Inclusive Economy Manager

Inclusive Economy Manager £52,619 per annum - Grade 9 Leeds / Hybrid Full time / Permanent - 37 hours per week

We currently have a vacancy for an Inclusive Economy Manager – Healthy Working Life Delivery to join our Employment and Skills team.

As Inclusive Economy Manager, you will lead the delivery of West Yorkshire’s £48.2 million Connect to Work programme, helping people enter, remain in and return to employment. Working across a complex partnership landscape with delivery providers, local authorities, the NHS and other key stakeholders, you will play a pivotal role in developing and delivering employment support services that respond to local needs and help create a more inclusive economy.

In this role you will help shape the future of devolved employment support across the region, supporting the Healthy Working Life programme's ambition to improve health, reduce inequalities and enable more people to access, sustain and progress in good quality work. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-profile programme that tackles economic inactivity, unemployment and health-related barriers to employment, particularly for people with long-term health conditions and disabilities. As Inclusive Economy Manager, you will provide strategic leadership, influence policy and service design, drive innovation and evidence-led approaches, and work with partners to improve outcomes for residents, employers and communities across West Yorkshire.

Our Offer

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Work your way – From flexible and agile working options, including a generous flexi-time scheme to help you balance your personal life and career.

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Time to recharge – Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (with increases based on length of service), plus all Bank Holidays.

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Free greener travel across West Yorkshire – Cover your commute sustainably with unlimited free bus and rail travel using the MCard (Zones 1–5).

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Secure your future – Benefit from a highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.

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Investing in you –Take advantage of supported professional development, regular training, and up to 3 paid volunteering days per year.

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Grow with us – Incremental salary progression for most roles and annual cost of living increases.

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Family first – We offer enhanced parental and bereavement leave, plus other family-friendly policies to support you when it matters most.

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Your wellbeing, our priority – Access 24/7 free confidential counselling services and the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends.

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Modern workspace in a prime location – Work in bright, contemporary offices just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station, fully equipped with the latest tech.

The Role

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Lead the strategic implementation, delivery and performance management of the £48.2m Connect to Work programme through commissioned and grant funded delivery partners, ensuring high-quality delivery across West Yorkshire and achieving strong outcomes to support economic growth.

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Support the development of future devolved employment support in West Yorkshire, contributing to programme development, partnership working and service design activity as the region's employment support responsibilities grow.

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Provide leadership across a complex partnership landscape, overseeing programme performance, governance, risk and continuous improvement while influencing local, regional and national stakeholders to drive system change.

Please review the Role Profile on our website for more information about the responsibilities.

About You

You will have the following key skills, attributes, education, and experience:

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Substantial experience of leading large scale employment support, work and health, or skills programmes, including managing delivery through commissioned, contracted or grant funded providers.

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Strong knowledge of the supported employment approaches, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF), to support the successful delivery of Connect to Work.

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Experience of service design, programme development and commissioning, with the ability to shape future employment support provision and respond to evolving policy and devolution opportunities.

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Experience of leading and developing a team, while building effective relationships and working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders and partners to achieve shared objectives.

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Strong leadership, analytical and communication skills, with experience of performance management, governance and continuous improvement within complex multi-partner programmes.

To Apply

If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form.

Further Information

The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met