Chief Resilience Officer- 2 Year Secondment

This secondment is only opened to those who currently work for a LRF Partner Organisation within West Midlands. 

We are currently living in unsettled and troubling times. There are multiple conflicts happening across the world and the wide-ranging impacts of COVID-19, the increase of severe weather events due to climate change and the evolving cyber challenges are examples of an evolving threat picture. The context of this means that crises we face will have far reaching consequences and the frequency and scale of the challenges are likely to increase over the next decade. The West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum (LRF) is a multi-agency partnership made up of representatives from local public services, including emergency services, local authorities the NHS and others. The LRF works to identify potential risks and produce plans to prevent or mitigate the impact on our local communities.

About the Role 
Provide an overview of the role. Explain why the role exists, the main objectives and the impact the successful candidate will have.

As the Chief Resilience Officer of the West Midlands Forum (WMLRF), you will be a visible leader at the forefront of embedding the West Midlands Local Resilience Strategy with specific focus on acute shocks and chronic stresses. You will provide exceptional quality, cost effective services through our high impact delivery model.

You will be accountable to the West Midlands LRF Chair, WMLRF Executive Leadership Team, and WMLRF Strategic Group and have responsibility to integrate resilience into wider policy making.  There is an expectation that you will take the lead on ensuring that there is multiagency agreement on resilience related policies and procedures and driving the partnership at a strategic level.

As this is a senior executive role you will work cross-systems to influence chief executive leaders, political leaders and build effective working relationships with all partners, including creating new relationships within areas of the wider West Midlands System and political landscape. This post holder will understand the resilience challenges facing all areas of public sector, including everything from health resilience to environmental resilience, to formulate a cohesive delivery plan to support a collaborative approach to help West Midlands become as prepared and resilient as possible. The post holder will be expected to work collaboratively with devolution and the Local Government Reform to develop appropriate political engagement and reporting requirements. 

As a visible Leader, you will be expected to promote the West Midlands Forum’s vision, mission and priorities effectively to staff, partners, and the public and inspire others by role modelling joint organisational values. You will promote a culture of fostering innovation, value for money and outcome-based resilience focus. You will be highly influential and resilient in working with stakeholders and political leaders. Your track record of delivery and collaboration will be exemplary.

Key Responsibilities 
Include a maximum of five key responsibilities taken from the role profile. Focus on the most important and engaging aspects of the role:

• The Chief Resilience Officer of the West Midlands Resilience Forum (WMRF),  is a senior executive role who will be a highly influential visible leader at the forefront of embedding the West Midlands Local Resilience Strategy with specific focus on acute shocks and chronic stresses.
• The candidate will be able to demonstrate the provision of exceptional quality, cost effective services through a high impact delivery model through an exemplary track record of delivery and collaboration.
• Accountable to the West Midlands LRF Chair, WMRF Executive Leadership Team, and WMRF Strategic Group, responsible to integrate resilience into wider policy making and chairing the WMRF Executive Membership group, to ensure multiagency agreement on resilience related policies and procedures, driving the partnership at a strategic level.
• Work cross-systems to influence chief executive leaders, political leaders and build effective working relationships with all partners, including creating new relationships within areas of the wider West Midlands system and political landscape.  The Chief Resilience Officer provides strategic leadership, assurance, partnership coordination and system influence.
• Observe and understand resilience challenges facing all areas of public sector, including everything from health  to environmental resilience, to formulate a cohesive delivery plan to support a collaborative approach to help West Midlands become as prepared and resilient as possible.
• Work collaboratively with devolution and Local Government Reform to develop appropriate political engagement and reporting requirements. The postholder will champion a "resilience by design" approach, ensuring resilience considerations are embedded early in regional policy, investment and service reform decisions, including transport, housing, infrastructure, climate adaptation, economic growth and community wellbeing.
• Promote the West Midlands Resilience Forum’s vision, mission and priorities effectively to staff, partners, and the public and inspire others by role modelling joint organisational values. You will promote a culture of fostering innovation, value for money and outcome-based resilience focus.

Click here to view the full details of the role including the Essential, Desirable and any educational requirements for the role.  

Working Hours and shift:

Monday- Friday- 08:00am- 16:00pm

Frequent Travel Essential - There is a requirement to travel, so you must either hold a full, current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means.

Ability to support an on-call WMRF rota in the future
 

Point of Contact: 

Please contact Steve Vincent LRF Strategic Manager  via mobile on - 07741816253

Selection Process

Closing Date: 4th September at midnight (00:00 hrs)

Interview Date: 16th September 2026 at Centro House, Birmingham, West Midlands- Please note that there no other alternative interview dates available.

Key Information:

This is a 2 year Secondment. 

Vetting:  Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical: Successful applicants will be subject to a medical assessment which may include a drug or hearing test.