West Yorkshire Combined Authority is at the heart of growing our economy. We are focused on ensuring there are homes ready to be lived in, commercial space ready for our businesses and innovators, people with the right skills our businesses need, plus the necessary health, public realm, energy and high quality environment to support growth. As Executive Director of Place you will lead our work to achieve this, to turn ambition into more visible improvements in neighbourhoods, town centres and local economies.
The Executive Director Place sits at the centre of that shift: shaping the regional narrative, turning priorities into investable programmes, and helping partners move from plans to delivery on the ground.
The role provides system leadership across inclusive economy, place and environment, bringing together spatial strategy, regeneration, housing, investment, culture, skills and the transition to net zero into a single delivery framework. You will help focus effort on West Yorkshire’s emerging corridors of opportunity and priority growth clusters, ensuring investment is sequenced, outcomes are measurable and benefits are felt across the region.
This is a role defined by momentum and connectivity rather than a single service line. You will broker alignment across local authorities, investors, government, delivery partners and communities; convert policy into pipeline; and unlock the conditions for growth—land, infrastructure, skills, investment and confidence. Success will come through influence, credibility and an ability to hold the system to account for delivery.
West Yorkshire offers a rare platform to shape inclusive growth at scale: a strengthened devolution settlement, a £1.8bn deal and Integrated Settlement flexibility, and major place-based programmes spanning town centre regeneration, housing supply, and decarbonisation. The region is also backing high-growth sectors through Cluster Action Plans—spanning areas such as advanced manufacturing, financial and professional services, healthtech, and digital and technology—creating a clear agenda for investment, skills alignment and delivery partnerships.
Working closely with the Chief Executive, Mayor’s Office and Board, you will act as a senior advisor and system leader. The role requires sound judgement, comfort with complexity and the ability to move between strategic stewardship and near term delivery pressures.
The role is designed to work in close alignment with the Executive Director Transport and Infrastructure as part of a deliberately complementary Executive team.
We are open on professional background. The strongest candidates may come from public, private or third sector environments.
You are likely to be operating at Executive or Director level, with experience of leading complex place, economy or regeneration portfolios in settings shaped by public accountability and political scrutiny.
You will bring:
Recruitment is being supported by Berwick Partners.
To apply, please submit:
For a confidential discussion please contact Marek Dobrowolski at Berwick Partners.
