Service Lead - Licensing Salary - £52,413 - £56,730 (Grade 8) Hours - 37 hours Contract type - Full time, permanent City of Wolverhampton Council is looking to appoint an outstanding Service Lead to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing within our Environment and Regulation Service, part of the Resident Services Directorate. This is a high-profile leadership opportunity to take ownership of a growing area of the service. Due to increasing demand, our Licensing function is expanding and will now be split between two Service Leads. You will work alongside the existing Service Lead, with responsibility likely to focus on the Vehicle Licensing sections. As Service Lead, you will: Provide strategic direction and strong leadership to a team of Section Leaders, who in turn manage Licensing Officers and Senior Licensing Officers. Oversee all aspects of licensing casework, from processing applications to reports on policy breaches and applicant suitability. Drive service improvements, modernise processes and procedures, and harness technology to deliver greater efficiency and customer satisfaction. Manage performance effectively, ensuring your teams operate with professionalism, pace and precision. Represent the service with confidence, engaging with Elected Members, senior officers and external partners at a senior level. We are seeking a highly motivated professional with: An Environmental Health Diploma/Degree/MSc or Diploma in Trading Standards: DTS or Diploma in Consumer & Trading Standards: DCATS (60 points including Metrology module) or other relevant qualification/s of an equivalent level. A relevant post qualification experience including management/ supervisory duties. A wide ranging experience covering aspects of Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing provision. Significant Licensing Compliance and Enforcement experience and expert knowledge of relevant law and regulation. A proven ability to lead teams, deliver high-profile workstreams and achieve measurable outcomes. Excellent communication and customer service skills, with the resilience to manage competing priorities at pace. The ability to maintain rigorous processes, evidence chains and records, ensuring full accountability. Strong IT competency and the drive to champion innovation and continuous improvement. This is a role for someone who can combine strategic vision with operational grip, lead with authority, and inspire teams to deliver excellence in a complex, high-pressure environment. For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification. For an informal discussion about this exciting opportunity, please contact: Greg Bickerdike, Head of Taxi Licensing 01902 554030 Greg.Bickerdike@wolverhampton.gov.uk Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 12th November 2025 Our working arrangements All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements. Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for. For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies and much more please click here. Diversity We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents. Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential. We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace. As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees. As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post. We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here Recruitment of Ex-Offenders We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here Employment Information & Support If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 12th November 2025 Attached documents Job Description and Person Specification