continue to build on the success we have achieved to date, by leading the services on their improvement journey and your job will be to make it as smooth a ride as possible. There is an established team of senior officers in place, each employed because of their focus and commitment to Wrexham.
You will have the ability to make tough decisions and resolve issues as they arise. This role requires the ability to operate in a political climate, so you will have the skills and experience to understand the Welsh political context, including devolved and legal matters as well as having an appreciation of the importance of the Welsh culture.
A role model that demonstrates the required values and behaviours and leads by example, we want a person who can be the principal adviser to the Council on financial matters, with the professional skills and knowledge to build effective relationships and partnerships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. An ambassador that will be passionate about strengthening our services in Wrexham and embrace the culture and heritage of both the area and Wales as a whole.
You won’t be afraid to do things differently and challenge the current ways of working and we won’t be afraid to give you all the support you need in achieving our collective goals.
