We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the time of application.
Relationship
Manager – Skills and Employment
Salary: £40,444-£45,529
Grade: F15
Contract: Permanent
Reports to: Programme Lead – Careers
Location: Chesterfield (with hybrid working)
The successful
candidate will normally be appointed at the minimum point of the salary band,
unless exceptional circumstances apply.
About EMCCA
East Midlands
Combined County Authority (EMCCA) brings partners together to help make the
East Midlands more prosperous, sustainable and fairer. We are an evolving
organisation, moving our focus towards delivery against our Corporate Plan and
building the people, systems and capability needed to turn our ambitions into
results.
This makes it
an exciting time to join us. You will have the opportunity to contribute to a
developing organisation, shape how we work and help deliver meaningful outcomes
for our region.
About the
role
As Relationship
Manager – Skills and Employment, you will be a central point of engagement
between EMCCA and the wide range of partners involved in delivering our Skills
and Employment programmes. You will help ensure programmes are delivered
effectively, provide value for money and achieve their intended outcomes.
You will
develop and maintain strong relationships with contracted providers, local
authorities, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), the NHS, voluntary, community and
social enterprise organisations, employers and other regional stakeholders. You
will monitor provider performance, identify risks and opportunities, facilitate
collaboration and provide clear intelligence to support effective
decision-making.
This is an
opportunity to play a key role in strengthening regional partnerships and
improving the delivery of Skills and Employment programmes across the East
Midlands, helping to create better and more accessible employment pathways for
people across our region.
What you'll
be doing
- Build and maintain effective
relationships with delivery partners, DWP, local authorities, NHS and ICB
partners, employers, VCSE organisations and wider stakeholders.
- Monitor provider performance
against contractual KPIs, outcomes and fidelity standards, identifying
risks and underperformance at an early stage.
- Manage performance processes with
EMCCA partner organisations, supporting delivery against agreed budgets,
targets and KPIs.
- Facilitate collaboration and
information-sharing across the provider network to promote best practice,
continuous improvement and consistent service standards.
- Develop regional employer
engagement approaches with delivery partners to maximise employment
opportunities and pathways for participants.
- Gather and analyse stakeholder
feedback and programme intelligence to support continuous improvement and
inform programme design and delivery.
- Provide clear and timely updates to
senior leaders on stakeholder engagement, programme performance, risks and
opportunities.
- Represent EMCCA at programme
boards, employer forums and partner meetings, advocating for our Skills
and Employment programmes and building regional support.
What you'll
bring
- Experience working in a
relationship management, contract, programme or project role, ideally
within the public sector, employability, skills, health or a related area.
- Experience managing provider
performance within DWP-funded or welfare-to-work programmes, Adult Skills
Fund programmes, apprenticeships, DfE provision or equivalent provision.
- Experience of service improvement,
change management or organisational development within complex systems.
- Strong stakeholder management,
negotiation and influencing skills, with experience of building effective
relationships with internal teams and external partners.
- Strong organisational skills, with
the ability to manage multiple priorities, work to tight deadlines and
contribute to the delivery of large or complex contracts.
- Excellent written and verbal
communication skills, including the ability to produce clear reports and
guidance for different audiences.
- Confidence using CRM systems, data
tools and project management software, alongside Microsoft Office
applications.
- Educated to degree level or able to
demonstrate an equivalent level of experience in a transferable role.
- Desirable: Evidence of progressive career
progression.
Our values
Our values
shape our culture and how we work with each other, our partners and the
communities we serve.
Lifting our
region
We always put the long-term prosperity of the East Midlands region and its
people first when carrying our roles and achieving strategic outcomes.
Working
together
We always challenge each other to be exceptional, embracing collaboration and
acting to lift rather than win, working as one team.
Making an
impact
We always make decisions that are evidence led and which strengthen our region
systemically. We hold ourselves to account for our actions.
Being human
We always take pride in who we are and the diversity we bring, communicating
authentically and showing genuine interest in one another.
Join us
If you are an
experienced relationship, contract or programme professional who can build
strong partnerships, manage provider performance and bring people together to
deliver better outcomes, and you want to help strengthen Skills and Employment
provision across the East Midlands, we would like to hear from you.
Closing
date: 09/11/2026
Proposed Interview Date: week commencing 23rd November