Executive Director (DCS) Children and Families

 

 

Location: Birmingham, West Midlands
Salary: £185,760 to £241,634
Reference: A001194
Status: Open

As part of the Corporate Leadership Team, our new Executive Director (DCS) – Children and Families will help shape the future direction of one of the UK's largest local authorities, working alongside talented colleagues who are committed to delivering modern, effective and inclusive public services. This role offers the opportunity to influence a city-wide agenda, lead high-profile transformation and leave a legacy for future generations.

This is a unique opportunity to lead at scale, driving transformation across services that touch the lives of thousands of children and young people every day. As Birmingham continues its journey of improvement and modernisation, you will play a pivotal role in shaping services, strengthening partnerships and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

The post is at the heart of leadership of Children and Families Services and will be part of a new, dynamic leadership team working together to reshape and improve the Children and Families directorate, delivering change across the city in partnership with our corporate colleagues and with other relevant organisations.

Through inspiring others, this role will identify, drive and secure opportunities to improve and transform services. These opportunities will be found within the Directorate and across the Council. Because the pace of improvement needs to be rapid and sustainable the portfolio may change over time, so adaptability and focus on delivery are also critical.

Working across a complex system of stakeholders, the Director will bring together partners to create collaborative customer-focused services to ensure that the citizens of Birmingham are afforded lifelong learning opportunities that support and encourage them to thrive and achieve their full potential including careers advice, youth unemployment advice and support.

Core expectations

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will provide strategic leadership across a broad portfolio including:

  • Education Services
  • Early Years and 0–25 provision
  • SEND
  • Safeguarding
  • Admissions and placements
  • Services for vulnerable children and young people
  • Asset management
  • Oversight of Birmingham Children's Trust contractual arrangements
  • Development of innovative, integrated ways of working

You will act as Birmingham City Council's champion for children and young people, ensuring that services are ambitious, evidence-led, financially sustainable and relentlessly focused on improving lives.

Working closely with elected members, schools, academy trusts, government departments, regulators and city-wide partners, you will help deliver transformational change that strengthens educational achievement, protects vulnerable children and creates better pathways into employment, skills and lifelong learning.

We are looking for an experienced inclusive executive leader with a proven track record of delivering outstanding outcomes within children's services, education, local government or a similarly complex public sector environment.

You will bring:

  • Significant senior leadership experience in a large, complex organisation
  • A strong track record of service transformation and organisational improvement
  • Deep understanding of Children's Services, Education, SEND and Safeguarding
  • Experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams and substantial budgets
  • Exceptional partnership-building and stakeholder management skills
  • Political awareness and experience working effectively with elected members
  • The ability to inspire, influence and lead through change
  • A commitment to inclusion, collaboration and continuous improvement

Most importantly, you will share our determination to improve outcomes for Birmingham's children, young people and families.

Download role profile

For a confidential discussion, please contact:

Rob Naylor
Email: rnaylor@faerfield.co.uk
Tel:  0121 312 3755

Martin Tucker
Email: mtucker@faerfield.co.uk
Tel:  0121 312 3755

Indicative timetable

Closing date for applications: Midnight Sunday 6 September 2026

Preliminary Interviews (via Teams): Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September 2026

Stakeholder Meetings and Final Interviews: w/c 21 or w/c 28 September 2026 (TBC)

Please let us know as soon as possible if there are any dates within the indicative timetable on which you are likely to be unavailable.

To apply:

To apply for this job please click on the Apply button below and fill out the requested information. When prompted, please submit your CV and a Supporting Statement of no more than 1000 words.

With your CV, please also provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be contacted if you reach the final stages, and we will not contact referees without your permission.

Your supporting statement should express why you are interested in this role and what experience you can bring to the organisation. The statement should tackle the specific requirements of the role; outlining examples and outcomes showing how you meet those requirements.

Apply