WMCA starts search for permanent chief executive
Published: Friday 07 Apr 2017
The search to find a permanent chief executive for the West Midlands Combined Authority has officially begun.
The job, along with three director posts covering finance, strategy and public service reform, has now been posted and applications invited.
After holding the interim chief executive post since March last year, Martin Reeves today informed politicians and colleagues at the authority that he had decided not to apply for the permanent position.
After holding the interim chief executive post since March last year, Martin Reeves today informed politicians and colleagues at the authority that he had decided not to apply for the permanent position.
He will instead return to his substantive, full time chief executive role at Coventry City Council although his secondment will be extended to the WMCA until a new chief executive takes up the post, expected to be around September.
Martin said: My role at the combined authority has been, and continues to be, a real privilege for me.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of politicians, partners and officers at all levels, we have made incredible progress over what has been a relatively short amount of time.
This has enabled us to build a solid foundation for the incoming Mayor and chief executive.
The post of chief executive at the biggest combined authority in the country must be one of the most exciting public sector jobs on offer at the moment.
However, my decision not to apply is based on an even stronger desire to continue the impressive journey we have started at Coventry
Martin thanked Coventry City Council for agreeing to extend his secondment to the WMCA until the permanent chief executive is in post.
He said this would help ensure continuity, a smooth transition to a mayoral combined authority and to provide a strong handover to the new senior management team.
In addition to the chief executive role, there are three other key posts to be filled at the WMCA, which will be chaired by whoever wins the West Midlands mayoral election on May 4.
Details of the chief executive, director of public service reform, director of strategy and director of finance posts and how to apply are available here