Role information
- Job Title: Managing Director - Oxford Direct Services
- Position type: Permanent
- Grade and Salary: ODS Director Grade - D1
- Location: Oxford - Cowley Marsh
- Responsible To:
- No. of employees: Circa. 700
- Budget (£): Circa £52 million
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974: Exempt
- Candidate Screening: Standard DBS Certificate
- Political Restriction: This post is politically sensitive
Role purpose
Provide strategic leadership and vision for the LATCo, to ensure the ambitions of both Oxford City Council and Oxford Direct Services (ODS) can be achieved.
Foster an ethos of customer engagement, innovation and service excellence throughout the organisation, to further develop a successful track record of business growth.
Deliver a high-quality service to Oxford City Council, as the key client, and create new and ambitious income streams.
Build the essential internal and external relationships and collaborations that will continue to drive success whilst upholding the Company’s reputation as a value-adding partner to the Council.
Role responsibilities and main duties
- Ensure that the key client receives efficient and cost effective services and retain an enduring relationship with the Council
- Ensure the aims of ODS are focused towards growth, profitability and increasing shareholder return and develop and execute cost-effective business strategies to attain these goals
- Provide strategic advice to the Board and Chairperson and ensure all have an accurate view of the company’s current and future position
- Develop and maintain relationships with shareholders, business partners and stakeholders to ensure high levels of trust, collaboration and partnership for the achievement of common goals
- Lead, coach and manage the Senior Team and oversee the company’s financial performance, commercial development and operational delivery to drive down costs, increase productivity and win new business
- Analyse challenges and problems, providing innovative and pragmatic solutions to ensure the development and growth of the company
- Engage, inspire and motivate all staff to deliver challenging and customer-focused goals and targets, through modelling the organisations values and by encouraging and recognising contribution
- Ensure that effective and ethical management and performance management practices and technologies are embedded throughout the organisation, to deliver the highest standards of service delivery within an environment of customer care, quality assurance, compliance and people development
Who we are looking for
Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of demonstrating that they fulfil the following criteria in their CV application and supporting statement.
Essential Criteria
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
- Comprehensive relevant experience with in-depth understanding of front line service delivery and business development, showing sharp strategic, operational and commercial acumen
- Extensive track record of service improvements and driving down costs
- Experience of successfully managing large budgets and understanding of financial management
- Experience of working in highly complex political and unionised environments
- Highly developed collaborative, influencing and negotiating skills
- Experience of working with partners and developing and maintaining strong relationship that have delivered significant outcomes
- Proven ability to work under significant pressure and meet challenging deadlines
- Credible and authentic, with gravitas to work at board level and with the capability to inspire a manual workforce
- Highly developed numerical, verbal and critical reasoning skills
- Proven ability to provide visible and supportive leadership and to foster an ethical and valuesbased working environment that enables, motivates and develops people
- Experience of successfully establishing and sustaining a strong performance management culture that drives up standards and performance
- Highly organised with excellent time management and ability to delegate effectively
Desirable Criteria
- Relevant professional qualification
- Demonstrate an understanding of the public sector ethos
- Strong understanding of commercial risk management within a public sector environment
- Lives locally/willing to relocate
