4036 - Director of Governance & Performance for the Disused Tips Authority

• Details
• Reference number
• 474800
• Salary
• £82,089 - £99,500

Starting salary: £82,089 per annum. The role sits within a pay range that extends to £99,500, with progression subject to the Authority's pay arrangements. Please note that, whilst these roles will initially be hosted by the Welsh Government, Executive Director posts within the Disused Tips Authority are subject to the Authority's own pay and reward arrangements.

The Welsh Government salary scales displayed alongside this vacancy do not apply to these roles. For candidates who can demonstrate exceptional skills, experience and expertise, there may be scope to appoint above the advertised starting salary, up to the maximum of the approved pay range, subject to the Authority's pay arrangements and relevant approvals.

GBP

• Job grade
• Other
• Executive Director - G6
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Secondment
• Length of employment
• up to 2 years
• Business area
• Local Government, Housing, Rural Resilience & Sustainability Group
• Type of role
• Finance
• Policy
• Working pattern
• Full-time
• Number of jobs available
• 1
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Location: Merthyr Tydfil (DTA Headquarters). The Disused Tips Authority's headquarters will be based in Merthyr Tydfil. When the Authority is established on 1 April 2027, a number of regional hubs will also be available across Wales; however, Merthyr Tydfil will remain the organisation's headquarters.

About the job

Job summary

Establishing the Disused Tips Authority

The Disused Tips Authority (DTA) will become fully operational on 1 April 2027 . We are recruiting now for a number of senior leadership roles to help shape the organisation, build its capability and culture, and prepare the Authority to assume its statutory responsibilities from day one.This is a unique opportunity to join the DTA during its formative stages and play a key role in establishing a new public body for Wales.

Important: The Disused Tips Authority is a separate organisation from the Welsh Government. Please disregard any Welsh Government guidance, policies, or recruitment information linked within this advert and refer to the accompanying Candidate Information Pack for the information relevant to this vacancy.

Build Wales’ New National Regulator. Protect Communities. Leave a Lasting Legacy

Everyone in Wales deserves to feel safe from the risks posed by unstable disused tips.

The Disused Tips Authority is being established under the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Act 2025 to provide national leadership for the safety, management and regulation of disused tips. As Wales' new national regulator, the Authority will deliver a consistent, evidence-led and risk-based approach to managing disused tip risk and helping to protect communities across Wales.

Within this context, the Director of Governance & Performance plays a pivotal role not only in ensuring strong governance and assurance, but in shaping how the organisation operates, makes decisions and holds itself to account.

Job description

This role is fundamental to creating and sustaining an environment where:

• Decisions are made clearly, confidently and transparently
• Performance is understood, evidenced and continuously improved
• Operational policies are developed, implemented & shared nationally
• Governance enables delivery rather than constraining it
• The organisation operates with integrity, openness and professionalism

As a member of the Executive Team, the postholder has a critical leadership role in setting tone, shaping culture and modelling behaviours, ensuring that the Authority is not only effective in what it delivers, but also trusted in how it operates.

For further information about the organisation, please see: Help build a new public body for Wales: Disused Tips Authority for Wales

For full details of the role, the assessment process, and guidance on what to expect at each stage of selection, please refer to the Candidate Information Pack available at: Director of Governance & Performance Candidate Information Pack - 2026 Recruitment Campaign

Person specification

As Director of Governance & Performance, you will provide executive leadership for the Authority's governance, operational policy, performance, finance and assurance functions, ensuring that the organisation has the frameworks, controls, insight and accountability required to fulfil its statutory responsibilities and deliver its strategic ambitions.

As one of the Authority's founding Executive Directors, you will play a leading role in establishing a new national regulator, shaping both the organisation and the systems that support effective governance, organisational performance and public confidence.

You will:

• Lead the development and operation of the Authority's governance and assurance framework.
• Ensure governance arrangements enable effective decision-making, accountability and delivery.
• Provide strategic leadership for operational policy, organisational performance and continuous improvement.
• Oversee risk management, financial stewardship and organisational assurance arrangements.
• Provide confidence and assurance to the Chief Executive, Board and Welsh Government regarding organisational performance, governance and the stewardship of public resources.

You will help create a trusted, high-performing and accountable public body that operates with integrity, transparency and professionalism and delivers lasting public value for the people of Wales.

