Employment and Skills Manager - #2178445

JOB PURPOSE

To provide operational leadership for WLCA’s employment and skills portfolio, ensuring that local residents, especially young people and people facing barriers to work, can access high-quality support, training and sustainable employment opportunities. The postholder will lead the Employment and Skills Team, manage externally funded programmes and develop strong partnerships with employers, commissioners, education and training providers and community organisations.

The role will ensure that services are effectively mobilised, well managed, compliant and responsive to resident and labour-market need, with a clear focus on performance, participant experience, positive progression and continuous improvement.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

• Lead the design, mobilisation, delivery and continuous improvement of employment and skills programmes, ensuring they respond to resident need, labour-market demand and commissioner requirements.
• Work with the Head of Programmes and Partnerships to plan the continuation and development of funded services and contribute to high-quality bids and tenders.
• Manage programme contracts, delivery plans, budgets, outputs, outcomes, evidence and reporting, maintaining high standards of compliance, quality and audit readiness.
• Ensure the development and delivery of high-quality services that support people facing barriers to work, including young people who are not in education, employment or training, economically inactive residents and other priority groups.
• Oversee effective participant journeys, assessment, action planning, caseload management, referral pathways, employer engagement and progression into education, training and sustainable employment, ensuring integration with WLCA’s wider community services.
• Use performance data, participant feedback and labour-market intelligence to identify gaps, improve delivery and inform service development.
• Develop strategic relationships with employers and business networks to identify workforce needs, vacancies, work experience, apprenticeships, sector pathways and inclusive recruitment opportunities.
• Work with schools, colleges, universities and training providers to align local provision with current and emerging employment sectors and create accessible progression routes for residents.
• Promote co-production and ensure resident, employer and community insight informs programme design and delivery.
• Lead, motivate and manage the Employment and Skills Team, establishing clear objectives, caseload and performance expectations, regular supervision, professional development and a culture of accountability and learning.
• Manage and performance-manage delivery partners, ensuring clear agreements, effective communication, quality assurance and timely delivery.
• Ensure the accurate, complete and timely recording of participant, performance and supporting evidence information on Plinth; produce monitoring returns and financial claims and resolve validation, evidence or payment queries so claims are successfully accepted and approved.
• Attend project review and performance meetings with funders and commissioners, and represent the Association at external stakeholder, partnership and networking meetings, presenting progress, building relationships and promoting WLCA’s employment and skills services.
• Provide accurate and timely reports to the senior leadership team, trustees, commissioners and funders.
• Promote WLCA’s values and commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, safeguarding, social value and community-led change.
• Undertake other duties reasonably consistent with the purpose and level of the role, including occasional evening or weekend work.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge & Understanding

• Strong understanding of local and regional employment and skills policy, inclusive labour markets and the barriers affecting disadvantaged communities.
• Knowledge of commissioning, social value, external funding, contract compliance and partnership working.
• Understanding of labour-market intelligence, employer needs and sector pathways.
• Knowledge of Birmingham and West Midlands employment and skills priorities, services and opportunities.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent strategic thinking and programme management skills, with the ability to move confidently between long-term priorities and operational delivery.
• Strong partnership, influencing and negotiation skills, including the confidence to constructively challenge senior stakeholders and maintain delivery momentum.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills, creating clarity, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills, with the resilience to manage competing deadlines and complex dependencies.
• Competent use of Microsoft 365, spreadsheets, databases/CRM systems, online collaboration tools and presentation software.

Experience

• Substantial experience of leading employment and skills programmes in an urban or community setting, with demonstrable results.
• Experience of developing and implementing employment and skills strategies and multi-partner delivery plans, translating priorities into clear actions, milestones and outcomes.
• Experience of managing externally funded contracts, budgets, performance, risk, compliance and reporting.
• Experience of leading and developing staff and performance-managing delivery partners, consultants or suppliers.

Qualifications & Other Requirements

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant professional experience in employment and skills, education, business, public policy, programme management or a related field.
• Commitment to WLCA’s values, equality, diversity, inclusion, safeguarding and community-led working.
• Willingness and ability to travel across Birmingham and the wider region and work occasional evenings or weekends.
• Satisfactory enhanced DBS check and other appropriate pre-employment checks.