Director, Places for Growth
| Posting date: | 28 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £98,000 to £162,500 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 September 2025 |
| Location: | York |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 419007/4 |
Summary
Ministers in the Cabinet Office and Cat Little (Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office and Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service) are clear in their ambitions to build on the progress to date on PfG.
Government departments have agreed to the principles for the next phase of this 10-year programme (2020-2030), however there are complex, systemic challenges to navigate including balancing the current fiscal climate with the drive for innovation and reform across Government.
The PfG team leads change through developing enabling policies from the centre and convenes senior stakeholders across Government on workforce and location planning. This role will also support the delivery of broader Government priorities (Missions and Public Sector Reform) in place. Working on PfG requires strategic and systems-led thinking, an ability to expertly manage stakeholder relationships at the highest levels of Government and in the wider sector as well as excellent communication skills.
This will be a challenging and rewarding role for the successful candidate, giving the opportunity to implement a high priority programme across Government that will deliver change and have a lasting impact. It's roles like this that make the Cabinet Office such an exciting place to work.
The Office of Government Property (OGP) is a business unit of the Cabinet Office, leading the Government Property Function, setting strategy and delivery standards for multiple government-wide programmes, and leading the Property Profession across government.
The Places for Growth team is a friendly, highly collaborative team operating in a fast paced environment. It is part of the Civil Service People & Places Directorate within OGP.
Reporting to Mark Chivers, Government Chief Property Officer, this role is a key part of the senior leadership of OGP, as well as providing cross-government leadership on this ambitious Civil Service programme.
The Civil Service is on a journey to become more representative, efficient, and effective. Central to this is the Places for Growth programme, which aims to bring the Government closer to the communities it serves, strengthening the Civil Service’s presence across the UK, optimise the London office estate, and strengthen regional government hubs. We are seeking an experienced and driven Director to lead the Places for Growth programme. This role will oversee a complex, cross-government initiative reshaping where and how the Civil Service works with publicly committed KPIs due to be delivered by 2030.
Key Responsibilities
As the Senior Responsible Officer for the Places for Growth programme:
- Lead the delivery of the programme, ensuring successful implementation of government plans to strengthen the presence of the Civil Service across the country, moving Government roles from London and consolidating the London estate while maintaining operational effectiveness.
- Collaborate with Government departments, agencies, and partners to align workforce planning, estate optimisation, and regional growth ambitions.
- Drive achievement of key targets, including ensuring 50% of UK-based Senior Civil Servants are located outside London by 2030 and annual savings of £94 million through estate consolidation.
- Ensure the programme is aligned with, and embedded in, a range of other strategic programme initiatives including Missions and Public Sector Reform.
- Champion modern, collaborative, and sustainable workplaces that foster cross-departmental working and support a productive and agile Civil Service.
- Engage with stakeholders including senior civil servants and regional leaders, providing clear communication on the phased and considered nature of the programme.
- Promote workforce diversity and development by aligning mobility and career strategies with the government’s Plan for Change and Civil Service Reform agenda.
- Lead the sponsorship of the Government Property Agency (an arms-length body of the Cabinet Office).
- Provide leadership and direction to a directorate of ~25 FTE as well as broader leadership across the department as a Senior Civil Servant.
- Support the management and running of the Office of Government Property, developing and delivering against agreed business plans and resources, as well as providing leadership to OGP staff.
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