Welcome

Thank you for your interest in applying to Trafford Council.

Dear Candidate,

Trafford is a borough with ambition, opportunity and a strong track record of delivery. As one of Greater Manchester’s leading authorities, we are committed to improving outcomes for our residents, supporting thriving communities and ensuring that the services we provide are sustainable, innovative and responsive to future challenges. Our vision is simple but powerful: to create a borough where residents, businesses and communities can thrive. Central to achieving this is attracting talented leaders who share our values and our commitment to public service.

The two opportunities featured in this recruitment pack are pivotal leadership roles within my directorate and offer the chance to make a significant impact on the future success of Trafford Council and our wider partnerships.

Our Head of Greater Manchester Shared Services role provides strategic leadership for a unique and long-established partnership between Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Police. The service delivers critical HR, payroll and pension services across the partnership, and the successful candidate will play a key role in driving service excellence, innovation and continuous improvement whilst maintaining strong governance and stakeholder confidence. This is an opportunity to lead within a complex partnership environment, influencing future direction and ensuring one of the region’s most significant shared service arrangements continues to evolve and succeed.

Alongside this, our Head of Commercial Services role will lead the development of a sustainable and commercially successful portfolio of services, primarily supporting schools and education settings. This is an exciting opportunity to shape and grow our traded offer, strengthen customer relationships, identify new income-generating opportunities and ensure our services remain competitive, customer-focused and aligned to the needs of schools and strategic partners. We are seeking a leader who can combine commercial acumen with a strong understanding of public sector values, helping the Council navigate a changing marketplace while delivering excellent services and value for money.

Whilst the responsibilities of these roles are distinct, both require leaders who can build strong relationships, inspire confidence, navigate complexity and translate strategic ambition into tangible outcomes. They offer the opportunity to work with talented colleagues, engage with a wide range of stakeholders and make a lasting contribution to services that matter to our residents, customers and partners.

At Trafford, we place great importance not only on what we deliver, but how we deliver it. Our EPIC values - Empower, People-Centred, Inclusive and Collaborative - shape our culture and underpin everything we do. We are looking for leaders who embody these values and who are motivated by the opportunity to make a genuine difference.

Thank you for considering Trafford Council as the next step in your career. I hope this recruitment pack provides a clear sense of the opportunities ahead, the scale of the challenge and the impact you could make. We look forward to learning more about you.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Saleh,

Deputy Chief Executive & Corporate Director of Strategy and Resources Directorate

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