Head of Arts, Parks & Event

Tower Hamlets is one of the fastest‑growing and most densely populated local authorities in the UK. More people than ever choose to live, work, visit and invest in our borough, and that growth places Culture, Leisure and Tourism at the very heart of everyday life.

With over 325,000 residents, over 11 millions of visitors to our parks and open spaces, and one of London’s most intense urban environments contained within a small geographic footprint that needs to be maintained, the way we manage parks, open spaces, play areas, arts venues and events has a direct impact on public health & wellbeing, pride in place and increasing tourism to the borough.

Our borough includes global centres of business such as Canary Wharf and borders the City of London, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the River Thames, making the quality of our public realm highly visible and critically important.

While you'll need superb professional skills and knowledge in arts and events, grounds maintenance, park operations, this is also a great place to personally develop and thrive while you shape the future of Tower Hamlets and our tourism offer.

Working with our leadership teams you will have strategic influence and impact, leading a team developing and implementing innovative park improvement programmes, develop a tourism offer ensuing events are used to promote the borough,

As Head of Arts, Parks & Events you will provide leadership and expertise in managing the Council’s Parks, Tree management, Grounds maintenance service, Arts venues and programmes, Event & Tourism offer, and act as the accountable body for the King George Fields Trust charity and work with community partners to improve the green environment.

Your management and operational experience will shape how services are designed and delivered, ensuring high standards, regulatory compliance and continuous service improvement, while showcasing the Council’s commitment to an excellent Culture, Leisure and Tourism.

You will have full responsibility for planning, managing and developing the delivery and performance of Arts, Parks and Events teams in terms of service design, provision, budgets, resources and health and safety in line with Council procedures and all regulations related to the service. You will lead on the manifesto pledges to plant more trees, increase the number of outdoor gyms, improve parks and open spaces and develop a tourism offer to boost the visitor experience.

This role calls for a confident leader who can operate at pace in a complex operational environment, influence at senior level and build strong, trusting relationships with staff, trade unions, elected members, partners and residents. You will be an experienced and credible environmental or arts & events professional, with a proven track record of leading large‑scale operational services and managing change successfully.

You will work with and be supported by established technical teams, allowing you to focus on leadership and strategic development, income generation, service improvement and excellent service-delivery.

You will have detailed operational experience in managing grounds maintenance services related to arboriculture, parks, playgrounds, green environment, arts and events, ideally in a local government setting. You will possess a relevant degree, and/or professional qualification in Horticulture or Event management or related management or at least 5 years relevant experience within a local authority setting in a similar service.

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class.

The timing is tight for this – if you’re interested, reach out now. For an informal discussion on the role contact jahur.ali@towerhamlets.gov.uk. However, you’re also welcome to apply directly. We’d love to hear from you.

Our Benefits

• Competitive salary starting at £84,000 plus allowances (if applicable).
• Local Government Pension Scheme membership.
• Generous annual leave: 29 days, rising to 33 with 5+ years’ service, plus bank holidays and 3 additional days at Christmas.
• Flexible and agile working to support work–life balance.
• Staff money-saving schemes (e.g., rent deposit loans, season ticket loans).
• Learning and development opportunities through our Learning Academy, with clear career development and leadership pathways.