Job: Associate Director – Adult Social Care Operations Salary: £108,015.00 – £118,680.00 Location: Dudley, West Midlands – hybrid Contract: Permanent, full time Make a Difference in Dudley. Lead the Future of Adult Social Care. We are seeking an outstanding and inspiring Associate Director for Adult Social Care Operations to join our senior leadership team. This newly established role provides a unique opportunity to shape, strengthen and lead high quality adult social care services for residents aged 18 and over, ensuring they receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.‑quality adult social care services for residents aged 25 and over As Associate Director, you will play a pivotal role in delivering Dudley’s new Adult Social Care operating model, coproduced with people with lived experience, our workforce, partners and providers. You will champion a strength based, outcomes focused, person centred approach, ensuring individuals are empowered to live independently, stay connected to their communities and achieve positive outcomes.‑produced with people with lived experience, our workforce, partners and providers. You will champion a strengths‑based, person‑centred approach, ensuring individuals are empowered to live independently, stay connected to their communities and achieve positive outcomes. You will be responsible for the strategic direction, daily management, and delivery of care services for vulnerable adults. Providing visible, strategic leadership across all operational services, ensuring they remain safe, effective, and financially sustainable, meeting national legislation, regulatory standards and local priorities. Key areas of focus include: Delivering a responsive, accessible front door Embedding strength-based assessment and planning‑based assessment and planning Reducing admissions and supporting independence Ensuring effective crisis response and safeguarding practice Leading hospital discharge, recovery and reablement pathways Strengthening partnerships across health, voluntary and community sectors Driving transformation, innovation and modernisation across Adult Social Care You will also deputise for the Director of Adult Social Care when required and contribute fully to the Council’s Senior Management Team. We’re seeking a forward thinking, highly experienced leader with professional registration, strong senior operational and transformational change experience, deep adult social care expertise, and the resilience and integrity to inspire teams, build partnerships and deliver high quality, person centred services.‑thinking, highly experienced leader with professional registration, strong senior operational and transformational change experience, deep adult social care expertise, and the resilience and integrity to inspire teams, build partnerships and deliver high‑quality, person‑centred services. Why Join Dudley? Dudley Adult Social Care is proud of its ambitious workforce and strong values. You will be joining a service that is investing in its people, its culture, and its future, creating an environment where leaders can make a real difference. This is a rare opportunity to play a central role in shaping adult social care for the future and improving the lives of people across Dudley. Apply Now If you are a dynamic, committed leader ready to drive excellence in adult social care and help us build a more resilient, community focused and inclusive future for Dudley, we want to hear from you.‑focused and inclusive future for Dudley, we want to hear from you. For an informal discussion please contact Emma Matthews, Director of Adult Social Care, via Jo Cook – Joanne.Cook@dudley.gov.uk For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.dudleycounciljobs.org.uk/ Application Process Applications close: Sunday 8 March 2026. Please submit your CV and supporting statement to your application. Your supporting statement should be in arial, 12 font and no more than 4 pages. The recruitment process will be to undertake technical interviews with longlisted applicants to confirm the shortlist. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to assessment centres and attend final interviews. Please indicate any periods you are unavailable. Workplace Attendance: Working in the office 3 days a week (pro-rata) or Onsite full time So that we can demonstrate Dudley’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and to improve bias in the recruitment process that could create barriers for candidates. Your personal data will be anonymised when you apply, to ensure that you comply with our anonymisation process, please ensure you have removed your name and date of birth from any attachments prior to uploading them to your application. Online application forms will only be accepted for this vacancy, online facilities for jobs are available at public libraries within the Dudley Borough. All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK. Please note: Dudley MBC does not currently offer sponsorship for candidates without the Right to Work in the UK. If you require support completing an online or paper application form and or interview techniques, please contact Dudley Adult and Community Learning on 01384 818 143 or acl@dudley.gov.uk who can support with Digital Skills and Job Applications. If you have a disability and require assistance in making an application please contact the HR Resourcing Team via HR.Resourcing@dudley.gov.uk If you are experiencing a problem whilst applying for a position, please follow the link below to the WM Jobs Help Page in the first instance https://help.wmjobs.co.uk/ If the WM Jobs Help Page does not resolve your issue then please contact the HR Resourcing Team via HR.Resourcing@dudley.gov.uk Dudley Council will check the information that you have provided against any details already held for accuracy and completeness. The Council will check, share and cross match your information both internally within the council and with external organisations to protect public funds and prevent or detect crime, only where the law allows us to do so. The Council’s full Privacy and Disclaimer Statement can be accessed on the website at https://www.dudley.gov.uk/privacy-disclaimer-statement/ N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised date should we receive a large number of applications LI-DMBC2019 Attached documents Job Description & Person Specification Employee Benefits List.pdf