Chief Executive

Chief Executive Officer | The Fair Work Agency

Salary:£100,000 to £162,500

If successful you will be based in one of: Birmingham Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Nottingham or Salford

About The Fair Work Agency

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) is currently being established as an executive agency of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), launching in April 2026. Improving employment rights is a top priority for this Government. The Plan to Make Work Pay and The Employment Rights Bill currently going through Parliament is a once in a generation uplift in those rights, but there is no point increasing protections if they can't be enforced. This is why the Government is creating The Fair Work Agency (FWA). Its vision is to be an exemplary regulator that inspires respect, trust and confidence.

The Role

As the Chief Executive of this new Agency, your role will be critical to shaping the FWA's early direction and ensuring it makes a real, positive difference to the lives of working people in this country. You will provide visionary leadership to promote fair employment practices, uphold workplace rights, and ensure the Agency delivers its statutory functions effectively. You will lead FWA as an ambitious, people-centred organisation within a rapidly changing environment to deliver on our overarching objective of making working life better for everyone in Britain.

Key Responsibilities

As the leader of the Agency, you will drive the transition from multiple enforcement bodies to a single, unified agency. It involves acting as the principal advisor to the Board, ensuring robust governance and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. Operational management is a key responsibility, overseeing financial performance, human resources, and service delivery.

Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and innovation are essential, alongside identifying and managing risks to operations, reputation, and statutory compliance. The role also demands proactive stakeholder engagement, fostering strong relationships with government bodies, employers, employees, trade unions, and other partners to promote fair work practices.

You will champion the Agency's mission to promote fair and equitable work across all sectors, serving as the public face of the Agency alongside the Chair. The Chief Executive will represent the FWA at conferences, in the media, and across public forums.

Finally, the role includes setting and monitoring performance targets to ensure high standards of service delivery and accountability.

About you

We are seeking an accomplished and transformational senior operational leader, with a tangible track record in driving cultural change and bringing different teams or organisations together.

A strong understanding of labour market and employee relations policies would be helpful, otherwise you will be able to demonstrate an ability to get up to speed with a new policy landscape quickly and thoroughly.

Your ability to influence and build trusted relationships across a wide range of stakeholders-internally and externally-will be essential. You will demonstrate integrity, diplomacy, and impartiality, inspiring confidence and collaboration at all

As Chief Executive, you will be instrumental in positioning FWA as a vital safeguard for fairness and equity in the workplace. This is more than a leadership role, it's a chance to shape a legacy. If you are passionate about fairness at work and ready to lead a high-impact organisation from the ground up, we would love to hear from you.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.

For more information please see our dedicated microsite Welcome | Fair Work Agency | Hays UK