Chief Executive Officer

With the current Chief Executive Officer of Advance Northumberland due to leave his post in Spring 2024, the Chairman and Board have instructed Hawthorn Blue to lead on the recruitment of his successor.  This represents an excellent opportunity for the successful candidate.

Please see below for recommendations for application.

The Company
Advance Northumberland is the primary regeneration vehicle for Northumberland County Council. Run as a separate organisation to the Council, yet owned by the council, its purpose as a commercial outfit is to drive investment in and the development and regeneration of Northumberland, and also therefore to promote the opportunities for economic growth and prosperity in the County.

The organisation operates through the following streams:

• Developments and project management
• Housing and property investment
• Estate management
• Inward investment and key account management
• Business growth and enterprise services

The Role
The Chief Executive Officer will inspire and lead the Advance Northumberland team to continue to deliver the agenda for developing and shaping places and opportunity for prosperity within the County of Northumberland.

Given the structure, complexity and purpose of the organisation, the role is a unique opportunity and an excellent one.  It is a role with responsibility both for the strategic leadership of a commercial organisation and for organisation’s relationship with Northumberland County Council, in addition to leading the executive and senior management teams in running the commercial business and delivering upon its agenda for the County.

The role therefore comes with the ultimate accountability for ensuring Advance Northumberland continues to help create prosperous, attractive, sustainable communities throughout Northumberland, promoting enterprise and supporting business growth. The Chief Executive is responsible for gaining the confidence of investors and businesses in support of economic development and the creation of sustainable communities and regeneration.

Operationally, therefore, the Chief Executive is responsible for the general management and performance of Advance Northumberland and its subsidiaries, providing leadership and direction to the Senior Management and Operational Management Teams and all employees, and developing and delivering a corporate strategy with a rolling annual business plan.

Experience Required 
Candidates will primarily need to demonstrate significant experience in a senior business leadership role, and accomplishment in creating and implementing strategy and driving and managing performance, overseeing a positive culture, making decisions and taking overarching responsibility for a legal framework and company policies. Whilst a professional background would be welcome, experience is key.  Critical to the role are the following requirements:

Knowledge of real estate regeneration, and of the economics in this part of the country in particular;

• An understanding of the housebuilding sector;
• Experience of working with the public sector, if not directly within it, and ideally experience of working with a combination of both the private and public sectors;
• Commercial drive;
• A full understanding of financial information and the ability to interpret financial and non-financial reports to inform decisions;
• Presence – and credibility with professional peers 
• Skill in communication and a grasp of the need to communicate well both internally and externally;
• An understanding of Northumberland as the largest county in the country, and uniquely 90% rural, and the challenges this brings.

 
Furthermore, the Chief Executive must have significant experience and competency within one or more of the following areas:

• Financial Services sector (including Audit)
• Human Resources and/or wider Business community (including SMEs)
• Construction, Property and Regeneration
• Marketing and communications
• Health and Safety
• Law

Remuneration
c£120,000 per annum in addition to an attractive employee benefits package, including an excellent salary sacrifice scheme.

Advance Northumberland operate a hybrid working arrangement.

Please note that a full pack of comprehensive information on the role and the organisation and its business plan will be provided upon confirmation of interest.

Recommendations for Application
Anyone with a serious interest in applying for this role is encouraged to call Victoria Storer, in the first instance, for an initial informal discussion about the role and the application process.

Please note that Hawthorn Blue is the specialist subsidiary of Corepeople Recruitment Ltd for the recruitment of executive appointments.

This is a permanent position and Corepeople Recruitment Limited will be acting as an employment agency for permanent recruitment on behalf our client.

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