Chief Executive
Chief Executive
Salary: £174,377
Herefordshire stands at an exciting moment in its story.
It is a place set in outstanding natural beauty, defined by strong communities, a dynamic rural economy, and a deep sense of identity. It’s a county where heritage and innovation meet; where thriving market towns, creative businesses, and a vibrant agricultural base sit alongside bold ambitions for sustainable growth.
The Council has real momentum. Children’s services have continued to improve, recognised through successive Ofsted visits. The LGA’s most recent Corporate Peer Challenge praised the organisation’s maturity and ambition. The Council Plan provides a clear and collective framework for delivery and there is a shared determination across members and officers to translate that plan into visible outcomes.
This is a unique leadership opportunity: to take a confident, collaborative, and values-driven council into its next phase of transformation.
As Chief Executive, you’ll lead an organisation that is proud of its roots and ambitious for its future. You will unite councillors, partners, and communities around a common purpose to make Herefordshire an exemplar of what rural leadership can achieve. Working alongside a committed leadership team and dedicated workforce, you’ll build on strong foundations and deliver tangible progress that people can see and feel.
Your reach will extend beyond the county’s borders. Herefordshire is a founding partner in the Marches Forward Partnership, an innovative cross-border alliance with Shropshire, Powys, and Monmouthshire, and an active voice in shaping the next phase of English devolution. You’ll sustain and amplify that influence, ensuring Herefordshire continues to influence on the regional and national stage.
This is leadership with breadth and depth. You’ll steer complex systems with political sensitivity, financial discipline, and strategic clarity. You’ll need to balance environmental stewardship with economic opportunity, tackling phosphate and river-quality challenges while enabling the right homes in the right places. You’ll champion transformation grounded in data, inclusion, and community engagement, turning vision into delivery.
We’re looking for a leader who brings gravitas, someone who can inspire trust, build relationships, and empower others to do their best work. You’ll be as comfortable shaping national policy conversations as you are walking the high street of a market town or listening to residents in a parish hall.
Herefordshire is not waiting to be transformed; it’s already moving forward. What it needs now is a Chief Executive who can harness that energy, connect people and purpose, and lead a county that is ready to define the next chapter of its success.
If that sounds like you, we’d love to have a conversation.
For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact our recruitment partners at Tile Hill:
Helen Alwell (07931 543313) or Liam Young (07760 695867) or Clare Connor (0161 408 0703).
Closing date: Sunday 4th of January 2026
