Why
Moxie People
Moxie People were engaged to support a fresh search for the Director of
Education & Inclusion role. Their understanding of the local government
landscape in Wales, combined with a strong local connection and a clear focus
on social value, differentiated their approach.
At Chief Executive level, the engagement felt credible, measured and aligned with the Council’s values, leadership culture and expectations for a role of this seniority.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council was planning the succession of its Director of Education & Inclusion, following the impending retirement of a long‑standing postholder who had been in role for seven years. An initial recruitment exercise did not produce a sufficiently strong or suitable field of candidates for a position of this strategic importance.
Given the significance of the role, its visibility across the organisation and the need to ensure continuity and confidence at senior leadership level, the Council recognised that a different approach was required to secure the right successor.
James demonstrated a clear understanding of the challenges we were facing and approached the work with professionalism, pace and senior level insight.
Our approach
Rather than running a purely transactional recruitment process, Moxie People
invested time in understanding the organisation, the wider system in which the
service operates and the leadership qualities required to succeed in the role.
A key element of the approach was the use of informal conversations with prospective candidates ahead of application. This allowed misconceptions around working in Wales, Welsh language requirements and travel to be addressed early, and enabled candidates to make informed decisions before entering the formal process.
As a result, the opportunity reached a broader, more credible and better‑informed field of senior leaders than the Council had previously been able to attract.
The appointment was successful and restored confidence - as a result, we have continued to work with Moxie People on further senior appointments, including the recruitment of our Head of Streetcare.
The
outcome
The process resulted in the successful appointment of Mariam Haque as Director
of Education & Inclusion.
Mariam has quickly become a stabilising presence within the organisation, integrating effectively with the Senior Leadership Team and bringing a calm, experienced and outward‑looking perspective. She has made early progress in strengthening her senior management structure, introducing new thinking and increasing corporate engagement across the service.
Following the success of this appointment, Moxie People have since become a regular recruitment partner to Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. This has included supporting further senior appointments, most notably the successful recruitment of a Head of Streetcare, a highly visible and operationally critical role for the authority.
I would have no hesitation in recommending James and Moxie People to other local authority leaders seeking support with senior appointments.”
Paul Mee - Chief Executive
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
