Chief Officer East Mayoral Development Corporation

Birmingham East is entering a defining period of change. The Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, is working with Birmingham City Council and regional partners to establish the Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation, accelerating one of the most significant regeneration programmes in the UK. This is a programme measured in billions, bringing together major development opportunities, infrastructure investment and new neighbourhoods with the potential to reshape the city and drive long-term economic growth.

This is a rare opportunity to lead that effort. We are seeking a Chief Officer to establish and lead the MDC as a delivery-focused organisation, ensuring that ambition translates into visible, on-the-ground change across Birmingham East.

This is a founding leadership role at the centre of a complex, high-profile and fast-moving programme. As Chief Officer, you will lead the establishment of the MDC and take responsibility for driving delivery across a coordinated portfolio of major regeneration sites, infrastructure projects and investment opportunities. You will shape the organisation, build a high-performing executive team and create the conditions for pace, clarity and execution.

The role operates at system level and at delivery level. You will work closely with the Mayor, the Board, the Combined Authority, Birmingham City Council and national government to align policy, funding and delivery frameworks. At the same time, you will engage directly with investors, developers and partners to unlock sites, structure investment and accelerate progress. You will be visible, credible and accountable, ensuring that a complex, multi-partner programme becomes a coordinated, delivery-led pipeline.

The expectation is clear: momentum, decisions and tangible outcomes.

The Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation has been created as the delivery vehicle for this programme. It is a statutory body with the powers and mandate to act  brings together planning powers, land assembly capability, funding mechanisms and a clear governance structure to enable delivery at a scale that cannot be achieved through business-as-usual arrangements. Acting as a single front door for investors and partners, the MDC will coordinate land, infrastructure and investment across a defined geography.

It will focus relentlessly on unlocking sites, aligning funding and removing barriers that slow progress. The programme itself is substantial and diverse. It includes major opportunities such as the Sports Quarter, the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, Digbeth, Curzon, Smithfield and Central Heart, alongside critical infrastructure including the Birmingham East Metro Extension. These are significant projects in their own right. Together, they form a connected programme with the potential to deliver new homes, major employment growth, improved connectivity and long-term transformation for communities across Birmingham East.

The MDC will work in partnership with Birmingham City Council and regional stakeholders, strengthening delivery capacity while ensuring growth is rooted in place and benefits local communities.

This role calls for a leader who is comfortable operating at scale, in complexity and  will bring a track record of delivering large-scale regeneration, infrastructure or housing programmes, alongside experience of operating at executive or board level within complex, multi-stakeholder environments. You will combine strategic thinking with delivery focus. You will be able to bring partners together, align competing interests and make decisions that unlock progress.

Strong political acuity and the ability to operate effectively across government, local authorities, investors and communities will be essential. Critically, you will understand what it takes to move from ambition to execution. You will be credible with the private sector, confident in engaging at ministerial and mayoral level, and able to lead a high-performing organisation through its establishment and into delivery.

This is a role for someone who is motivated by impact. Someone who wants to see change happen on the ground and is prepared to take responsibility for making that happen.

Berwick Partners is supporting the administration of this appointment on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation. By clicking apply, you will be redirected to Berwick Partners careers page.