Head of Public Realm

About Us:

The Environment & Communities Directorate in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where dedicated people like Grace are using their skills and passion to progress environmental action in the heart of London.

It was at university where Grace first started campaigning for improved recycling facilities, water refill stations, and other eco-friendly initiatives. When she saw the real difference people could make when they came together, she knew she wanted to dedicate her career to community action for the planet.

When she joined us as Principal Engagement Officer, Climate Emergency, she quickly established herself as a passionate advocate for community outreach, engaging various stakeholders across Westminster in the social causes, impacts and solutions to climate change, air pollution, and biodiversity loss.

Grace became a driving force behind our first Citizens' Climate Assembly, which took place across two weekends in the summer of 2023. Fifty residents were chosen at random from across our diverse communities to come together, learn about the climate emergency, and deliberate how we overcome the barriers to becoming a net zero city by 2040. The assembly produced several recommendations which have informed the evolution of our Climate Emergency Action Plan. Due to the success of this initiative, we're holding more assemblies to continue community involvement in local decision-making.

The Role:

As Head of Public Realm, you too can make a powerful contribution. Step into this high-profile role at the heart of Strategic Transport & Connectivity, improve the safety and experience of the public realm for its residents, businesses and visitors.

The Council's Highways Services are high profile and vital to maintaining and enhancing the reputation of the City Council, as the custodian of the Public Realm. Over a rolling three-year period, develop, agree and lead the delivery of the portfolio of Public Realm schemes in the forward programme including security, developer, TfL and externally funded schemes in accordance with the Council's agreed standards and policies.

As professional oversight for Council assets will sit with you, you'll ensure contract compliance in accordance with all relevant specifications, contracts, quality, costs and legislative requirements. You'll undertake regular reporting to monitor progress against key performance targets. Also, you'll represent the Council in external forums and industry groups, promoting innovation and best practice, while deputising for the Director when required to maintain leadership continuity.

You'll be working with four area-based delivery teams, a mix of Westminster Officers, and contractors to deliver a range of development schemes and improvements across the city. Evaluate and prioritise schemes against evolving strategic and commercial priorities, and resource availability. Plus, you'll be responsible for negotiation and influencing at all phases of scheme delivery to assure value-for-money delivery. Projects you'll work on could include net zero, improved health and air quality.

Stakeholder management will be key. You'll work with influential groups, including internal cabinet members, external developers and Business Improvement Districts - all often with competing priorities.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping Westminster's streetscape and civic identity. We'd like you to champion equality and diversity in all aspects of your work, modelling the Council's values and behaviours and fostering a culture of inclusion, professionalism, and accountability.

About You:

You have a zest for improving community-orientated services, backed by a successful track record of doing exactly that. You've gained significant experience in leading and delivering services at a strategic/senior management level and advising at Cabinet/Board level. Comfortable working in a team, you've formulated policy, analysis, advice, and implementation with senior managers, members, and partners. Excellent communication skills mean that you're able to simplify complex information for a range of stakeholders. Plus, your sound political awareness means that you're able to gain the confidence of members, unions and colleagues. You're a keen negotiator, skilled at influencing others.

Your experience has led to service improvement, increased efficiencies and created cultural change in a large, complex organisation. Plus, you've successfully managed budgets of a comparable scope and scale to Westminster City Council. This is backed by a history of delivering savings through effective service delivery design, procurement and contract management interventions, identifying opportunities to grow revenue or reduce costs. You're proactive at identifying and managing risk. Keeping budget in mind during decision making, you understand the importance of value for money in all Council activity.

Your judgment and analysis skills are both excellent. Even when problems become complex, you're able to broker solutions. Also, your tenacity and resilience mean that you're keen to think of new ways of doing things and overcoming obstacles.

We'd also like you to be a role model in our Council. Demonstrating a commitment to and understanding of equalities issues. You invest time in personal development and encourage others to do the same.

There are no specific qualifications necessary, though we are looking for someone with significant management experience.

The Council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. We especially encourage applications from a Global Majority (GM), people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities' (formally known as B.A.M.E , Black, Asian and multiple ethnic) background and, while the role is open to all applicants, we will utilise the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to appoint a candidate from a global majority background where there is a choice between two candidates of equal merit. If you are from a Global Majority background you can self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council's strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city's future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit

As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.