Principal Manager – Strategic Employment

Job Category: Housing

Job location: East Parade, Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 3 AH, United Kingdom
Denbighshire County Council
Hours per week: 37

Start date: Immediate start
Salary: £28.25 per hour

 
Minimum of 3 days in office per week

Job Purpose

Lead the development, implementation and measurement of Working Denbighshire for Denbighshire Local Authority as the �umbrella organisation� for employment support.  Provide clarity and vision regarding shared impacts and outline the strategic intentions to oversee the delivery of cross sector training and employment support services with the aim of increasing the economic, education/skills and well-being for the citizens of Denbighshire. 

This post will ensure a whole programme approach with strategic interventions and coordinated action through excellent programme and governance arrangements in line with the Denbighshire�s new Corporate Priorities, Council�s policies, strategic aims, objectives and priorities whilst compliant with relevant legislation, guidance and terms and conditions as required by other funding bodies e.g. ESF, WG etc.

Principal Accountabilities and Responsibilities

Acting as lead supporting role to the Principal Manager, Strategic Employment, providing high level guidance and advice; identifying and managing inter-dependencies and reporting on areas of responsibility.

Secure access to the C4W+, SPF and further available funding to deliver employment support programmes to enable the successful delivery of the Working Denbighshire strategy. 

Establish and maintain effective communication and good working relationships with Council Departments, Welsh Government, UK Government, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and other agencies involved in providing services including employment agencies, groups representing employers, trade unions, community representatives, businesses and other key stakeholders.

Ensure meaningful engagement with communities, particularly in empowering local people to influence the services provided in their local communities. 

Map both required and existing skills and training and employment support services (including volunteering and work experience) across Denbighshire, identifying best practice, duplication and/or gaps in provision and provide strategic direction, leadership and expert developmental advice to ensure effective engagement and coordination of services, establishing a strong partnership approach and closer working relationships. 

Connect with local businesses to mutually support economic growth and employability.

Ensure local alignment of Welsh Government anti-poverty programmes such as Families First, Flying Start, Supporting People, Rhyl Neighbourhood Plan programmes and projects to ensure the efficient utilisation of resources, both human and technical in the delivery of the programme and a seamless integrated approach and transformational change to local service delivery.

Encourage innovation and facilitate the visioning and high quality strategic planning of support services e.g. investigate solutions for addressing common barriers to work and ensure that interventions are inclusive and include a focus on people with protected characteristics in conjunction with a wide range of stakeholders.

Ensure effective systems are in place for the collection, coordination and recording of the programme�s activity and outcomes to enable rigorous monitoring of the programme�s overall progress and impact, resolving issues and initiating corrective action as appropriate to ensure that the delivery of the programme is to the appropriate level of quality, on time and within identified budget and that all actions are supportive of related projects.

Identify and report all risks and issues to the relevant senior officers, members, partners etc. ensuring they are recorded, managed and regularly updated. 

Promote, publicise and communicate the work of Working Denbighshire across Denbighshire disseminating information and good practice and improve engagement and communications between the programmes/projects and relevant stakeholders including prevention and early intervention and statutory services through the use of bespoke communication strategies.

Full compliance with financial regulations and Health and Safety regulation in all aspects of service delivery.

Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience

The post holder must be educated to graduate level in a relevant field OR must be able to demonstrate substantial strategic knowledge and experience of funding regulations and guidance e.g. UK and Welsh Government and have extensive experience of planning, delivering and monitoring complex employment initiatives involving a significant amount of resources. 

They must have at least 5 years� experience of public, voluntary and community sectors with a proven record of managing partnership work, programme/project management and leading complex initiatives.

The ability to build positive relationships with a wide range of other bodies in formal partnerships and have a proven record of achievement in managing partnership work/project or initiatives is essential.

Transformational leadership skills in partnership development are essential.

The individual will demonstrate creative thinking and innovation by seeking and trying better ways of doing things as well as welcoming initiatives from others.

They will have high level abilities in influencing with the ability to link programmes together across statutory and voluntary settings in an imaginative and entrepreneurial way.

They will have the ability to be strategic in role and able to make strong linkages with operational services.



High level abilities in influencing and the ability to link programmes together across statutory and voluntary settings in an imaginative and entrepreneurial way.

The ability to build positive relationships with a wide range of other bodies in formal partnerships and have a proven record of achievement in managing partnership work/project or initiatives.

People management � influencing, coaching and facilitation skills.

Ability to effectively manage and deliver change across sectors/organisations (public, private and 3^rd Sector). 

Ability to set clear strategic objectives and work in a systematic way.

Creative thinking and innovation by seeking and trying better ways of doing things as well as welcoming initiatives from others.

Transformational leadership skills particularly in partnership development. 

Extensive information management skills.

Critical analysis and interpretation skills.

Excellent written and presentational skills.

Knowledge of legislative and statutory frameworks and policies e.g. Well-being of Future Generations Act the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2016, Tackling Poverty: Action Plan 2012�2016, Welsh Government etc.

Extensive knowledge and experience of funding regulations and guidance and have substantial experience of planning, delivering and monitoring services.

Knowledge of recent government employment initiatives and the range of resources available.

Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of communication strategies in a complex programme environment.