Chief Executive
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- Employer:
- Bracknell Forest Council
- Location:
- Bracknell, Berkshire
- Salary:
- £197,076 - £214,670
- Closing date:
- Sunday 1st November 2026 (11:59pm)
- Job Ref:
- GSe136842
Description
Proud of our place. Ambitious for our future.
Bracknell Forest is a place with much to be proud of and even more to look forward to. Our strong and inspirational communities, excellent schools, exceptional green spaces, thriving economy and enviable connectivity make this a distinctive borough in which to live, work and do business. We are a well-run, high-performing unitary authority with a strong community mindset, a clear sense of purpose and confidence in our future.
We already punch above our weight. As host and accountable body for the emerging spatial development strategy, and an active voice in discussions about the future strategic authority, Bracknell Forest is helping to shape the next chapter for the wider region. We are exploring new approaches to housing, strengthening how we work with communities and partners, and looking beyond organisational boundaries to secure the best outcomes for our residents.
Our strong foundations do not make us complacent. A changing funding environment, rising demand and increasing costs bring new challenges, and we are facing them head on. Our next Chief Executive will lead an ambitious programme of transformation: strengthening our financial resilience and turning our emerging three-year plan into sustainable change. You will harness evidence, data, digital innovation and collaboration to improve how we work, while protecting the services and outcomes our communities value.
We are looking for an exceptional local government leader who can help Bracknell Forest achieve even more. You will bring strategic insight, political acumen and the personal credibility to lead complex change and bring people with you. With a strong understanding of the breadth of a unitary authority, you will combine financial rigour with a fierce commitment to place, public service and better outcomes for residents.
Visible, open and inclusive, you will support and challenge an experienced senior team, work constructively with members and build trusted relationships with staff, communities, town and parish councils and partners. You will lead an organisation whose values — Inclusive, Ambitious and Always Learning — are not simply words, but behaviours our people recognise and live every day.
This is an opportunity to lead a successful and stable council into a bold new phase: addressing our challenges directly, seizing the opportunities ahead and ensuring Bracknell Forest continues to deliver for its communities while influencing far beyond its boundaries.
If you share our pride in this place and our excitement about its future, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Ben Parsonage (ben.parsonage@gatenbysanderson.com) or Louise Bickley (louise.bickley@gatenbysanderson.com) for a confidential discussion.
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How to Apply
- Please submit your CV along with a Supporting Statement addressing the person specification criteria, evidencing how you meet the criteria.
- Detail any employment or education gaps.
- Be ready to provide the names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees; one should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will be contacted for those proceeding to final stages. We will always gain your permission before we contact referees.
- Let us know any difficulty you may have with the indicative timetable.
- Check that your contact details are correct before you submit.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email confirmation. If you do not receive, please email contactus@gatenbysanderson.com
