Executive Director - Place

Location: Cheshire East (Hybrid working available)
Salary: Executive Grade (CX) - Competitive package
Reporting to: Chief Executive

Cheshire East Council is looking for an exceptional Executive Director - Place to join their Executive Leadership Team at a pivotal point in their journey. This is a rare opportunity to play a defining role in shaping the future of place, growth and communities across the borough.

This role offers genuine strategic influence, visibility at the highest level, and the chance to leave a lasting legacy across planning, regeneration, housing, infrastructure and economic growth.

The Opportunity

As Executive Director - Place, you will provide collective leadership across the Council, working closely with elected Members, senior officers, partners and stakeholders to deliver ambitious outcomes for residents, businesses and communities.

You will lead the development and delivery of a new spatial framework, bringing together planning, regeneration, transport, housing and infrastructure to unlock sustainable growth and investment. Alongside this, you will drive economic development strategies that support long-term financial resilience and inclusive prosperity.
This is a role for a confident, visible leader who can balance strategic vision with operational grip, while championing collaboration, innovation and high performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a broad portfolio including planning, regeneration, housing, infrastructure, transport and economic development.
• Shape and deliver the Council's spatial framework to support sustainable growth and thriving communities.
• Drive economic growth strategies to secure investment, regeneration and revenue generation.
• Act as the Council's senior lead in engagement with developers, businesses, partners and statutory bodies.
• Ensure the Council meets all statutory responsibilities relating to housing, homelessness and planning.
• Provide strong corporate leadership as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to cross-cutting priorities and organisational change.
• Lead large, complex services and budgets, ensuring value for money, strong governance and effective risk management.
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion across service delivery and workforce leadership.

About You
We are keen to speak with senior leaders who can demonstrate:

• Substantial leadership experience at a senior level within local government or a similarly complex organisation.
• A strong track record of leading large, multi-disciplinary services with significant budgets and resources.
• Deep understanding of the local government landscape, including political, legal and financial frameworks.
• Proven experience of partnership working with Members, senior stakeholders, developers and external agencies.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience identifying growth opportunities and delivering value for money.
• The ability to inspire, engage and empower teams while driving transformation and continuous improvement.
• A clear commitment to equality, diversity and inclusive leadership.
• A relevant professional qualification (or equivalent senior-level experience) and evidence of continued professional development are essential.

Why Apply?

This is a genuinely influential executive role with the scope to shape place-making at scale.

If you are looking for your next strategic leadership challenge - one where you can combine vision, delivery and purpose - this role should be firmly on your radar.