Director of Public Realm

Barking & Dagenham is a borough with huge ambition and a clear mission: to break the cycle of disadvantage and create lasting change. We are growing fast, regenerating boldly and tackling some of the toughest inequalities in the country. Our “It Starts Here” vision is about creating the conditions for people to thrive, through cleaner […]

Barking & Dagenham is a borough with huge ambition and a clear mission: to break the cycle of disadvantage and create lasting change. We are growing fast, regenerating boldly and tackling some of the toughest inequalities in the country.

Our “It Starts Here” vision is about creating the conditions for people to thrive, through cleaner streets, greener spaces, and services that empower communities.

The public realm is at the centre of that story. It is the part of the council that every resident, visitor and business touches every single day, our streets, parks, bins, cemeteries, highways and open spaces. It is also the most visible, most emotive, and most politically sensitive part of what we do.
We are looking for a leader who can combine operational grip with long-term vision; who can hold their own in high-stakes contract negotiations; and who can bring commerciality, innovation and collaboration to a complex portfolio.

Your remit will span waste and recycling, street cleansing, highways and fleet, parks and green spaces, caretaking and cemeteries, around £40m of services that shape how our borough looks and feels. In your first 12–18 months you will:

• Deliver a major reconfiguration of the waste collection service to ensure delivery of statutory requirements around food waste and simpler recycling.
• Represent the Council as a key stakeholder in East London Waste Authority major waste contract procurements, ensuring value for money is being achieved and maximising social value and operational quality.
• Finesse and implement public realm’s input into our new Neighbourhood Model for service delivery, with a focus on intelligence-led service delivery and where the voluntary and community sector can assist in achieving the Council’s objectives.
• Develop our unique Instant Response Unit services to ensure the borough’s resilience to key incidents, particularly around impacts from changing climate emergencies.
• Drive efficiencies and unlock new income streams.
• Champion smarter, tech-enabled service delivery, and future-proof services against population growth and demographic change.

We are open-minded about your background. You may be a senior leader in local government already, or you may come from waste, transport, logistics, or other management. What matters most is that you can lead at scale, bring commercial and political confidence, and share our ambition for a cleaner, greener, fairer borough.

This is not about “keeping the lights on.” It’s about leading services that define civic pride, community trust and daily quality of life. If you want the chance to make a visible impact and leave a legacy, this is your opportunity.

For a confidential conversation, contact our consultants at Penna: Kelly Ridley: or Bruna Varante: or:
Andrew Tromans: or: