Interim Assistant Director of Equality and Engagement
Interim
London
The Role
Our client, a London local authority, are seeking an Assistant Director of Engagement and Equalities for a period of 12 months. The council is committed to being an ‘open, transparent and inclusive organisation’. To achieve that vision they need to improve their engagement with local communities to hear differing perspectives and build confidence in the council and in the way change is managed in the borough.
You might be working in local government already, in the third sector or in a think tank environment. What matters most is your passion and expertise to help ensure that the council is more effective at listening to, and acts, on the feedback of local people. In particular you will have the commitment and credibility to champion engagement with communities the council has traditionally found it harder to hear from including some ethnic minority groups, the disabled and younger residents.
In this role you will…
- Work with colleagues on driving cultural and system change
- Work with services and Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) partners to develop and agree an action plan to respond to the recommendations of the independent Commission for Race Equality
- Manage a small team providing best practice advice and support on equality and engagement issues
- Support the HR led workforce equalities programme
- Work proactively with the Strategic Leadership Team, Cabinet and partnership boards to champion equality and increase commitment and action in relation to engaging residents tackling inequality.
You will have…
- Good knowledge and understanding of local government, third sector or wider government
- Excellent knowledge of and commitment to community engagement
- Excellent understanding of equalities legislation
- Strong communication, interpersonal and leadership skills
- A high political awareness, able to support politicians manage the change process
- Strong staff management and development skills
This role will be inside IR35 and will be offered on a fixed term contract/day rate – we can also consider part-time options.
