MCA Leaders > NY Resourcing

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in learning more about the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority ( “the Combined Authority”) and these exciting new roles.

As the first Chief Executive of the Combined Authority, I am very proud to be at the forefront of an organisation which will bring positive and lasting change for the residents and business communities of our fantastic region. This is a very exciting time for York and North Yorkshire - we are at a pivotal point in our history, and these two roles will be fundamental to both the development, implementation and running of the Combined Authority itself, as well as ensuring it generates future successful economic prosperity for the whole area. These roles really are vital and will appeal to ambitious and experienced leaders who, like me, are eager to play a key role in making sure we forge a bright future and create a lasting legacy for York and North Yorkshire. Our ambition, is resolute and palpable!

This is where you come in – I am looking to establish a talented team of inspirational leaders with the vision and ambition to help spearhead the charge. With David Skaith our new Mayor now in place, we will work closely with him and many other influential leaders both locally and nationally, to help bring about significant change and make sure the region fully capitalises on all that devolution can offer.

As Director of Economy you will have the ability to develop and articulate a progressive, innovative and strategic approach to the provision of economic services and be able motivate, inspire and lead others with vision. You will already be a successful strategic leader who will bring commercial acumen and excellent business judgment to the table, as well as a track record of delivering successful economic outcomes. You will share and realise our ambition for this great region.

As Head of Legal you will play a fundamental role in developing and delivering the Combined Authority’s approach to governance, ensuring high standards are maintained throughout initial set-up and beyond, influencing key stakeholders and ensuring legal and democratic compliance. This crucial new role will support The Mayor, councillors and officers, to successfully deliver our priorities and ensure that they meet statutory requirements. You will be our key advisor, unlocking our potential and providing joint strategic leadership.

I am looking to create a leadership team who will engage effectively with a wide range of partners, including other authorities, central government, commercial partners, statutory agencies, residents and local businesses to ensure that everyone involved in the Combined Authority has a shared purpose and common goals. We will be looking to take full advantage of our devolved decision-making powers to harness millions of pounds of funding for both York and North Yorkshire - the devolution plans will bring significant benefits to our 815,000 residents and more than 32,000 businesses across York and North Yorkshire, including new jobs, more affordable housing and measures to tackle climate change.

To sum up, the Combined Authority and devolution plans provide a fantastic opportunity to put York and North Yorkshire at the forefront of economic development and become a true ‘city and rural powerhouse’ in supporting the UK’s key business sectors, growing small and medium enterprises, improving regional connectivity, leading the country’s activity towards net-zero and enhancing the UK’s visitor economy. These roles provide an amazing opportunity to lead this next phase of the York and North Yorkshire success story at a critical moment in its’ history. Opportunities to join a brand new organisation, make your mark and leave a legacy will not come much better than this.

Extensive experience of developing and managing policies and programmes.
Demonstrable success in the development and delivery of economic development services.
Extensive experience of developing partnerships and dealing with the complex issues that arise.
Local Government experience.
A demonstrable record of applying a best practice approach to the work of an organisation.
A demonstrable record in the successful management of change.
A proven track record of managing people and resources.
Experience of strategic planning, target setting and performance measurement

Lead the MCA’s approach to legal and democratic assurance and the interface with stakeholders such as City of York Council, North Yorkshire Council, Fire Service, Police Service and wider partners, ensuring that they are delivered well to meet financial, quality and performance standards
Ensure compliance with all statutory requirements
Work with the MCA’s project team and the statutory partners to ensure the effective set-up, running and functioning of the statutory requirements of the MCA
Lead specific projects as part of the MCA’s development, set-up, running and transformation.
Support wider MCA programme by ensuring the appropriate systems and resources are in place, and communicating and contributing to change effectively
Carry specific management responsibilities within MCA and be assigned development tasks across MCA programme and its partnerships
Ensure the completion of legal and democratic compliance, including collating documentary evidence, and communicating and engaging with MCA programme to understand and evidence compliance and good practice and identify areas for improvement. Ensuring plans and decision stand up to scrutiny and rigor.

By joining the Combined Authority at such a pivotal time, these roles are unique opportunities. This is an historic moment and the first powerful step towards long term change.

Devolution will unlock a better future for everyone in York and North Yorkshire. It will lead to more, higher paid jobs and access to training which provide the opportunity to build a career locally and better transport and digital connections to enable this to happen. Opportunities to make your mark and leave a legacy will not come much better than this.

York sits within North Yorkshire as a County and together they combine the best of the traditional and the modern and are widely regarded as one of the best places to live in the UK. York and North Yorkshire are great places to live, work and do business.

