Careers
#WeAreCumberland

Senior Leadership Recruitment

Join our leadership team and showcase your talent, creativity and determination to deliver excellent public services for the diverse communities we serve.

Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service)

Lead the future of Cumberland

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of a modern and ambitious unitary Council, serving diverse communities across a unique and nationally significant place, working with elected Members, partners and colleagues to further improve outcomes for residents and create lasting positive change across Cumberland.

If you are motivated by public service, collaborative leadership and the opportunity to make a genuine difference at scale, we would like to hear from you.

  • Contract – Permanent
  • Hours – Full time
  • Location – Cumberland area
  • Salary - £188,227 per annum (Pending JNC for Chief Executive Pay Award 2026/2027) plus local government terms and conditions.
  • Relocation package - up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)

Closing date to apply: 14th August 2026

Find out more 

About Our Council

Cumberland Council is an ambitious unitary authority, founded in 2023, serving the region of Cumberland in the northwest of England.

We're a values-driven organisation with a strong focus on health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. Our commitment to putting people first means we're dedicated to helping our employees reach their full potential while delivering inclusive public services that create positive outcomes for our residents.

We have some fantastic opportunities for innovative and forward-thinking leaders to join our leadership team and drive our exciting agenda forward, working together, fighting for a better future for Cumberland.

Woman with arm around young child looking out to mountains

About Cumberland

Cumberland is a historic region in northwest England renowned for its stunning natural beauty including parts of the Lake District National Park, its rugged mountains, and picturesque valleys, making it a highly desirable area to live and work.

  • Our community has 274,000 residents across 125,500 households, with a quarter of our population over 65.
  • There are 11,500 businesses in the region, with 9 in 10 being microbusinesses.
  • The region's largest city is Carlisle with a population of 110,000
  • Cumberland has a 79.6% employment rate with 134,000 people aged 16 or older in employment.
  • Our local economy is estimated to be worth £7 billion with around £1.5 billion coming from welcoming 18 million tourists each year.
  • Cumberland is home to Scafell Pike - the highest mountain in England with a summit height of 3,208 feet (978 m).

Our values

Cumberland Council Values Graphic with text in everything we do we aim to: be compassionate, be innovative, be empowering, be ambitious, be collaborative.

Be ambitious

We proactively improve and change the way we do things. We embrace and drive forward change, taking account of the impact on self and others. We utilise the energy, skills and resources of our teams to deliver the best results for our customers.

Be collaborative

We connect with individuals, teams and other stakeholders to build relationships based on trust to achieve our common goals. We understand the needs of our local communities/internal customers to co-design and deliver services and solutions at the earliest opportunity, with a focus on health and wellbeing.

Be compassionate

We create a safe environment for people to learn and thrive in their role. We adopt a culture of transparency, fairness and respect for all. We consider the wellbeing of self and team when making decisions

Be empowering

We understand the skills, talents and diversity of people in order to develop and support them effectively. We delegate appropriate responsibility to team members allowing time, space and support to deliver. We hold constructive, strength-based conversations to motivate and increase performance.

Be innovative

We are curious about different viewpoints. We use coaching techniques to encourage problem-solving. We encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Our vision

Our vision for Cumberland is to take a fresh approach to the delivery of inclusive services that are shaped by our residents and communities and enable positive outcomes for health and wellbeing, prosperity and the environment to fulfil the potential of our people and our area.

We believe passionately in the delivery of excellent public services. To do that we need to be clear about the values and behaviours that we need to drive change and achieve our high standards.

Read our Council Plan
Hawker Festival Cumberland
location map of cumberland region with town names including longtown brampton carlisle dalston wigton silloth aspatria maryport cockermouth workington keswick whitehaven cleator moor egremont millom

Our location

Cumberland Council serves the people of Allerdale, Copeland, and Carlisle.

Cumberland inspires pride of place, but it is also an area of stark contrast. We are home to some of the world’s most stunning rural and coastal landscapes, but we also have areas in our city and towns in need of renewal. We are an economy of small businesses, but we also host the largest nuclear site in Europe.

Household earnings in some areas are amongst the highest in the northwest, but we have pockets of real deprivation and have more households living in fuel poverty than the national average.

We are one of the best places to visit, boasting two world heritage sites, an area of outstanding natural beauty and world class attractions that draw in millions of visitors. We are one of the safest places to live, but our increasingly diverse population is aging and declining.

Our Staff Benefits

As a member of our leadership team, you'll enjoy great rewards and work in a vibrant setting that fosters collaboration and community engagement. 

Some of our benefits vary depending on the needs of the role, but generally you'll enjoy:

  • Competitive compensation for your role
  • Generous annual leave
  • Defined benefit pension
  • Further learning & development
  • A range of wellbeing support services if you need them.
More on our Staff Benefits
Cumberland Staff

Senior Leadership Vacancies

Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service)

Lead the future of Cumberland

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of a modern and ambitious unitary Council, serving diverse communities across a unique and nationally significant place, working with elected Members, partners and colleagues to further improve outcomes for residents and create lasting positive change across Cumberland.

If you are motivated by public service, collaborative leadership and the opportunity to make a genuine difference at scale, we would like to hear from you.

  • Contract – Permanent
  • Hours – Full time
  • Location – Cumberland area
  • Salary - £188,227 per annum (Pending JNC for Chief Executive Pay Award 2026/2027) plus local government terms and conditions.
  • Relocation package - up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)

Closing date to apply: 14th August 2026

Find Out More