Assurance & Improvement Capability Strategic Lead

Overview

Are you ready to shape how a large, complex organisation delivers change at scale?

We are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking Assurance & Improvement Capability Strategic Lead to play a pivotal role in driving excellence across our corporate programmes and transformation agenda. This is a senior leadership role where you’ll influence how change is governed, delivered and improved ensuring that every programme and project delivers real, measurable value.

Working at the heart of our Strategic Programmes & Improvement Service, you’ll lead our approach to assurance, governance and capability bringing consistency, clarity and confidence to decision-making across the organisation.

Salary up to £78,330 per annum, depending on experience

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

About the role

As the strategic lead for assurance and improvement capability, you will be accountable for embedding robust governance, raising organisational maturity, and enabling high-quality delivery across all programmes and projects.

You will:

• Lead the Corporate PMO and Change Hub, setting standards, frameworks and tools that ensure consistent, high-quality delivery
• Drive governance and assurance, ensuring senior leaders receive clear, decision-ready information and proportionate oversight based on risk and complexity
• Shape organisational capability, developing our Change Academy to upskill teams through training, coaching and practical toolkits
• Oversee risk, assurance and benefits realisation, ensuring insights lead to tangible improvements and outcomes
• Influence at the highest levels, providing expert, evidence-based advice to senior leaders and navigating complex, politically sensitive environments
• Build and lead high-performing teams, managing multidisciplinary specialists and fostering a collaborative, continuous improvement culture
• Own and evolve strategy, working as part of the senior leadership team to shape service direction, operating models and long-term capability

This is a highly visible role with responsibility for corporate standards, governance frameworks, and improvement strategies that directly impact organisational performance and public value.

Any-Desk:
As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You are a strategic, confident leader with a strong track record in delivering and improving large-scale programmes in complex environments.

You will bring:

• Significant leadership experience within a large organisation, ideally in the public sector, with responsibility for programmes, PMO, or transformation functions
• Deep expertise in governance, assurance and delivery frameworks, with the ability to implement proportionate, risk-based approaches
• Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to navigate complexity, solve problems and make sound, evidence-based decisions
• Credibility and influence at senior level, able to engage and challenge stakeholders, including executive leaders and members
• A passion for improvement and capability-building, with experience of developing organisational maturity and embedding best practice
• Proven ability to lead and inspire teams, creating a culture of collaboration, accountability and high performance
• Excellent communication skills, producing clear, compelling insights and presenting to senior audiences

You’ll also hold a recognised programme or project management qualification and be educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).

For full details about the role, please refer to the job summary attached.

Other information

Previous applicants need not apply.

For more information about this exciting role, please contact Megan Phillips at [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

a fair and inclusive culture

• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

The Assistant Chief Executive directorate is central to Buckinghamshire Council’s journey to establish itself as one of the best councils in the country. With a clear focus on service improvement through transformation and a drive to build better relationships with the local community, the directorate is fast-paced; but extremely rewarding. Our teams are not only proactively delivering on projects and plans but also reacting to developing situations. If you are ambitious, innovative, and would relish the opportunity to influence change - a role within our service area could be your next career move.

The team includes exciting areas of work, including our Policy and Communications, Legal and Democratic Services teams – innovating the way we communicate with our colleagues, Members and the local community, and role-modelling best practice through policy, planning and legal services. If you think you can help us achieve our goals, and want to be a part of this exciting journey, we would love to hear from you!

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/