Director, Local Government Finance

Job summary

As Director for Local Government Finance at MHCLG, you will be at the centre of the Government's agenda to rewire the relationship between central and local government, and place councils and strategic authorities on a sustainable footing for the long term.

The Local Government Finance Directorate (LGF) oversees £83.5bn worth of annual funding to the sector for the delivery of essential services, including adult and children's social care, SEND, and homelessness, and holds responsibility for the overall financial sustainability of local government.

The Directorate is also responsible for ensuring that the core elements of the local government finance system operate effectively. This includes delivering the annual Local Government Finance Settlement; overseeing the local tax system, including council tax and business rates; and running the operationally complex business rates retention system - as well as addressing financial risk within the sector, including through the provision of Exceptional Financial Support.

LGF leads on fiscal events for local government, working with HM Treasury and other government departments to agree funding that enables councils to deliver high-quality, effective services and meet growing demand pressures. The Directorate works closely with the Cabinet Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and other departments whose policy objectives rely on effective local government delivery - shaping public service reforms and working to develop long-term funding solutions.This includes supporting cross-government work on adult social care reform via the Casey Commission.

The Directorate has led landmark reforms - including the Fair Funding Review 2.0 and reforms to the local tax system. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape and deliver a far-reaching programme of further reform, working across both the finance directorate and devolution directorate. The postholder will lead on the future of local taxation and fiscal devolution alongside HMT and No10 North, including reforms to business rates, development of new fiscal powers for Strategic Authorities and Mayors, and measures that strengthen local accountability while supporting economic growth. The role will also oversee the development and implementation of new fiscal initiatives, including reforms linked to the Overnight Visitor Levy, mayoral revenue-raising powers and wider devolution finance reforms, helping to place English devolution on a more sustainable long-term footing.

Job description

The postholder will also provide strategic leadership for the Government's ambitious programme of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) reform, overseeing reforms that improve fairness, access and outcomes for scheme members while ensuring the Local Government Pension Scheme remains sustainable and fit for the future. The role will lead work to modernise the scheme's governance and regulatory framework and drive the next phase of pooling reform, bringing together pension fund assets at greater scale to improve efficiency, strengthen investment capability and support the Government's growth agenda.

The postholder will also lead LGF's dedicated Grants Delivery Unit, which supports targeted local growth and regeneration investment in places across the UK - managing programmes across many departmental priorities from inception and delivery through to closure. The GDU is also working across the department to standardise, simplify and improve the efficiency of all grants through a transforming grants programme.

The Directorate comprises approximately 200 staff, including the local government analysis function, and is located primarily in London and the Darlington Economic Campus - with colleagues working across the Department's wider office network.

Working in Local Government Finance provides a unique insight into one of the most important parts of the public sector and offers the opportunity to shape the future funding arrangements and financial sustainability of councils across England.

The postholder will be responsible for leading the Department's overall approach to local government finance, ensuring councils have a sustainable funding framework that enables the delivery of public services and supports Government priorities.

The role is central to the Department's relationship with local government and provides strategic leadership across local government funding, local taxation, financial sustainability, capital frameworks, fiscal events and wider reform of the local government finance system.

The postholder will lead the Local Government Finance Directorate of over 200 staff, ensuring effective leadership of people and resources. This includes managing the Directorate's paybill and budget, maintaining high levels of staff engagement, enhancing an inclusive culture and playing an active corporate leadership role across MHCLG.

This is a high-profile leadership, policy and delivery role, offering significant opportunities to shape the future financial relationship between central and local government. The postholder will work closely with Ministers, senior officials across Whitehall and be a visible leader across the local government sector.

The role has substantial external visibility and requires the ability to build strong and productive relationships with local authorities, representative bodies, professional
organisations and other government departments.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Provide strategic leadership on local government finance across Government, shaping funding policy and ensuring the effective allocation of resources to local
  authorities
• Lead the delivery of the annual Local Government Finance Settlement, determining the level and distribution of funding for local government
• Lead the Department's work on assessing and monitoring the financial sustainability of local government, including preparation for fiscal events and spending reviews
• Oversee policy relating to council tax, business rates and wider local taxation arrangements
• Lead work on local government finance reform and the development of future funding arrangements where required, including on fiscal devolution (business rates reform, overnight visitor levy, etc.)
• Modernise and oversee the local government capital framework, ensuring councils can invest effectively while maintaining value for money and financial sustainability
• Work alongside colleagues across Local Government and Communities to support authorities experiencing financial challenges and requiring exceptional financial
  support
• Provide strategic leadership on the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Sponsor the Valuation Tribunal Service for England
• Work closely with colleagues across MHCLG to support wider departmental priorities, including local growth, devolution, public service reform and community outcomes
• Oversee the receipt and payment of significant grant funding to local authorities
• Build and maintain strong relationships across central government, local government and the wider public sector
• Lead, motivate and develop a large, geographically dispersed Directorate, promoting
  inclusion, wellbeing and high performance

The Person

This role is ideal for someone with a strong background in policy, public finance, strategy or delivery, who can operate confidently in a complex and politically sensitive environment.

The successful candidate will be an engaging, visible and credible leader, capable of working across organisational boundaries and influencing at the highest levels of government.

The role will work closely with:

• Ministers