What we're looking for

We're seeking an experienced executive leader with a strong background in governance, organisational performance, finance, assurance or public sector accountability and a proven track record of leading complex functions within highly scrutinised, publicly accountable environments.

You will bring:

• A degree in a relevant discipline discipline (e.g. Governance, Public Administration, Business Management, Finance, Law, Organisational Development or related field) or significant equivalent professional experience.
• Significant experience leading governance, performance, assurance or finance functions.
• Experience developing and operating governance and organisational assurance frameworks.
• Experience working with Boards, Ministers and senior stakeholders.
• A track record of improving organisational performance and accountability.
• Strong judgement, influencing and communication skills.
• A commitment to transparency, continuous improvement and public service.
• Chartered status or membership of a relevant professional body (for example governance, finance, audit, organisational development, risk or public administration disciplines) is desirable.

For full details of the role, the assessment process, and guidance on what to expect at each stage of selection, please refer to the Candidate Information Pack available at: Disused Tips Authority for Wales , Candidate Information Pack , 2026 Recruitment Campaign

Qualifications

A degree in a relevant discipline discipline (e.g. Governance, Public Administration, Business Management, Finance, Law, Organisational Development or related field) or significant equivalent professional experience

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Governance & Organisational Accountability - Please see advert for details
• Performance, Insight & Continuous Improvement • Developing organisational performance frameworks and outcome-focused measures. • Using insight, evidence and organisational intelligence to support strategic decision making and continuous improvement.
• Risk, Assurance & Financial Stewardship • Leading corporate risk management, assurance or internal control frameworks. • Ensuring effective stewardship of public resources through sound financial oversight, assurance and accountability arrangements.
• Policy, Strategy & Organisational Clarity • Translating strategy into clear operational policies, standards and organisational priorities. • Creating alignment between strategy, performance, policy and delivery.
• Board, Ministerial & Public Accountability • Providing strategic advice, assurance and support to Boards, Ministers or senior stakeholders. • Ensuring effective reporting, transparency and accountability within highly scrutinised environments.
• Executive Leadership & Corporate Contribution • Contributing effectively as a member of an Executive Team. • Providing leadership across organisational boundaries to support delivery of strategic priorities and public value.
• Stakeholder & System Leadership Building trusted relationships with government, regulators, oversight bodies and key stakeholders. Working collaboratively across organisational boundaries to strengthen confidence, accountability and shared outcomes.
• Communication & Strategic Judgement. Please see advert for details

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:

• 2 stage process
• Stage 1
• Application Form
• Stage 2
• Interview
• Location

The Authority's headquarters will be located at Rhydycar Business Park, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 1UZ . This will be the principal place of work and where most colleagues will come together to collaborate with one another and with stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be expected to attend the office in Merthyr Tydfil regularly to support collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

Assessment

Our assessment process is designed to evaluate candidates against three core areas: technical capability, values and leadership.

Stage 1 - Leadership and Technical capability to be tested via CV and Leadership Statement

Stage 2 - Leadership, Technical Capability and Our Values to be tested via interview (including a presentation, psychometric testing and an informal conversation with board member)

Please refer to the candidate pack for further detail.

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Leadership Expectations. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for these opportunities.Candidates offered reserve status will remain on the reserve list until the Disused Tips Authority is established in April 2027. Those placed on the reserve list will only be considered for opportunities within the Disused Tips Authority and will not be considered for Welsh Government vacancies.

Desirable

The following qualities are desirable and will only be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage:

1. Holding, or working towards, chartered status or membership of a relevant professional body. Particularly within the disciplines of governance, finance, audit, risk management, organisational development, legal or public administration.

2. Welsh Language - the Disused Tips Authority is committed to operating as a bilingual organisation and to providing services in both Welsh and English. We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve and to play an active role in promoting and normalising the use of Welsh in the workplace.We welcome applications from Welsh speakers and from individuals who are committed to developing their Welsh language skills. We will support colleagues at all levels to learn, use and increase their confidence in Welsh as part of their day-to-day work, helping to build a truly bilingual organisation.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Disused Tips Authority
• Email : DisusedTipsAuthorityJobs@gov.wales

Recruitment team

• Email : SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales

Further information

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales. Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk