Hello, and thank you for taking an interest in our Director of Digital, Customer Services and HR role at Chesterfield Borough Council.

I'm Rachel O’Neil, Deputy Chief Executive at Chesterfield Borough Council, and I'd love to tell you a little bit about the role and why Chesterfield is such a great place to work.

Chesterfield is an ambitious council with a clear sense of purpose. We are passionate about delivering for our communities, proud of the strong relationships we have between officers, members and our workforce, and excited about the opportunity ahead of us.

This is a broad, rewarding and genuinely exciting leadership role, covering HR, digital, transformation, customer services and revenues and benefits. The strategies are in place, the foundations are strong, and this is the perfect time for someone to join us and help turn our ambitions for people and technology into practical, visible delivery.

Over the next 18 months we'll continue to focus on our People Plan, workforce engagement, digital innovation, AI adoption and preparing the organisation for local government reorganisation, whilst maintaining the high-quality services that matter to our residents. It is a real opportunity to shape how we support our workforce, use technology well, and make services easier and better for the people who rely on them.

We're looking for someone who is great with people, comfortable working across a wide range of services, and who enjoys helping others succeed. You'll be joining teams with a huge amount of talent and expertise, and your role will be to bring people together, provide clear direction, support innovation and help us deliver meaningful change.

If you're somebody who enjoys making a difference, values strong relationships and wants to be part of a council that's ambitious for its communities, I’d love to hear from you.

Chesterfield is an ambitious council with a clear sense of purpose. We are passionate about delivering for our communities, proud of the strong relationships we have between officers, members and our workforce, and excited about the opportunity ahead of us.

This is a broad, rewarding and genuinely exciting leadership role, covering HR, digital, transformation, customer services and revenues and benefits. The strategies are in place, the foundations are strong, and this is the perfect time for someone to join us and help turn our ambitions for people and technology into practical, visible delivery.

Over the next 18 months we'll continue to focus on our People Plan, workforce engagement, digital innovation, AI adoption and preparing the organisation for local government reorganisation, whilst maintaining the high-quality services that matter to our residents. It is a real opportunity to shape how we support our workforce, use technology well, and make services easier and better for the people who rely on them.

We're looking for someone who is great with people, comfortable working across a wide range of services, and who enjoys helping others succeed. You'll be joining teams with a huge amount of talent and expertise, and your role will be to bring people together, provide clear direction, support innovation and help us deliver meaningful change.

If you're somebody who enjoys making a difference, values strong relationships and wants to be part of a council that's ambitious for its communities, I’d love to hear from you.

Rachel O’Neil

Deputy Chief Executive

Lead the people, technology and services that will shape Chesterfield's future.

As we prepare for one of the most significant periods of change in local government, we are looking for an exceptional leader to join our Corporate Leadership Team and play a pivotal role in delivering our priorities over the coming years. This is a rare opportunity to lead a broad and influential portfolio of services that sit at the heart of organisational success, spanning people, digital innovation, customer services, transformation and organisational resilience.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Deputy Chief Executive, you will lead a diverse directorate, with responsibility for Human Resources, Payroll and Learning and Development, Digital and ICT, Business Transformation and Corporate Improvement, Customer and Support Services, Revenues and Benefits, and Strategic Health, Safety and Risk.

The foundations are already in place. Our People Plan is established, our Digital Strategy is agreed and our organisational priorities are clear. What we need now is an outstanding leader who can turn those plans into visible outcomes.

You will be a key member of our senior leadership team, helping to shape the organisation's future direction and providing visible, strategic leadership across a broad and varied portfolio. You'll work collaboratively across the Council and with partners to drive improvement, build organisational resilience and ensure we continue to deliver high-quality services for our communities.

As a key member of the Corporate Leadership Team, you will also help support the council's approach to Local Government Reorganisation, ensuring Chesterfield is well prepared for the future while maintaining excellent services and performance in the present.

About You

We're looking for a collaborative and credible senior leader who understands how to turn strategy into delivery. You may come from a Human Resources, Transformation, Digital or wider Corporate Services background, but you will bring substantial leadership experience gained within local government or a similarly complex public sector environment.

Most importantly, you'll have a track record of leading organisational change, building strong relationships and delivering results through others. You'll be comfortable operating in a political environment, working closely with elected members, trade unions and senior stakeholders, while providing support, challenge and clear direction to a talented group of senior managers.

This role requires somebody who remains connected to delivery, understands the realities of organisational change and can quickly build the credibility needed to lead a diverse portfolio of services with confidence.

We're looking for a leader who is politically astute, emotionally intelligent and pragmatic. Someone who can bring people together, communicate clearly, hold pace on delivery and ensure that good plans become tangible outcomes.

You'll join a talented and supportive leadership team at an important moment in Chesterfield's journey. With significant investment in our people agenda, exciting opportunities around digital innovation and AI, and a clear direction of travel as local government evolves, there has rarely been a more exciting time to join us.

If you're ready to lead through change and deliver meaningful transformation we'd love to hear from you.