Executive Opportunities

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UK Health Security Agency
Chief Executive

United Kingdom
P2502-035L

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) prevents, prepares for and responds to infectious diseases and the impact of chemical, radiological and other environmental health hazards, to keep all our communities safe, save lives and protect livelihoods. It plays an important role in the science of health protection, the innovation and growth of the UK life sciences industry, and the UK’s contribution to global health security. In fulfilling these missions, it interacts with and serves the public, the NHS, the government and scientists across the world.

The UKHSA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care and they are now seeking a Chief Executive. They will lead the agency and will be accountable for its strategy and operations, as well as the effective and efficient use of public funds. Key responsibilities include: building the vision and plan that supports the ambition for UKHSA to be a scientific and operational leader in health security; providing strong leadership to a multi-disciplinary organisation of 5,500 people, by translating Ministers’ ambitions into a clear vision to staff, setting a direction for that vision and ensuring the agency is organised, resourced and motivated to deliver its priorities; leading the emergency preparedness and response to health security threats, ranging from infectious diseases, CBRN, antimicrobial resistance to emerging zoonotic diseases and environmental hazards. In addition, they ensure that the scientific capabilities are in place to support health protection systems and support opportunities to contribute to economic growth and the development of the UK’s life sciences industry.

The Chief Executive is accountable to Parliament, as Accounting Officer, for the UKHSA’s performance, acting as ambassador and representative for UK health security and protection, working with multiple stakeholders, including national and global peers, as well as with the devolved governments, local authorities and health systems. The Chief Executive will manage a core budget of approximately £400m revenue and £80m capital, plus additional funding of circa £900m for COVID-19 vaccines.

The role of CEO of UKHSA is therefore a challenging but also a fascinating one, with no two days the same. Whilst candidates for this prominent Permanent Secretary-level role do not have to be scientists or public health professionals, they will need to have worked extensively in one of those fields, demonstrating a high level of leadership credibility. It will be essential to possess sufficient breadth and depth of experience to lead and represent the UK’s health protection interests with confidence, including the communication and influencing skills to work effectively with health and science experts, Ministers and a wide variety of external stakeholders. The ability to direct and motivate a large, widely distributed team, translate strategy into delivery and manage large and complex budgets will all be important characteristics. The resilience to work under sustained pressure and scrutiny; and lead through ambiguity will also be critical to the Chief Executive’s success. Familiarity with technology as an enabler of efficiency and innovation, and experience in a commercial environment, would be helpful.

Diversity is vital to the success of this role, and to the Civil Service as a whole. We actively welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds, with different experiences and perspectives - and we are committed to ensuring that we work in an inclusive way that means everyone in the Civil Service can perform at their best.

UKHSA has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to advise on this appointment. For further information about the position and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service and how to apply, please the position specification below.

The closing date for applications is 23:55 on 2^nd April 2025.

Position Specification

Crown Commercial Service
Strategy Delivery Director

United Kingdom
P2501-131L

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has a huge role to play in enabling the government’s missions and supporting the ‘Plan for Change’ - and in doing so supporting the government to achieve the best outcomes for the UK. The role of Strategy Delivery Director is pivotal in achieving the mission we have set for ourselves over the next five years to be a truly customer-led organisation.

We are procurement experts. We help the public sector maximise every pound so precious resources can go where they’re needed most. We do this by establishing and managing outstanding customer focused commercial agreements for common goods and services. Our category expertise and procurement capability mean that our customers can buy effectively and efficiently.

Would you like to lead transformation delivery in the UK’s largest public procurement organisation? Do you want to shape and execute a strategy that drives value for our customers, delivers operational excellence and ensures better outcomes for the public sector?

We’re seeking an exceptional leader who will support the CEO to take the organisation into its next stage, by playing a pivotal role in accelerating the delivery of CCS’s mission to become a world class, customer centric, commercial and procurement organisation.

The successful candidate will lead the Strategic Delivery Directorate, which is a new directorate that will provide a unified framework for managing transformation across CCS. It will connect strategy and investment decisions, guiding them through to delivery in an enterprise wide execution plan. It will ensure the Digital Services Directorate receives the necessary business information for consistent digital improvements, while considering non-digital changes to achieve tangible results for CCS and customers. The Strategy Delivery Director will serve as a key member of the CCS executive committee, and will therefore be collectively responsible for the management of the whole organisation.

CCS has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to advise on this appointment. For further information about the position and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service and how to apply, please review the position specification below.

The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 30^th March 2025.

Position Specification

British International Investment (BII)
Chief Investment Officer

London, UK
2501-056L

British International Investment (BII), the UK's leading development finance institution, is dedicated to fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth in underserved markets. BII is seeking a visionary Chief Investment Officer (CIO) to lead its investment strategy and asset allocation, ensuring alignment with BII’s dual mandate of delivering development impact and financial returns.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CIO will oversee BII's investment strategy and asset allocation, be responsible for the governance and processes surrounding the firm’s investments and portfolio, and chair Investment Committees. The CIO will drive a high-performance investment culture, ensuring rigorous governance and the optimisation of BII’s diverse portfolio across various debt and equity instruments. The CIO will collaborate with sector leads to align sector strategies with BII’s overarching goals. As a key member of the senior leadership team (ExCo), the CIO additionally has a shared responsibility for broader leadership of the firm.

Candidates for the role will have a proven track record in private equity or credit, ideally with experience in emerging markets. They should possess exceptional strategic thinking, risk management, and people management skills. A deep commitment to BII’s mission, high ethical standards, and a willingness to engage with the regions BII invests in are essential.

BII is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background.

BII has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to advise on this appointment. For further information about the position and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service and how to apply, please review the position specification below.

The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Monday, 31^st March 2025.

Position Specification