Board Member - Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Programme Board

The Royal Docks is one of London’s largest regeneration and investment opportunities, at the centre of an expanding east London region. Once the UK’s gateway to world trade, today the Royal Docks is re-emerging as a major new business and visitor destination, with approximately £5 billion worth of investment planned over the next 20 years, delivering up to 36,000 new homes, 55,000 new jobs and up to 4 million square feet of commercial space. The area’s designation as an Enterprise Zone (EZ) has helped unlock significant public-sector investment and the establishment of a dedicated Royal Docks delivery team that is helping to coordinate the area’s comprehensive redevelopment. Over the last five years, the Mayors of London and Newham have jointly been delivering a comprehensive regeneration programme that will restore the former docks into a thriving, new waterside destination. This includes more than 9,000 new homes built or under construction; 40,000 sqm of commercial space completed with another 25,000 sqm under construction; approximately 2,620 new jobs created; £37.4 million invested across more than 20 public realm projects improving the quality and sense of place; over 270 cultural projects produced, attracting over 300,000 attendees; and the establishment of the Royal Docks as a Living Wage place, where a growing number of employers have signed up to paying a fair wage. The Mayor of London and Mayor of Newham launched the new five-year Royal Docks Delivery Plan on 7 March 2024 with an overall investment of £64.31 million (£21.58 million revenue and £42.73 million capital) to be delivered in the area over the five-year delivery period. The plan is structured around three strategic outcomes: Prosperity, Growth & Investment The Royal Docks will become an established economic stronghold for London, home to a diverse mix of businesses and industries. The area’s growing commercial offer and innovation ecosystem will attract new investment, enable entrepreneurial activity, and create local skilled jobs. Sustainability & Wellbeing The Royal Docks will lead the way in sustainable investment and development, with six distinct waterside neighbourhoods that provide resilient, happy, healthy places for nature and residents to flourish. Culture & Community Building on the area’s existing communities and growing cultural ecosystem, the Royal Docks will evolve as London’s Cultural Engine. New public spaces, waterfront and cultural amenities, and affordable creative and production workspaces, will make the Royal Docks one of the most exciting and varied places in London to live, work and play. About the board The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Programme Board is a partnership board between the London Borough of Newham and the Greater London Authority. It comprises of up to eight members, including Trade Union Representation, and is co-chaired by Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham, and Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development. The Board provides strategic direction to the Royal Docks Team and drives forward regeneration and economic growth opportunities within the Royal Docks. It is also responsible for monitoring the implementation and delivery of the Royal Docks Delivery Plan and making recommendations on the allocation of funding generated by the uplift in business rates receipts through HM Government’s Enterprise Zone business rates retention scheme. About the role We are looking to appoint three Members with expertise in one or more of the following sectors: economic growth, property development and inward investment the night-time economy, retail and hospitality social infrastructure and transport connectivity environmental sustainability cultural placemaking marketing and communications community engagement Our ambition is that each appointee will particularly champion progress against a key outcome most relevant to their background: Prosperity, Growth & Investment We are looking for someone with experience in the strategic development, design, and implementation of high-profile economic development programmes. This would include knowledge of inward investment, employment and skills, business support initiatives, sector specialisms (such as Tech or the Creative Industries) and building area-based regeneration in partnership with a range of people and bodies. You will have a proven track record of creating enabling environments for business growth and fostering conditions that support the expansion and sustainability of businesses. Experience in attracting investors and/or developing place-investment strategies is also essential, ensuring that the area remains competitive and appealing to both domestic and international investors. Sustainability & Wellbeing We are looking for someone with significant experience of regeneration or property development, including the management of large projects from initiation to completion. Significant experience with sustainable development and an understanding of the principles of place-making are essential. You will also bring experience in collaborating with a diverse array of partners and communities to achieve these aims. Our ambition is for the Royal Docks to lead the way in sustainable investment and development, with six distinct waterside neighbourhoods that provide resilient, vibrant, and healthy places, where both nature and residents can thrive. Culture & Community From fostering the Royal Docks organic cultural offer and community participation, to attracting large-scale events and animating key sites, your challenge is to support us in positioning the Royal Docks as a distinctive cultural and commercial destination through the strategic development and implementation of marketing and communications plans and a complex cultural place-making programme. This will include working in partnership with a diverse stakeholder group to attract local, national and international audiences. We are looking for someone with significant experience at a senior level within a high-profile context, with a proven track record in the delivery of complex cross-organisational projects. This should ideally include the leadership of politically sensitive strategic programmes and events, and a track-record in delivering a sponsorship or fundraising income stream. We are particularly interested in applicants who live or work in east London from the business, voluntary or community sectors, including a prominent member of the Newham business community. What your day will look like: Attend and contribute to quarterly Board meetings, having prepared appropriately. Meetings are usually held quarterly; Attend and contribute to any sub-groups as assigned; Provide leadership and strategic direction to the Royal Docks Team and drive forward regeneration and economic growth opportunities within the Royal Docks; Oversee the implementation of the Royal Docks Delivery Plan and monitor the delivery and performance of the Royal Docks Team; Contribute to the development of strategies, policies and plans, including taking a role in developing a long-term vision for economic development across the Royal Docks; Ensure that the Board, in reaching decisions, acts consistently with the GLA’s statutory obligations and the GLA’s decision-making framework; Promote a high standard of decision making and oversight of the administration of any funds distributed by the Board including retained business rates in the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone; Ensure that the diversity of London’s communities and economy is reflected in the work of the Board; and Represent the Board and act as an ambassador for the Mayor and London. Skills, knowledge and experience: To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria: Senior and substantial experience in their relevant sector; An ability to contribute effectively in developing strategy; An ability to drive improvement in the delivery and implementation of the five-year delivery plan; High level experience of representing and/or influencing bodies; An ability to represent the Mayors of London and Newham and the Board effectively to external stakeholders; An ability to act as a conduit between the Board and their respective professional communities; An ability to engage the confidence of the Mayors of London and Newham and represent their vision, values and objectives; and The capacity to contribute analysis and insight at different scales: regional, pan-London and local.