Director of Environmental Strategy

News just in: there is now a Director of Environmental Strategy for Manchester City Council.

His name is Richard Sharland, and he has been the CEO of Groundwork UK for the last 2 years, and has held four posts with that organisation over the last 15 years. He starts the job on July 1st.

Here's what a cursory web search found on him, courtesy of the CABE website.

"Richard is director of development at Groundwork UK. He has been with Groundwork since 1994. With a background in the arts, education and community development work, Richard ran projects in the north-east and the midlands before joining the environment sector as director of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust in 1985. Current committee commitments include membership of the Learning and Skills Council's Sustainable Development Advisory Group and the Sustainable Procurement Taskforce."

After one failed bid to appoint a Director of Environmental Strategy to "provide a strategic focus for the development of a coherent environmental strategy and a range of contingent policies; bringing together related components including low carbon and environmental policies and programmes, addressing the broad challenges of climate change and waste and recycling", Manchester City Council appears on the cusp of getting the right person for the job. Three internal candidates and one external were interviewed last week. An announcement is expected on Monday 18 May.
The job, which comes with a £70,000 salary, also comes with a daunting list of responsibilities, such as having "overall responsibility for the Council’s Environmental policies and programmes ensuring effective joined up working across the Council and its partners and the delivery of value for money services", taking "a lead role in providing expertise for the Council on all environmental issues, with specific reference to environmental policies, meeting the challenges of climate change and recycling and waste management" and "providing strategic expertise to the Local Strategic Partnership on environmental issues, including taking a lead role for Manchester at national, regional and local environmental level as required."
As for personal qualities, well, the winner will have an "extensive proven track record and substantial experience in a senior management position in an environmental or related field, a developed and informed understanding of current environmental issues and in particular the challenges posed to cities such as Manchester by climate change and low carbon economic growth" and be able to "communicate effectively verbally, in writing and by the use of other media, including information technology, with colleagues, officers at all levels, elected Members, public, private and voluntary sector organisations."
MCFly will do its best to get an early interview with the new Director, and if you've got questions you'd like to pose, send them in!