Helen Smith, who will join the council in May from her role as a locality director at Cumbria, began her career with Lincolnshire County Council where she worked as a social worker, senior practitioner and team manager.
The West Midlands local authority was issued with a government improvement notice last year due to concerns over its safeguarding practices.
The notice followed an inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, which saw the authority rated inadequate in 13 out of 15 areas of its safeguarding children services.
Inspectors at the time said: "The analysis of safeguarding need within the diverse children's population in Sandwell is inadequate and lacks comprehensive awareness of potential risk to some vulnerable groups within the community."
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