We know there is a growth in local authorities appointing senior civil servants to chief executive roles. Is it fair to say it’s a “trend”?
We would describe it as a discernible movement, although it is not yet the dominant route into council chief executive roles. There have been a number of key appointments, such as Kate Josephs at Sheffield City Council, Ed Whiting at Leeds City Council, John Edwards at Rotherham Council and Katharine Hammond at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. It is happening often enough now that people in the sector are noticing it and talking about it. And there are more being appointed to the chief executive role who have blended central and local government experience, such as Jillian Kay at Southampton City Council. The traditional progression from local authority director or deputy chief executive still remains the main route, but the sector is clearly more willing to look outside that pipeline where the circumstances and the individual are right.
What civil service skills are particularly in demand in relation to local government chief-executive jobs?
In our experience, when the brief is more open to “different, particularly wider public sector experience” and there is a need for reset, credibility, and delivery at pace, councils are welcoming of people who have done national-level crisis management, ministerial handling and complex delivery across multiple stakeholders. These skills are highly transferable, and we have found that candidates operating at a national level are deeply developed in place-shaping on a regional and national stage, systems thinking and have impressive and relevant networks that bring profile and credibility.
Are there specific DG roles or departments that seem to be of high interest among councils?
Councils tend to value more those from departments with heavy operational delivery, public service reform, and strong links to local government. The Department for Education is a good example, because it sits across schools, safeguarding, skills, SEND pressure, and local partnerships. More broadly, senior people with backgrounds spanning Cabinet Office, Home Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and cross-government coordination can appeal because they are used to ambiguity, national scrutiny, and competing priorities. Kate Josephs is a good example of someone in that category.
Civil Service World understands that in addition to councils being increasingly interested in senior civil service hires, members of the SCS are also more open to taking up council roles than was previously the case. Over what timeframe have you been witnessing an increased interest from senior civil servants in top local government roles?
Since Covid we have seen a steady stream of candidates connecting with us looking for a move. Our aspirant CEX programme has welcomed 10 delegates in the last three cohorts to aid their transition and through networks we are being referred to at least five new candidates per month who are considering a move to local government. There is no major trend identified as to why, but we speculate that devolution, local government reorganisation and changing governments have prompted civil servants to consider the opportunities that exist in local government. High-profile appointments also help create a momentum.
Could leaving central government to take up a council chief-exec role allow candidates to return to the civil service at a higher level?
Maybe. If they can say they have led a complex public organisation under real world constraints and delivered outcomes, that is compelling in both directions.
Are there any skills that civil service candidates tend to lack in comparison to – say – a current local authority director?
There can be differences in understanding the reality of running frontline services, with immediate public consequence, along with the financial operating model of councils.
Also, there are still concerns about civil service candidates, as the service is often described as more process-driven than local government. But it does provide significant training and secondment opportunities which has undoubtedly contributed to the leadership quality in the talent pool.
The intensity and frequency of member-engagement and local political dynamics are other areas that are different. In central government, the political relationship can be intense, but it is structured and mediated through formal roles. In local government, it is constant and personal. You are working with elected members who are deeply embedded in their communities and under daily local pressure. Issues surface quickly and play out publicly. And you have to build trust across the whole chamber, not just the administration. It is a far more immediate and relational political environment than many civil servants are used to.
If it’s not people joining from the senior civil service, what is the main trend in top-level local-government recruitment?
Since 2020, during a significant period of turnover, 48% of chief executives appointed to upper tier authorities came from a “place background”. This was a new and real trend stemming, we believe, from an increased post-Covid focus on sustainable and inclusive growth as a route to reduce inequalities and balance the financial pressures from reduced funding.
In this context, “place background” refers to the experience of candidates regardless of whether they came from central government, local government or somewhere else. These 48% of chief executives had all been working in place-shaping and place-delivery type roles, such as regeneration, inclusive growth or housing, before they became chief executives.
In reality, most of them will have gained that experience in local government. Moving up from executive director or deputy to chief executive is still the backbone of appointments, not least because councils value place knowledge, experience of working with elected members, and operational understanding of delivering local government services within constrained budgets. But it’s clear that there is now the willingness to look outside the classic pipeline when the context allows.
How are local government reorganisation and deeper devolution likely to affect opportunities for senior civil servants?
Reorganisation will create a substantial period of leadership transition, but it will not simply mean more permanent chief executive jobs. In the short term, there will be demand for people who can design and establish new organisations, integrate services and cultures, manage complex programmes and maintain frontline delivery throughout the transition. Senior civil servants with organisational-design and cross-government delivery experience could be attractive for those roles, albeit the majority will want a level of local government understanding because of the pace at which new authorities have to be created.
Over time, however, there will be fewer chief executive positions, and the new unitary councils will be larger and more complex. Candidates will therefore need to demonstrate whole-organisation leadership, local political acuity and an understanding of statutory services and council finance, alongside their transformation experience.
Devolution creates a related but distinct opportunity through mayoral and other strategic authorities. Experience of Whitehall, infrastructure, investment, skills, housing and economic growth can be particularly relevant in those organisations. The strongest candidates will be those who combine national reach with a genuine commitment to place.
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has appointed a senior civil servant as its senior official, and it’s not the only example of such a move. Are these roles also a growth area?
Yes, the devolution landscape means that the strategic role of CAs provides the perfect leadership opportunity for those who have operated on a national or regional level and have insights into the major funding and infrastructure programmes. CAs generally have a real appetite and welcome for civil servants, particularly if they have a vested interest in their region and places.
Julie Towers and Dawar Hashmi are both directors at Penna. Their Q&A with Civil Service World fed into the feature on senior civil servants who have taken up posts as council chief executives that ran in CSW’s Summer 2026 edition