Plans to reshape Birmingham City Council to better meet the city’s priorities have taken a significant step forward today.
Rob James has been appointed to the new role of Managing Director - City Operations, with Julie Griffin being named as Managing Director of City Housing.
The roles are part of the wider structure, which was agreed in the ‘Investing in our Future’ report and approved by the council’s Cabinet in January, with the remaining roles set to be filled in the coming months.
Mr James has held a number of key positions within the council, including spells as Director of Housing and as a Constituency Director.
His most recent position has been as the Acting Director of Neighbourhoods, where he has been delivering high-profile services, including waste management, where he has helped develop a joint service improvement plan by working with trade unions and the workforce.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Jones has also led on a number of strategic and tactical interventions for the council’s response to the pandemic.
Ms Griffin joined Birmingham City Council in 2016 from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, where she had worked for a number of years.
Since June 2018, she has been the council’s acting Assistant Director of Housing, responsible for reducing the number of rough sleepers on the streets by 80%.
She has also played a key lead role in the ‘everyone in’ initiative, which was a response for rough sleepers during the initial Covid-19 lockdown, supporting residents into effective pathways of accommodation.
A significant achievement for Ms Griffin was delivering the highest number of new tenancies for Housing First since September 2018 for the whole of the West Midlands.
Leaving the council is Assistant Chief Executive, Jonathan Tew, who has secured the role of Chief Executive at South Tyneside Council, pending their full council's approval this month.
Mr Tew joined Birmingham City Council in 2018 and has led on a breadth of service areas, including public health; community safety; policy development, performance and insight; strategic communications; partnership working and improvement across the complex range of services provided to over a million of Birmingham’s residents.
Commenting, Leader of Birmingham City Council, Councillor Ian Ward said: “As Birmingham looks to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic, these important appointments mean the council is well placed to play a leading role in the recovery that benefits people right across the city.
“Rob and Julie are committed to serving the people of Birmingham and have both worked tirelessly to support and protect our communities throughout the pandemic.
“Jonathan has also played a key role in our Covid response. I want to thank him for his hard work over the last three years and to wish him the very best of luck in his new role.”
