The Personnel Committee of Manchester City Council is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, to discuss several key staffing and organisational matters. The meeting's agenda includes proposals for revised corporate senior management arrangements, the recruitment of a new City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer, and the remuneration of the Head of Leisure, Events and Contracts. Additionally, the committee is scheduled to consider senior roles within Public Health.

Revised Corporate Senior Management Arrangements

A significant item on the agenda concerns proposed revisions to the council's corporate senior management structure. The report from the Chief Executive outlines plans to create more effective strategic leadership and deputising capacity for the Chief Executive, aiming to deliver on the Our Manchester Strategy. These proposals are anticipated to result in an overall saving to the authority of £158,066, including on-costs.

Key recommendations include the redesignation of the Deputy Chief Executive grade to an Exec grade and a recommendation to amend the Council's Pay Policy Statement in March 2027 to reflect this change. The report also suggests formalising interim arrangements for the Assistant Director of Finance (Corporate) to become Deputy City Treasurer and Deputy s.151 Officer, with a regrading to SS4. Furthermore, a Deputy Chief Executive Portfolio is proposed to be established and offered to existing members of the Corporate Management Team through a competitive process, with the successful candidate receiving the Exec Grade spot salary in addition to their substantive role. The current vacant standalone Deputy Chief Executive post is recommended for disestablishment.

Recruitment to the Post of City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer

The committee is also scheduled to consider the recruitment process for the vital role of City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer for Manchester City Council. The current City Solicitor is due to retire in May 2027. The report from the Interim Director of People and Organisational Development details the proposed arrangements for recruitment and appointment.

Recommendations include establishing a sub-committee of the Personnel Committee to act as an appointment panel, endorsing the outlined recruitment approach, and approving an updated role profile for the City Solicitor position, which is graded at SS5. The proposed appointment panel would include the Leader of the Council, Councillor Andrew Simcock (Executive Member for Finance and Resources and Chair of the Personnel Committee), the Statutory Deputy Leader of the Council, and Councillor Astrid Johnson (opposition representative). The recruitment process is expected to commence in late September 2026, with interviews anticipated in late November or early December.

Remuneration of Head of Leisure, Events and Contracts

The committee will review the remuneration for the Head of Leisure, Events and Contracts. A recent evaluation under the City Council's Senior Job Evaluation Scheme has graded the role as SS3 (£95,022 - £105,048). This regrading acknowledges the significant growth in the scale, breadth, and complexity of the post, including increased responsibilities for staffing, funding, and resources, as well as oversight of an enhanced portfolio of programmes and services.

The report seeks approval to recommend this regrading to Full Council, as the proposed SS3 grade exceeds £100,000 at the top of the salary range, requiring this level of oversight according to the Council's Pay Policy Statement. Delegated authority is also requested for the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) to approve the finalised updated role profile.

Public Health Senior Roles

The meeting agenda also includes a discussion on Public Health senior roles. A report from the Director of Public Health proposes the creation of a new, time-limited Assistant Director Public Health/Public Health Consultant post. This role, graded at SS3 (£95,022 - £105,048) on a fixed-term basis until 2029, will be responsible for leading the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) programme and driving research and knowledge mobilisation within the Greater Manchester Public Health Network. This is intended to ensure the Public Health Department has the necessary senior capacity to achieve strong outcomes in these areas.

Additionally, the committee will consider establishing a special responsibility payment for the Deputy Director of Public Health role. This payment, valued at £6,276, would bring the total remuneration for this role to £111,324, formalising the recognition of the duties undertaken. The new Assistant Director post will be funded through a combination of grant funding, existing mainstream budgets, and contributions from the Greater Manchester Public Health Network.