Vacancy Details

This is a rare chance for an internal colleague to step into a high‑profile leadership role. As the LGR Programme Director, you will take strategic responsibility for leading FHDC’s reorganisation programme, working closely supporting our Chief Executive, Directors and key statutory officers, along with a broader range of partners across Kent, to ensure the council is fully prepared for vesting day on 1^st April 2028.

What You’ll Lead

• Overall leadership and delivery of FHDC’s reorganisation programme as agreed by the Chief Executive to create a new organisation;
• High‑level coordination with senior colleagues, elected members and a wide range of external partners;
• Oversight and management of cross‑council workstreams, risk, issues, budget while paying particular attention to governance and resources deployment;
• Overall planning and oversight of the safe, legal transition of appropriate  FHDC functions into the new authority, or elsewhere as deemed necessary;
• Leading organisational change, workforce transition and internal engagement activities, working closely to support overall communications on the programme; and
• Line management of the LGR Programme Manager.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong leadership experience, ideally in transformation (change), governance or cross‑council working;
• Excellent communication, negotiation, political awareness and influencing skills;
• Ability to work confidently with senior stakeholders and navigate complex environments while knowing when to escalate issues;
• Ability to engage with both strategic and operational matters, in order to achieve stated outcomes;
• A systems-based mindset that recognises and is comfortable working with complexity while retaining the ability to focus on the detail as necessary;
• A proactive, solutions‑focused mindset and commitment to delivering meaningful change.

This secondment is ideal for an internal leader ready to stretch their strategic capabilities and make a significant organisational impact working closely to support the Chief Executive on a range of related issues through this period of change.

To support the successful candidate, any necessary training and support will be provided and the secondment will be reviewed at appropriate times, with the potential for extensions to be considered if necessary and appropriate beyond the advertised period. 

Backfilling the successful candidate’s role will be considered and this should not deter interested candidates from applying.

Please refer to the job description for more detail on the role. For more information, please contact Susan Priest or Ewan Green for a confidential discussion.

The closing date is as follows: 9am Monday 13^th April 2026 (interviews 17^th April 2026).

How to apply

To apply, you will need to complete a brief online internal application form (link below) in order to submit an expression of interest (no more than 2 sides of A4), setting out the knowledge and experience that you will bring to the role.