London’s Oxford Street is one of the world’s most famous streets, contributing around £25 billion annually to London’s economy and attracting 120 million visitors a year. Despite this, the area has suffered in recent years due to a combination of the pandemic, the growth of online shopping and other factors. There is an urgent need to transform Oxford Street into an exciting, thriving destination for Londoners and tourists alike – giving the nation’s high street a new lease of life. This is not a ‘typical’ public sector project, and delivery at speed is essential.

To realise this vision, the Mayor of London has decided to establish the Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC). OSDC will operate as a Mayoral Development Corporation with full planning authority powers for Oxford Street and its immediate surroundings. OSDC will be responsible for the revitalisation of the area – including working with partners to deliver on the Mayor’s ambitions to pedestrianise Oxford Street (subject to consultation), deliver exceptional public realm, host events, and ensure an exciting mix of businesses and activities on the street. Stakeholder collaboration will be critical, and success will depend on developing and maintaining strong relationships with landowners, retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, local authorities (Westminster and Camden), and the wider business community.

To enable these ambitious plans, the Greater London Authority (GLA) is looking to appoint OSDC’s inaugural CEO to lead the establishment of the corporation and deliver the transformation, regeneration and stewardship of the area. The CEO will collaborate with external partners and lead a multi-disciplinary team of up to 50 people to develop and strengthen Oxford Street’s position as a world-leading retail, hospitality and visitor destination.

The GLA is looking for an experienced leader with a successful track record of planning and delivering high-profile public realm, retail, hospitality and/or visitor destination capital projects in comparably complex environments. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to build and maintain effective partnerships across professional disciplines and interests, with experience of business and community engagement at a practical level. They will also be an exceptional leader that inspires and effectively manages their staff.

This role represents a rare opportunity to make a tangible difference to one of the world’s best-known and most iconic streets and, by extension, to the economy, reputation and appeal of the nation’s capital city. To find out more, including details of how to apply, please follow this link.