Deputy Director of London Resilience - The Guardian : Job Details

The work of the directorate’s teams includes delivery of major events, designing and leading public affairs or marketing campaigns, providing data, evidence and analysis, and making sure London’s key agencies plan for, and can respond to emerging threats or emergencies in our city.

About the team 

Resilience is central to how we think about and shape our city.  London has survived and prospered because of its capacity to withstand external shocks, its ability to adapt to change and the strength of Londoners to respond to upheaval. Today, London is faced with a unique set of threats and challenges that are evolving at pace.

The London Resilience Unit is at the heart of responding to those challenges; working with over 170 organisations we deliver and coordinate resilience services across the capital on behalf of the Mayor of London and Local Authorities.

We support the work of London’s key agencies in assessing risks, working to reduce the likelihood or impact of those risks and, where risk can’t be eliminated, preparing arrangements to respond, recover and learn from emergencies.

This exciting opportunity is a crucial role within the strategic leadership of the London Resilience Unit; an opportunity to play a leading part in ensuring London is resilient to acute emergencies and chronic stresses.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced, inclusive leader to oversee the work of three teams within the unit and ensure delivery against their missions:

• Strategy, prevention, long term and community resilience - to think beyond immediate priorities, integrate resilience and support effective community resilience.
• Partnerships, governance and assurance - to ensure an effective London resilience partnership to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
• Counter Terrorism Preparedness Network - to bring together international experts to influence and develop the multi-agency arrangements of cities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from terrorism.

As a member of the senior leadership team, you will play a principal role in the leadership of the whole unit.

You will have a proven track record in successfully delivering programmes and projects in a complex and politically sensitive environment and have excellent stakeholder management skills. You will have an understanding of resilience, crisis management, contingency or emergency planning, risk management, or a related field.

This job offers an excellent combination of service delivery, policy work and emergency response. The job will involve working unsociable hours from time to time as well as being part of an on-call rota, and qualifies for an on-call allowance.

The post holder must be willing to undergo National Security Vetting processes to the level of Security Cleared. This process requires the post holder to have been resident in the UK for a minimum of the last five years. Individuals will not be expected to hold existing National Security Vetting in order to apply for the post.

This role is based at Palestra House, 197 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8NJ with travel sometimes required to City Hall and other locations.

Skills, knowledge and experience

• To be considered for the role please set out clearly how you meet the following essential criteria:
• A track record in developing inclusive, high-performing teams that harness the benefits of diversity; inspiring, motivating and empowering your teams to perform despite challenges.
• Evidence of success in preparing and presenting clear and concise reports and delivering briefings on complex and sensitive issues with demanding timescales.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, and evidence of building and nurturing relationships with, and influencing, senior stakeholders and partners across professional and organisational boundaries.
• Evidence of demonstrating resilience and flexibility in the face of challenges, and the ability to thrive under pressure, maintaining high standards and inclusive behaviours even when operating under stress, time pressure or ambiguity.

Person Specification Technical Requirements

• A track record in developing inclusive, high-performing teams that harness the benefits of diversity, inspiring, motivating and empowering your teams to perform despite challenges.
• Evidence of success in delivering programmes and projects in a complex and politically sensitive environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, and evidence of building and nurturing relationships with, and influencing, senior stakeholders and partners across professional and organisational boundaries.
• Evidence of demonstrating resilience and flexibility in the face of challenges, and the ability to thrive under pressure, maintaining high standards and inclusive behaviours even when operating under stress, time pressure or ambiguity.
• Self-awareness, with an ability to recognise own strengths and weaknesses and develop them.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Evidence of success in preparing and presenting clear and concise reports and delivering briefings on complex and sensitive issues with demanding timescales.
• An understanding of resilience, crisis management, contingency or emergency planning, risk management, or a related field.