DVLA offers £135k for new chief exec

Agency seeks boss with "people leadership at the heart" of their skillset
Photo: Phil Rees/Alamy

By Tevye Markson

01 Nov 2024

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has launched its recruitment drive for a new chief executive to replace Julie Lennard, who is departing this month.

The Department for Transport-sponsored agency is offering a salary of £135,000 for the Swansea-based role, which is being advertised by recruitment agency GatenbySanderson.

Lennard, who has been the DVLA’s chief since 2018, is leaving to join the Crown Prosecution Service as its chief operating officer on 25 November.

The job advert says the agency is looking for an “outstanding, inspiring” senior leader with experience operating either as a chief exec or a senior executive in a large, complex delivery organisation.

It says the chief exec will be asked to provide leadership to support the DVLA to continue its digital transformation and prepare for fundamental changes in the motoring environment.

The chief exec leads a workforce of more than 6,000 people, most of whom are based in Swansea, but the DVLA also has offices in Birmingham.

Candidates should have experience of shaping an organisation, leading high-performing teams, and developing a motivated and engaged staff team, as well as a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, the advert says.

They should also be “strategic and commercial” and be able to “drive what good looks like in delivery”, it states, adding that "people leadership should be at the heart" of their skillset.

In a video explaining the role, David Jones, chair of DVLA’s board, said: “Most importantly, the workforce, our colleagues and staff are some of the best that I’ve ever worked with across the public sector. There is a real family culture that exists within the organisation, embedded in its community, and I know that any incoming chief executive is going to want to maintain that.”

The role has a minimum assignment duration of three years. The deadline to apply is 11.55pm on 13 November.

Read the most recent articles written by Tevye Markson - McFadden on civil service: Good people in bad systems

Categories

HR Transport
Share this page