The Appointments Panel of Greenwich Council met to determine the longlists of applicants for two positions: Deputy Director, Finance and Director of Legal and Democratic Services. The meeting was scheduled to be held in closed session, meaning that the press and public were excluded.

Deputy Director of Resources – Finance

The panel were scheduled to discuss the longlist of applicants for the role of Deputy Director of Resources – Finance. According to the job description, the post holder will be responsible for:

providing organisational leadership in managing the Council’s finances sustainably and in the public interest. This includes developing the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy, influencing significant business decisions, working to resolve some of the most significant financial challenges the organisation faces and providing robust budgetary control.

The Deputy Director of Resources – Finance is also expected to provide strategic leadership to the functions of Strategic Finance, Procurement, Corporate Finance, Finance Business Partnering, Procurement, Internal Audit, Anti-Fraud, Financial Governance and Insurance.

The person appointed to the role will also act as the Deputy Section 151 Officer¹, and will be expected to provide advice and information to councillors and officers to enable the council to identify strategic opportunities, develop policy, ensure effective resource allocation and make effective financial decisions.

Director of Legal and Democratic Services

The panel were also scheduled to discuss the longlist of applicants for the role of Director of Legal and Democratic Services. According to the job description, the Director of Legal and Democratic Services has the statutory Monitoring Officer responsibility, which entails:

not only the responsibility for ensuring that the Council acts lawfully but also responsibility for advising Members and Senior Officers on governance, decision making and the Council’s Constitution. The post also leads on Ethical Standards for Members.

The Director of Legal and Democratic Services is also responsible for providing high quality, cost effective and responsive legal services which proactively promote and protect the council’s interests and meet corporate and statutory requirements.