Why it matters: The decision to split leadership between two joint chief executives represents a significant departure from traditional council management structures, coming at a time when Suffolk faces its most substantial transformation in decades. The council will effectively cease to exist in April 2028 as it transitions to unitary government.
The details: Councillors on the Staff Appointments Committee will consider the proposal on Friday, 20 February. If approved, the recruitment would be carried out internally, with two existing executive directors having indicated interest in the roles.
One joint chief executive would focus on maintaining day-to-day operations, ensuring the council continues to deliver safe, high-quality services to residents whilst managing robust financial controls and meeting statutory requirements following independent inspections.
The other would lead programmes for local government reorganisation, devolution, transformation and change, working in partnership with other local authorities and government to shape the strategic design of new unitary local government.
Both would share equal authority and standing as chief executives but with different areas of responsibility. They would jointly attend key meetings including full council, cabinet, and scrutiny committees, and build relationships with the leader, cabinet members and all councillors.
By the numbers: The proposed joint chief executive roles would each receive a basic salary of £185,000 per annum. As neither of the existing executive director positions would be recruited into if they are appointed, the restructure would create a net saving of up to £92,000 annually. This saving would enable additional capacity to be invested where needed at all levels of the organisation.
The bigger picture: The proposal comes as the chief executive recruitment market faces significant disruption. Local government reorganisation is taking place across the country, with many chief executives waiting to see what opportunities emerge in their own localities rather than moving to temporary positions elsewhere.
Recent months have seen multiple county councils including Leicestershire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Essex and Hampshire all appoint chief executives internally after advertising roles externally, suggesting the external market is not currently strong. Many of these councils also offer higher salary levels than Suffolk.
According to the council, appointing internally would save between £15,000 and £25,000 in agency and recruitment costs, and allow new leaders to be in place within weeks rather than the five to six months an external appointment typically requires.
What they're saying: Councillor Matthew Hicks, Suffolk County Council's leader, said: "Suffolk County Council is facing a critical time over the next two years, with local government reorganisation, devolution and its duties to provide quality services to the people of Suffolk all happening at the same time.
"That is why this proposal has been specifically designed to make the best use of the excellent experience and expertise we already have in the council, which can be implemented quickly and at a significantly reduced cost to the Suffolk taxpayer.
"I'd like to thank our chief executive once again for her hard work and dedication throughout the past eight years. Her expertise and love of Suffolk will be missed, but I am confident this proposal is absolutely right for the county council."
For context: The current chief executive, Nicola Beach, is leaving her post at the end of March 2026. The council's constitution requires it to have a designated head of paid service, charged with leading the council's employees as they deliver services to residents. Currently, the constitution does not recognise joint chief executives, so a Constitutional Working Group would need to make recommendations to full council to amend it.
Under local government reorganisation processes, whatever the outcome, the chief executive role for any new unitary council must be externally advertised. This applies nationally to all councils undergoing reorganisation, meaning no current chief executive of any district or county council is automatically appointed to a new authority.
What's next: The Staff Appointments Committee will meet on Friday, 20 February at 9:30am to consider the business case. If they agree to proceed with internal appointments, both candidates would deliver a joint presentation to a cross-party panel of members demonstrating how they would work collaboratively as joint chief executives.
Any appointment would require approval from cabinet and full council, which meets on 19 March 2026, before any offer of employment could be made. The appointments would be on a permanent basis, providing stability through to April 2028.
The bottom line: Faced with the dual pressures of unprecedented organisational change and maintaining essential services during a period of significant financial constraint, Suffolk is wagering that two leaders will prove better than one, whilst delivering savings that can be reinvested where they are most needed.
