New £126k director of transformation and strategy appointed at North Northamptonshire Council
A director of transformation and strategy has been appointed at North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) after the authority began its search for the newly-created six-figure role earlier this year.
Cllr Martin Griffiths shared with members at an executive meeting on November 11 that the authority has chosen Libby Caulfield to step into the new position.
The new director will report directly to NNC chief executive Adele Wylie and will be paid up to £126,000 a year, according to an advert released during the recruitment process.
A job description for the role said the council officer will ‘lead the council’s ambition to be at the forefront of shaping the future of local government and driving how the sector evolves’, as well as understanding government policy and building relationships with government departments.
The advert added: “This is a newly created role which demonstrates our commitment to not just saying that we want to drive transformation and change and do things differently but gives strategic capacity to enable it.”
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Griffiths explained: “We have recently recruited to an integral role that will help us deliver and drive forward our corporate plan priorities.
“The creation of this role was a key recommendation of the team that undertook the peer challenge some months ago and it is such an important milestone for us as we continue to grow and evolve as a council.
“The role of director of transformation and strategy will lead the way in shaping our long-term direction and driving transformation and innovation across this organisation.
“Libby will oversee our transformation programme, corporate planning and performance, helping us modernise services, make the most of technology and data and ensure everything that we do is joined up and focused on improving outcomes for our residents.
“She brings a wealth of information, innovation and organisational design, as well as a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver lasting improvements in local government.”
He added that the new director had joined NNC from Impower, an organisation that works closely with councils and public sector partners to deliver large scale change and improvement programmes for public services.
This is the second time the authority has attempted to recruit someone for the role, following an unsuccessful process in late 2024 – though the position was previously named executive director of strategy and change. Cllr Griffiths added that this round of recruitment received more than 70 applications from interested parties.
According to NNC, the director will have responsibility for the leadership and management of the council’s transformational change portfolio, drive forward the ‘One Council’ approach, and lead major corporate change activity across all directorates to reshape the work of the council to deliver efficiencies while delivering better outcomes for residents.