The Personnel Committee of Manchester City Council met on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, to discuss revised corporate senior management arrangements, the recruitment of a new City Solicitor, and the remuneration of senior public health roles. Key decisions included approving a restructuring of senior management roles, which is expected to result in significant cost savings, and establishing a sub-committee to oversee the recruitment of the City Solicitor. The committee also recommended regrading several senior public health positions and creating a new, time-limited role to lead the Health Determinants Research Collaboration programme.

Revised Corporate Senior Management Arrangements

The committee approved significant changes to the council's corporate senior management structure, aiming to improve strategic leadership and deputising capacity for the Chief Executive. This restructuring involves the redesignation of the City Treasurer role to Strategic Director of Corporate Services and City Treasurer, with a proposed regrading to the Executive grade spot salary of £182,640. The existing Deputy Chief Executive role will be disestablished, and a new Deputy Chief Executive Portfolio will be created. This portfolio will be undertaken by an existing member of the Corporate Management Team, who will also receive the Executive grade spot salary of £182,640 in addition to their substantive role, following a competitive application process. The interim arrangements for the Deputy City Treasurer role will be formalised with a regrading to SS4 (£115,355 - £127,134). These changes are projected to result in an annual saving of £158,066. The committee recommended these changes to Full Council for approval, including amendments to the Council's Pay Policy Statement.

Recruitment to the Post of City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer

The committee agreed to establish a sub-committee to oversee the recruitment process for a new City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer, as the current postholder is due to retire in May 2027. The sub-committee will comprise the Leader of the Council, Councillor Andrew Simcock (Executive Member for Finance and Resources and Chair of Personnel Committee), the Statutory Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Tracey Rawlins, and Councillor Astrid Johnson (opposition representative). The Chief Executive and the Interim Deputy Chief Executive/City Treasurer will also be involved in the appointment process, though the final decision rests with the sub-committee. The recruitment process, which will involve an executive search company, is scheduled to begin in late September 2026, with interviews anticipated in late November or early December, aiming for an appointment before the end of 2026. The committee also approved an updated role profile for the City Solicitor position, which is graded at SS5 (£148,583 - £170,353).

Public Health Senior Roles

The committee considered proposals for senior roles within the Public Health department. They recommended to Full Council the establishment of a new, time-limited Assistant Director Public Health/Public Health Consultant post, graded at SS3 (£95,022 - £105,048), to lead the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) programme until 2029. This role will also involve research and knowledge mobilisation within the Greater Manchester Public Health Network. The committee also recommended the establishment of an additional special responsibility payment for the Deputy Director of Public Health role, valued at £6,276, bringing the total remuneration for this position to £111,324. This payment is intended to formally recognise the additional duties undertaken by the postholder. The funding for the new Assistant Director role will come from a combination of grant funding, existing mainstream budgets, and the Greater Manchester Public Health Network.

Remuneration of Head of Leisure, Events and Contracts

The committee recommended to Full Council the regrading of the Head of Leisure, Events and Contracts role to SS3 (£95,022 - £105,048). This regrading follows a review that recognised a significant increase in the scale, breadth, and complexity of the post, including expanded responsibilities for major events, commercial contracts, staffing, and resources. The additional costs associated with this regrading will be met through efficiencies gained from the insourcing of the MCRactive service and will be contained within existing approved budgets. The committee also granted delegated authority to the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) to approve the finalised updated role profile.