York boasts a strong economy, with high employment, wages above average, productivity among the highest in the North, with the most skilled workforce and a great education system. Being at the centre of globally significant clusters in both rail and biotechnology, we are leading the way in the green economy. York has a reputation as a great place to live, visit and do business and we were the first Good Business Charter city, encouraging all businesses to join.

We are proud of York’s status as one of the safest and best cities to live in the UK, engaging our 202,000 residents and 8m visitors to live healthier, happier independent lives.

We are a vibrant, digital city at the heart of Yorkshire - the best of tradition and the modern. With excellent connectivity by road and rail, the neighbouring towns and cities of Leeds, Hull and Harrogate are in easy reach. National Parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty are on our doorstep, with their quaint villages and market towns, whilst the Yorkshire coast provides a retreat ideal for sunny days.

We are known for our considerable assets – we have our internationally important heritage, with strong creative industries and a significant cultural offering. We have strengths as a science city, and our digital infrastructure recognises us as the UK’s first Gigabit City. We have a young and highly skilled workforce, and lay claim to world-leading universities and some of the highest performing schools and colleges in the country.

A city of Sanctuary and Human Rights, our community is truly multicultural and diverse. We are the first city in the North of England to set the aspiration to make our city an anti-racist and inclusive one. We are committed to tackling discrimination and improving customer experience in all aspects of services that the Council delivers, including public health, in order to have an impact and bring about positive change to our residents.

Our thriving retail and visitor economy welcomes millions of visitors every year. We have been recognised as the ‘foodie centre of the universe’ and our Christmas market is the best in the UK. Our many awards include Sunday Times best place to live, Conde Nast city of best architecture, recently 240m booking.com reviewers voted us the 6th most welcoming place on the planet (and the only place in UK in the top ten!) and in 2018 YouGov found that we are the nation’s favourite city. We are friendly, community-spirited, festive and summer-friendly – what’s not to like?

In summary, York has a wealth of assets and our aim is that all York offers a fair, thriving, green city for all, a place where we can live safely, where we can thrive lead healthy lives.

If you are relocating to the area to take up the post, subject to the business case being reviewed, we will provide relocation support, see further details below.