Role Description: District Directors

Reports to: Corporate Management Team

Each of the District Directors will report and be managed by a designated member of the Corporate Management Team.

Location: In a District Office.

Grade: JNC

Role Purpose
1. To operationally manage all designated services within a District setting. To provide leadership and management for effective joint working on key strategic and operational issues relating to local services.
2. To support the Corporate Management Team & Strategic Director - Local Services in achieving all Council objectives and to contribute to the strategic management of the Local Services Directorate.
3. To support the aims and objectives of the Local Services Directorate and drive forward radical and innovative approaches to the management of localised & integrated services in Birmingham.
4. To support Community Development programmes/activities and the Council’s Flourishing Neighbourhoods agenda.

Specific Accountabilities
1. To manage and direct the work of services within a District and produce a Community Plan for the District.
2. To work closely with Local Members and support local decision-making processes (Local meetings, workshops and conferences) and provide advice and support regarding local governance arrangements.
3. As a member of the Local Services Directorate professional team, to engage fully with the Council’s Leadership to ensure the Directorate responds to the Council’s priorities and the community ’s needs and expectations.
4. To support the City Council to achieve a culture that promotes equality of opportunity, celebrates the strength of cultural diversity, inspires a sense of purpose and ownership of the Council’s corporate plans and seeks to improve all aspects of its performance.

Specific Responsibilities
1. To produce a Local District Community Plan (strategic and operational) in consultation with the designated line manager (Strategic Director) Members and local community.
2. To manage local service teams and be responsible for contracts and service level agreements. To encourage cross-service working and initiate radical and innovative methods of service delivery.
3. To develop and support strong partnerships with other local service providers.
4. To develop and sustain a strong financial management strategy and culture within the District Team and to achieve financial and other resource targets. To operate within legal frameworks.
5. To ensure a proper and effective response to all legislation and ensure that statutory obligations are carried out.
6. To promote continuous improvement and challenge and ensure, through rigorous action, a sustained performance culture and system.
7. To maintain and develop services to users at a time of major change and ensure that services meet the needs of a diverse range of clients including black and minority ethnic people, women and people with disabilities.
8. To identify and pursue opportunities for greater effectiveness and efficiency in the working of the local team (and between areas) and encourage employee flexibility through issue based project working and rotation of staff.
9. In partnership with other agencies and the wider Council, to bid for and secure external resources from both Government and Europe for City-wide and local initiatives.
10. To work with others to ensure that, as far as possible, media reporting of local services is accurate and appropriate.

Knowledge & Experience
1. Experience at a senior management level of managing significant public services with an understanding of the public sector.
2. Senior level experience of managing people in diverse functions, preferably where an element of localised or devolved accountability existed.
3. Experience of managing complex budgets and capital programmes.
4. Successful track record of promoting, leading and implementing change programmes, improving service quality and creating performance cultures that drive up standards and performance:
5. Experience of building successful cross-sector partnerships, working as both a contributor and in a leadership role.
6. Sensitive to community aspirations and needs and able to convert these into practical projects and programmes.
7. Experience of implementing cultural change activities and utilising a range of organisation development techniques.
8. Experience in the preparation and presentation of policy documents, community based plans, work programmes and a detailed understanding of community needs and social issues.
9. Achievement of equal opportunities in both employment and service delivery within large and complex organisations and a demonstration of personal leadership in the value of diversity.
10. Good understanding of political processes and experience of managing politically sensitive issues both at a strategic and local community level.
11. An understanding of the important role of other agencies in delivering services at a local level.

Skills
1. Ability to provide visible and supportive leadership, empowering, enabling, motivating and developing the local workforce and fostering a positive organisational climate.
2. Ability to link the Council’s vision for the future with a coherent framework of local service policies and operations.
3. Ability to represent and promote the interests of local services at all levels.
4. Ability to manage complex partnerships involving various stakeholders, e.g. public agencies, private sector, voluntary sector and community groups.
5. Ability to work in a pressurised environment and manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a broad range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.
6. Ability to operate effectively and openly within the democratic process, with the skills to develop productive working relationships with Council Members that command respect, trust and confidence.
7. Ability to manage and monitor performance effectively and set clear objectives for the review of individual and service level performance.
8. Ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with internal and external collaborators.

Success Measures (After Appointment)
Leadership Competencies

1. Achieve and Maximise Diversity
Create and maintain an environment that encourages diversity in all aspects of service delivery and consistently challenge resistance to diversity and change in a constructive manner.

2. Change Management
Facilitate, manage and implement change to improve and develop services.

3. Client Focus
Continuous development and improvement of services by consulting with stakeholders and pursuing value for money and quality in customer service.

4. Creativity & Innovation
Develop the capacity and scope to ‘think outside the box’ to generate new solutions to change management and problem solving.

5. Enhance Personal Performance
Take responsibility for personal and professional development and maximise own resources in a way which reflects the values of the organisation.

6. Leadership
Take personal responsibility for ensuring the organisation achieves its strategic plans by promoting an appropriate culture, empowering others and demonstrating high standards.

7. Managing Communication
Make effective use of technology and interpersonal skills to ensure that information and ideas are clearly and meaningfully relayed to a variety of audiences.

8. People Management
Recognise that people and successful people management is key to the success of achieving the organisation’s overall aims and objectives.

9. Performance Management
Create an environment that enables people and resources to work to their full potential.

10. Project Management
Apply systematic and rigorous approaches to achieve success in defined areas of work.

11. Relationship Management
Develop partnerships and alliances to resolve problems, implement policies and improve services.

12. Resource Management
Manage effectively and efficiently all financial and physical resources to fulfil the organisation’s objectives.

13. Strategic Planning and Implementation
Develop the organisation’s mission and vision to benefit and reflect the aspirations of stakeholders and ensure they are implemented thorough achievable, planned programmes of action.