North Yorkshire is a county which already has firm foundations – a strong culture and identity which is rich in heritage; thriving communities where the people and places are resilient and innovative; beautiful scenery with stunning landscapes, quaint villages, market and coastal towns; plus the vibrant city of York which is renowned for its’ history and cosmopolitan culture.

These roles will operate on a hybrid basis from home in addition to working across York and North Yorkshire. The Combined Authority operates from administrative offices in Harrogate, Northallerton and York and the postholder will be required to attend these offices for in person meetings and partnership working as needed for the role and service.

https://northyorksgovuk.sharepoint.com/sites/NYCIntranet/SitePages/Devolution-for-York-and-North-Yorkshire-getting-closer.aspx

In January 2024, the Secretary of State signed off the decision made in Parliament and local leaders subsequently met to formalise the creation of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. On 7 May 2024, David Skaith assumed office as the first Mayor of the Combined Authority following his election to the post.

The Combined Authority is not a council – it works in partnership with North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council, all working together with the Mayor, to understand how investments need to made across the region to improve on issues such as transport, housing and economic growth. The functions of the Office of Police, Fire and Crime and the Fire Service have transferred to the Combined Authority and the former Local Enterprise Partnership has also been integrated into the Combined Authority.

Home - Mayoral Combined Authority (yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk)

The Combined Authority will work in close partnership with North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council to champion the North Yorkshire and York regions and help ensure prosperous and attractive places to work and live, and that we are seen as places where it is easy to do business. It will assume responsibility for providing some services which were previously held by central government so as to directly benefit the people of North Yorkshire as a whole – for example, taking ownership of transport, infrastructure, skills, business investment, housing, culture and tourism. Making local decisions to support local people and drive economic growth.

The Combined Authority will place local investment and economic success right at the heart of its’ activity, championing our region and fostering cohesive working relationships to ensure we get a fair share of money through devolution deals and a bigger voice to attract even more investment. It will also ensure that York and North Yorkshire is a safe and inclusive place to live, that communities are well connected with each other and that everybody has a voice which is heard. Affordable housing, environmentally-friendly businesses and support for issues like arts and culture will all feature as a fundamental part of the agenda.

The Combined Authority represents the interests of local communities and ensures the Police and Fire & Rescue services are delivering the best possible service to them by maintaining an efficient and effective Police Service and Fire & Rescue Service for the area. Including;

setting the Services’ budgets and determining the police and fire precepts, and issuing the Police and Crime Plan, Fire & Rescue Plan and Risk & Resource Model for North Yorkshire;
commission policing & crime services and fire & rescue services, alongside convening work with other agencies and partners to improve overall public safety.
work with partners to enhance the delivery of criminal justice in the area.

The Combined Authority will be the employer of the Chief Fire Officer, all Fire & Rescue staff and the staff of what was the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and will be responsible for developing and maintaining a workforce that is professional, resilient, skilled, flexible and diverse.

How devolution works

Over the last 10 years, the government has progressed a number of individually agreed ‘devolution deals’ in other English sub-regions, to transfer funding on specific policy areas, along with appropriate powers to partnerships of local authorities, known as ‘Combined Authorities’. These deals typically last for 30 years and can bring in significant local investment.

Areas that are seeking devolution must become part of a joint body - a ‘Combined Authority’ and have a regional directly elected mayor who will work with councils through the Combined Authority to use the powers and resources gained through any deal. The elected mayor has access to devolved powers and resources and acts as an individual to unite and work across the region. The elected mayor can be held to account for decisions made on a regional level.

Devolution is primarily about strengthening regional arrangements, with greater democratic accountability and powers to take decisions which are currently made in London.

What does devolution mean for York and North Yorkshire

The devolution deal delivers more local powers and decision making and additional funding. The planned 30-year agreement includes an investment fund of more than £540 million for York and North Yorkshire. Coupled with other funding secured from the government, the deal represents a total of £750 million.

This is an historic moment and the first powerful step towards long term change. Devolution will unlock a better future for everyone in York and North Yorkshire. It will lead to more higher paid jobs and access to training which provide the opportunity to build a career locally and better transport and digital connections to enable this to happen.

The Mayor

The deal for York and North Yorkshire sees the introduction of an influential Mayor, David Skaith, who will be figurehead for the region covering more than 800,000 people and 32,000 businesses and will forge close links with the government for better control at a local level. The Mayor will lead the Combined Authority and oversee strategic projects ranging from major transport improvements and boosting skills and education to providing more affordable housing.

