Business Manager

Surrey County Council; Reigate; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority is looking for a Business Manager to join its Leadership Office team in Reigate. This role involves strategic and operational support to senior leaders, managing complex relationships in social care and health sectors. The ideal candidate will have experience in project management, understanding organizational challenges, and the ability to work in a sensitive political landscape. The role offers a competitive salary, hybrid working, and numerous benefits to support staff well-being.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, rising to 28 and 31 days with service

Option to buy additional leave

Generous local government pension

Employee Assistance Programme

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience in project management and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to manage sensitive relationships with clarity and care.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational support to the Corporate Leadership Team.
• Ensure alignment with wider organizational priorities.
• Act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders.

Skills

Knowledge of challenges and priorities for the Directorate of Adult Health and Wellbeing Partnerships

Experience running complex projects

Ability to support senior leaders

Experience handling risks

Understanding of complex political landscapes

Confidence with performance data

Job description

• Location: Woodhatch Place,11 Cockshot Hill, Woodhatch, Reigate, RH2 8EF

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £53,713 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.

This is a fixed term contract / secondment opportunity until 31st March 2027. Please discuss with your line manager before submitting your application.

We are excited to be hiring a Business Manager to join our Leadership Office team, based in Woodhatch, Reigate. The role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between collaborating with colleagues in the office and working from home.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (prorated for part time staff)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About the Role

The Leadership Office plays a central role in ensuring the smooth running of the organisation and aligning its work with Surrey County Council's wider priorities, including the commitment that no one is left behind. The team provides comprehensive and dependable support to the Chief Executive, the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and Cabinet Members, enabling senior leaders to focus on their core responsibilities. In addition to supporting senior leaders directly, the team works closely with colleagues and partners across the council, aiming to be responsive, constructive, and solution-focused. It continually looks for practical ways to improve its approach and ensure that it adds value across all areas of its work.

The Leadership Office is committed to providing an excellent service experience. It has developed a strong internal reputation and strengthened the processes and practices that allow it to support senior leaders effectively and consistently.

The Business Manager for Adults, Health and Wellbeing provides strategic and operational support to the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) member responsible for this portfolio. The role sits at the centre of a complex landscape that brings together social care, health partners, community organisations, and safeguarding responsibilities. It helps the CLT members deliver their vision for high-quality, person-centred services that enable people across Surrey to live healthy, safe and independent lives. The Business Manager acts as a trusted adviser and an anchor point for major priorities, ensuring that decisions, projects and partnerships are well-coordinated and aligned with the wider direction of the directorate and the organisation. The role requires an ability to balance pace with care, manage sensitive relationships, and bring clarity to a fast-moving environment where the stakes are always human.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Knowledge / understanding of challenges and priorities for the Directorate of Adult Health and Wellbeing Partnerships
• Experience running complex projects from start to finish, making sure they stay on track and support the wider aims of the organisation
• Ability to support senior leaders effectively, including preparing clear briefings, organising key meetings, and helping ensure agreed actions are followed through
• Experience recognising and handling risks, ensuring work is carried out safely, responsibly and in line with organisation policies and regulatory requirements
• Ability to understand and navigate a complex political and organisational landscape, recognising how decisions are influenced by internal and local priorities, national pressures, partnership relationships, and public expectations, and using this understanding to build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders
• Confidence working with information and performance data, spotting what matters, conducting research and providing relevant information and insight.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 3 questions:

• Tell us about a time you were responsible for steering a complex piece of work that involved several teams or partner organisations, where the situation was politically sensitive. What was the context, what steps did you take to keep everyone aligned and moving forward, and how did you manage challenges or conflicts that arose?
• Give an example of a time when you spotted a risk, pattern or performance issue that others hadn't yet recognised. How did you gather the right information, how did you raise it with senior leaders, and what actions did you help put in place as a result?
• Describe a time when you had to work with multiple stakeholders who had different priorities or pressures. How did you understand their perspectives, manage competing interests, and ensure collaboration to achieve a shared goal?

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to role requirements, flexible working requests, transferable skills or barriers to employment. For an informal discussion, please contact Camilla Bertoncin by email at [e-mail] .

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 28/12/2025 with interviews planned for the first two weeks of January 2026.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.