Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority

The Palace of Westminster is one of the most iconic and significant buildings in the world. It is home to one of the busiest parliaments, with more than a million people, including 100,000 school children, passing through its doors each year. The Palace is a Grade 1 listed building, and with Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church, forms part of the UNESCO Westminster World Heritage Site.

While there is a regular programme of maintenance to keep the building safe, there has been no overall renovation of the building since the partial rebuilding in 1945–50 and some of the services are even older. The building’s essential services (such as heating, cooling, water, sewage, electricity, cabling) have been kept functioning, but this is being done with increasing difficulty and growing risks. The Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Programme has been established to tackle the significant work that needs to be carried out to protect and preserve the heritage of the Palace of Westminster and ensure it can continue to serve as home to the UK Parliament in the 21st century. This is the biggest and most complex renovation of a heritage building ever undertaken in the UK.

The R&R Delivery Authority is a Companies Act company, limited by guarantee, which was established under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, as amended (the Act). We are responsible for designing and delivering the restoration of the Palace of Westminster and related works on behalf of the Houses of Parliament, including associated activities.

We are seeking an experienced board-level Chief Executive to lead and steer the organisation to deliver its priorities and strategic objectives. At this critical juncture of the R&R Programme, the successful candidate will demonstrate their experience of extensive project delivery, alongside their ability to lead the Delivery Authority imaginatively, while recognising the unique nature of the Programme, the organisation, and its key stakeholders.

The ideal candidate must have extensive experience in leading major projects with high-value budgets. They need strong political and stakeholder management skills, and the ability to lead complex organisations efficiently. Strong financial and commercial acumen and a commitment to public service values is crucial.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Delivery Authority on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference OZZYC. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by 12 noon on Thursday 11^th July 2024.