As Mayor for York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith will:

Take on new local powers for issues such as transport, housing and skills
Lead on delivering projects such as more affordable housing, environmentally-friendly business and support for issues like arts and culture
Champion our region nationally, making sure we get a fairer share of money and a bigger voice to attract even more investment

The devolution deal includes:

£18 million per year in Gainshare funding over 30 years to invest in local priorities
£13 million for the building of new homes on brownfield land across 2023/24 and 2024/25
Up to £2.65 million to deliver affordable, low carbon homes across the area
Up to £50m investment for the York Central brownfield regeneration scheme
£7 million investment to enable York and North Yorkshire to drive green economic growth towards the ambition to become a carbon negative region
Closer relationships with key government departments to drive investment in digital broadband and mobile infrastructure
Boost regional innovation through better collaboration on projects such as the Scarborough Cyber-Cluster and the BioYorkshire programme
New powers from government to drive regeneration and build more affordable homes
New transport powers to improve and integrate the regional transport network
Integration of the former York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership functions
Integration of the Police, Fire & Crime Functions

Living and working in York

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 7 million 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 areas 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.

We are ambitious and aim to be a prosperous city for all - where local businesses can thrive and residents have good quality jobs, housing, opportunities and access to quality public services. We celebrate and champion the diversity of our population and encourage everyone to play an active role in the city, so that our vibrant economy and rich communities can make York the acclaimed city it is. We are one of the safest cities in the country and offer some of best available education.

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 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 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?

Find out more about working and living in the City of York here It's All York

Living and working in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a thriving county that adapts to a changing world and remains a special place to live and work.

North Yorkshire's natural beauty is captured in its three areas of Outstanding Natural Parks, National Nature Reserves, stunning coastlines, scenic rural villages, vibrant cities and market towns. North Yorkshire really is a beautiful, thriving and special place to live and work, rich in heritage and culture.

North Yorkshire features significantly in the ten best places to live in the UK in Halifax Quality of Life Survey. The Quality of Life index aims to quantify where living standards are highest in the UK by ranking local performance across a range of indicators. Local areas featured in the top ten included Richmond, Selby and Malton.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics bulletin positions North Yorkshire as the safest place in England with extremely low crime rates.

In addition, the county benefits from excellent road and rail links, with easy access via the east coast mainline, the A1(M) and A19. Leeds, York, Newcastle, Durham and Teesside are all easily commutable, and London and Edinburgh are just two hours away by train.

From its lively cities to pretty villages, rolling countryside and grand coastline, North Yorkshire has so much to offer including great employment opportunities for your family members, along with a higher proportion of schools which are good or outstanding compared to national figures.

You can find out more about what North Yorkshire has to offer on the No place like North Yorkshire website North Yorkshire - start planning your visit - VisitNorthYorkshire.com

Director of Economy

Closing date: 26th August 2024

First Stage: 11 September in person in York

Final Interview: 12 September in person in Northallerton

Head of Legal (Monitoring Officer)

Closing date: 20th August 2024

First Stage: 4 September in person in Northallerton

Final Interview: 5 September in person in York

Contact us and apply

For an informal confidential discussion about the Director of Economy role please contact Sarah Hunter on 07816 251271 / Sarah.Hunter@northyorks.gov.uk

For an informal confidential discussion about The Head of Legal ( Monitoring Officer ) role please contact Katherine Brioude on 07974 406 838 / Katherine.Brioude@northyorks.gov.uk.

Please submit one Word document that details a comprehensive CV, including current salary, and a supporting statement outlining your suitability for the role.

Applications should be emailed to Executive.ResourcingSolutions@northyorks.gov.uk

It is important that your written application fully addresses the experience criteria as detailed in the person specification.

You should include contact details for at least two referees, one of whom must be your current / most recent employer/engager. If you specifically do not wish referees to be approached without your permission, please indicate this.

We will remove your personal details from your application on receipt to enable anonymised shortlisting, therefore it is important that your application is made using one Word document. Please do not send PDF versions.

Please ensure that you have included both your work and home telephone contact numbers and e-mail addresses where applicable.

We believe in the importance of inclusion, which is why we are always working towards being a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive employer.

These are politically restricted posts and will require police security vetting.

We will not accept applications nor services from agency suppliers.

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

City Region and Rural Powerhouse

Director of Economy £95,050 – £105,438 plus relocation support

Head of Legal (Monitoring Officer) £73,755 - £82,065 plus relocation support

About the roles

The role: Director of Economy

What will you bring to the role?

The role: Head of Legal (Monitoring Officer)

What will you bring to the role?

What will you gain by joining the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority?

About the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and what the future might hold

About Devolution