Welcome

Thank you for taking an interest in the most exciting and challenging role in London.

We are delivering one of the most ambitious agendas in local government, in one of the most important places in the country.

We are looking for an experienced and talented Chief Executive, Corporate Director, Resources (S151 Officer) and Director of Finance, Procurement & Audit (Deputy S151 Officer) to lead Tower Hamlets Council from our iconic new Town Hall in the former Royal London Hospital building in Whitechapel.

Tower Hamlets offers the best of London in one borough. It represents the capital’s past as well as its future.

We are the UK’s fastest growing and most densely populated borough, with London’s youngest population; we are home to international business districts which generate the UK’s third highest economic output; we host some of London’s best events and destinations; we are a centre for world class learning and innovation; and we are a borough with an iconic history, where principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion run through our DNA.

While you have an incredible canvas and set of assets to work with, like other inner-city places, we are a borough of contrasts of extreme wealth and poverty that inhibit social mobility.

Since I became Executive Mayor a year ago, our mission has been to create a Tower Hamlets for everyone.

We support those in need to have better lives through measures such as grants to help families with the cost-of-living crisis and through interventions that can lead to lasting change. For example, we are the only local authority which will offer universal free school meals for all primary and secondary school children, along with offering bursaries for higher and further education.

All our residents should have access to excellent council services when they need them. To achieve this, we are investing £28m into our leisure centres, including five swimming pools, and our Idea Stores continue to be important hubs for community life, offering a place for families, students, and adults to meet and learn.

Part of my commitment to improve services for the local community is to directly manage services. I have launched an insourcing programme where our council-owned homes, leisure centres, and youth service will be managed under your stewardship.

The range of Public Realm services we provide needs to improve and our 120 parks, including Victoria Park, must continue to be some of the best in the country.

To achieve this and more, we are investing £78m into our services, £4.4m for additional police and enforcement officers, £3.1m into our CCTV upgrade and £19m into our young people.

We also have the challenge of saving £37m over the next few years. We must reorganise the council, make savings by delivering differently and lean on our location to bring in more revenue from our assets.

I am also determined that our borough returns to being a significant stakeholder on the London stage and regain its reputation on a national level for providing cutting edge services.

This is one of the most exciting roles in local government. Tower Hamlets is a city within a city, and you will encounter opportunities and challenges that will test your ambition, commitment, experience, and skills to the limit.

Join us in our journey. I look forward to receiving your application.

Lutfur Rahman,
Mayor of Tower Hamlets

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