This position is hosted by Durham County Council.
We are seeking an exceptional Chief Executive with the vision and leadership to transform regional commissioning of care for children across the North East region.
This is a rare and high-profile opportunity to lead the creation and establishment of the North East Regional Care Co-operative (RCC), a new organisation bringing together 12 Local Authorities to deliver sustainable, high-quality regional care arrangements for children. It could be a defining role for the right candidate with the opportunity to shape the future.
As Chief Executive, you will provide visible, executive-level leadership through the RCCs start-up phase and beyond. You will be accountable for developing and delivering the RCCs strategy and business plan, ensuring the organisation meets national minimum requirements while being shaped to meet the context of the North East. Working closely with elected members, senior officers, partners and regulators, you will lead an organisation that is innovative, financially robust and built for the future.
You will:
- Establish and lead a new regional organisation, embedding strong governance, performance and financial management
- Build and empower a high-performing regional leadership team and workforce
- Develop strong relationships across Local Authorities, Combined Authorities and key partners including health, police, youth justice and education
- Drive cultural change, transparency and collaboration across a complex system
- Operate in an emerging landscape at regional and national level, identifying opportunities for innovation, funding and collaboration
- Ensure childrens voices, equity, and value for money are central to everything the RCC does
We are seeking an experienced executive leader with a strong track record in local government or a partner agency, with a deep understanding of Childrens Services, who brings strategic insight, political acumen and the ability to lead change across complex systems. You will combine strong commercial and financial leadership with a clear commitment to co-production, service excellence and improving outcomes for children and young people.
This is a unique opportunity to shape a new regional organisation from the ground up and to make a lasting difference at scale across the North East.
INTERVIEWS
It is expected that interviews will take place week beginning 7 September 2026.
OUR OFFER TO YOU
We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website
Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.
REMOVAL AND LODGINGS
Removal, lodging and separation expenses may be available to the successful candidate if at the time of application for appointment their place of residence is outside the administrative area of County Durham and more than 30 miles in a straight line from their new administrative centre, along with several other criteria for eligibility.
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications should be made via Penna. For full details and to apply, please visit www.durhamleadership.co.uk, where you can upload your CV and supporting statement directly through the application portal.
Please ensure your personal statement clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria and, where possible, the desirable skills and experience outlined in the person specification. Candidates who do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted.
For an informal and confidential discussion, please contact our retained consultant at Penna, Nick Raper on 07715 690463.
Important Information for Members of the Local Government Pension Scheme
HM Revenue and Customs impose controls on the amount of pension savings you can make without having to pay extra tax. These controls are known as the Annual Allowance and Lump Sum Allowance. The Annual Allowance is the amount by which the value of your pension benefits may increase in any one year without you having to pay a tax charge. You are most likely to be affected by the Annual Allowance if you receive a significant pay increase, and/or you are a high earner. Two lump sum limits were also introduced in April 2024. If the value of all lump sums taken from UK pensions is higher than these limits, you will have to pay tax on any excess at your marginal rate.
More information can be found here
If you are successful in your application for this post and wish to find out more about these controls, please contact the Pension Section at
[email protected] 