CAREERS - YOUR NEXT MOVE

Medway Council is looking for a dynamic head of Chatham development, says Adrian O'Dowd

Medway Council needs a talented and dynamic person to become its head of Chatham development, helping to spearhead massive regeneration in the area worth around £1bn over the next 15 years.

The post has come up due to the previous post holder moving to another position with the London Development Agency. The role involves revitalising and regenerating Chatham town centre and delivering the Chatham development project by devising an implementation plan. It has many responsibilities including developing Chatham as a city centre for Medway and helping to realise a £1bn investment across the city centre; attracting businesses and investment; increasing the number of residential dwellings; improving the retail site; and developing the waterfront.

Neil Davies, chief executive, says: "This person will be responsible for leading the renaissance and development in Chatham - it's a fantastic opportunity. They will be helping to transform the shape of that city over the next 10-15 years." Medway considers itself a city of learning, culture, tourism and enterprise, Mr Davies says. He adds: "It is at the centre of the Thames Gateway and has been described as the jewel in the crown of the regeneration programme across the Gateway. We have attracted significant funding in recent years - in excess of £120m worth of sustainable communities money for renaissance and regeneration."

The kind of person sought should have drive and commitment. Mr Davies says: "We want somebody who is dynamic and can work across agencies as the post will require effective partnership working. "They will need strong negotiation skills and must be able to work closely and effectively with leading members. They must have shrewd business and commercial skills and have the ability to project and market Medway with good negotiating skills."

All candidates will be considered, but someone with a background in commercial property would be ideal for the position, he adds. The new person will join the regeneration and development directorate, which has 3,000 employees, and join a team of about 12 in Medway Renaissance. The area's population is expected to grow from around 250,000 to 300,000 over the next 10-15 years.

Demographics Population 249,488 Males 122,896 Females 126,592 Aged 0 to 15 22.5% Aged 16 to 74 71.9% Aged and over 75 5.6% Born in the UK 93.8% Work Percentage of people aged 16-74. Employed 56.9% Self-employed 7.6% Unemployed 3.5% Student 5.6% Retired 11.8% Looking after family 7.8% Sick/disabled 4.0% Other 2.5% Ethnic groups White or white British 94.6% Mixed race 1.1% Asian or Asian British 2.9% Black or black British 0.7% Other ethnic group 0.7% Average house price (£) Detached 312,061 Semidetached 186,813 Terraced 132,938 Flat/maisonette 111,185