By way of background, Barrow is on the cusp of significant change. Last year saw the establishment of Barrow Delivery Board, chaired by Lord Case to drive forward a programme of investment and transformation to realise a lasting legacy for the people of Barrow. The Board is responsible for facilitating and enabling the delivery of an ambitious investment programme from funds provided by central government which include the £200m Barrow Transformation Fund. We want to take full advantage of this opportunity to support substantial population growth, create thousands of new homes across the region, and further growth at BAE System’s Barrow site. Barrow is already well recognised for its submarine design and build programmes which are so critical to national security, and with defence spending fuelling substantial growth and likely to provide long term employment opportunities, the town is about to undergo a rebirth with a future level of economic certainty that is unrivalled in most other parts of the country. In short, we want to transform Barrow into a place where people choose to live, work and thrive.
With funding in place, The Barrow Delivery Board has agreed an ambitious 10 year Plan for Barrow which is underpinned by the mandate to deliver two core outcomes:
- Enable and sustain the Defence Nuclear Enterprise in Barrow efficiently and securely
- Diversify and strengthen Barrow’s economy and increase productivity
In order to ensure delivery against these two outcomes, Team Barrow has been created – this is a collaborative public-private partnership between Westmorland and Furness Council (“the Council”), central government and BAE Systems. Already employing more than 14,500 people, BAE Systems has plans to significantly grow its workforce to enable delivery of the Astute, Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS submarine programmes, providing really exciting opportunities for economic growth.
Team Barrow will report directly into the Barrow Delivery Board, and we are looking for an ambitious Programme Director with experience in regeneration, inclusive growth, and programme management to lead and manage the Team Barrow Project Management Office. With a track record in successful economic development, planning, infrastructure, and investment we are looking for a visible leader who will advise the Board on the strategy and the transformation of Barrow in support of the outcomes, driving and managing progress and working with the Council as the accountable body for the Barrow Delivery Board.
Barrow is already a great place to live and work and is now right on the cusp of a renaissance. These significant levels of funding and investment will bring transformational and long lasting change for the town and its people – we have a unique opportunity to make the area a recognised centre not only for the defence and manufacturing industry, but also for education, housing, sport, arts, transport, tourism and healthcare. The Council is very proud to be supporting and also totally committed to be playing a key role in this exciting partnership where the future looks so bright.
Come and join us and help make our aspirations come to life for the benefit of all our communities and be inspired by the scale of the opportunity and the uniqueness of the challenge. Roles such as this do not appear very often – this represents a fantastic opportunity for an experienced, strategic leader to play a significant role at a critical time, leaving a legacy that will last for generations to come.
If you want to be part of the story at this pivotal moment in our history, and have the ambition and leadership skills to drive change and increase prosperity for the region, then we want to hear from you. Please contact our colleagues in the Resourcing Solution Team, who will be delighted to discuss this opportunity with those who might wish to learn a little more.
