Welcome to Bradford

Dear Candidate,

What a time it is to come to Bradford. We are at the start of something exciting and extraordinary. Together, we are transforming our local authority into a modern, high-performing organisation: a place leader and growth enabler with a highly motivated and empowered workforce delivering great customer service. We have bold ambitions for our Council and district - and much of the groundwork is already underway.

As Chief Executive, I am working closely with Members, colleagues and partners to tackle three critical priorities: financial sustainability, inclusive growth, and improved outcomes for children and young people. Bradford is one of the biggest, youngest, most diverse, enterprising and disadvantaged places in the country. Nowhere needs a great Council as much as Bradford, and nowhere will benefit more from the change we create together.

The transformation of our Council is fundamental to delivering on our ambitions. We are in the early stages of building a modern, responsive and efficient organisation that delivers high-quality services, fosters strong community engagement, and operates sustainably - providing better outcomes for residents at significantly lower cost. This is a big agenda, and I’m proud to be working alongside talented colleagues, Members and partners to bring it to life.

When I look back on our time together as a leadership team, I want us to be able to say that we built a Council that got things done for Bradford. That we made a real, tangible difference in people’s lives. And that our workforce look back on their time here with pride, knowing they were part of something genuinely meaningful.

My commitment to you is that we will do all of this together. We enjoy excellent relationships with our Members and our partners - grounded in honesty, straight-talking and shared ambition. If you’re excited by the scale of opportunity here and the chance to be part of our leadership story, then I would love to hear from you.

This is the most exciting time to come to Bradford - our global city on the rise.

Dr Lorraine O’Donnell

Chief Executive