Business Relationship Manager

Essex County Council; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Essex County Council is seeking a Business Relationship Manager to act as the strategic partner for a designated function, translating priorities into data-driven opportunities and ensuring transformation and service improvement. You will work with Executive Directors and senior leaders to align insight with organisational aims, promoting a data-informed culture across the council.

Based in the central Data, Analytics and Performance team, you will own the insight portfolio, guide prioritised

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience.
• BRMP accreditation or working towards it is desirable.
• Evidence of stakeholder engagement and strategic data use.

Responsibilities

• Influence stakeholders to shape data, analytics and performance strategy.
• Co-develop business cases and data products to address strategic needs.
• Own the insight portfolio and align roadmaps with executive priorities.
• Promote data literacy and evidence-led decision making across council services.
• Disseminate insights to inform service operations and planning.
• Advise on horizon scanning of emerging data methodologies and tools.

Skills

Influencing & communication

Stakeholder engagement

Data storytelling

Relationship management

Strategic thinking

Education

Degree in Business Intelligence / Data Analytics / Public Administration

BRMP accreditation

Job description

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.

This vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months.

The Opportunity

The Business Relationship Manager is a strategic partner to a designated business function, providing thought leadership, relationship management and data expertise to ensure decision-making is consistently evidence-based and outcomes-focused. Working closely with Executive Directors and senior leaders, the role translates business priorities into data-driven opportunities that support organisational transformation, service improvement and long-term strategic objectives.

As the principal link between business functions and the organisation's data, performance and analytics services, the Business Relationship Manager ensures that insight activity remains aligned to executive priorities and delivers meaningful organisational value.

The Role

Operating within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, the Business Relationship Manager sits within the central Data, Analytics and Performance team. The role acts as a trusted advisor to senior leadership teams and works collaboratively with internal and external partners to promote a culture of data-informed decision-making.

The role holds ownership of the insight and analytics portfolio for their designated function, providing strategic oversight to ensure priorities, investments and outcomes are aligned with organisational ambitions. Through effective relationship management and a deep understanding of business challenges, the postholder ensures that data and analytics remain central to transformation, performance and service excellence.

Roles at this level will be focused on delivering results in a specific functional area, for example Corporate Services, Place and Customer or Adult Social Care.

About the Service

To read more about our business area, please visit Policy, Economy, Investment and Property

Accountabilities

• Apply exceptional influencing, persuasion, and communication skills to build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with key stakeholders, including Executive Directors and their leadership teams, to shape and develop future data, analytics and performance strategy that aligns with the organisation's goals.
• Develop a deep understanding of the challenges faced by senior leaders to shape demand by co-developing business cases and identifying data and performance products and services that address strategic needs.
• Own the insight portfolio and align with executive priorities, translating business context into actionable data solutions and delivering prioritised roadmaps that guide the development and deployment of insight initiatives.
• Drive and lead data literacy across council services, providing oversight of the successful delivery of the council's data missions and demonstrating an evidence-led approach to decision making to achieve transformation, outcomes and create a modern digital council for the future.
• Lead the dissemination of business intelligence and insights internally to stakeholders to ensure informed decision-making is integrated into the service's operations, continuous improvement and strategic planning. Apply data storytelling principles to communicate insights effectively, influencing and contributing to the growth and continuous improvement and performance improvement.
• Champion and market available data, performance and insight services by communicating the service offer and unique capabilities to stakeholders. Drive innovation by horizon scanning and researching emerging methodologies, tools, and technologies.
• Advocate for data-driven decision-making across the organisation, influencing perceptions and fostering collaboration to increase adoption and impact of insight services that deliver meaningful change and impact for Essex. Expected to anticipate emerging trends and proactively design insight solutions that future proof organisational decision-making.
• Responsible for managing ongoing relationships with internal and external stakeholders by overseeing customer communications, managing risks and resolving conflicts to ensure service excellence and statutory compliance regarding data and insights. Applies advanced analytical and consultancy techniques to resolve complex, ambiguous problems with significant strategic impact.
• Lead collaboration with Digital, Organisation Development, and Transformation teams to ensure strategic alignment, remove delivery barriers, and clearly communicate the value and impact of data and insight initiatives within the dedicated function.
• Responsible for monitoring the impact of insight products from a business perspective, ensuring that service delivery meets expectations and identifying areas for improvement. This includes tracking insight activity and attending strategy meetings to ensure alignment between insight teams and business goals.
• Promote the use of open data by identifying opportunities to publish appropriate datasets and insights in accessible formats, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards, and collaborating with partners to develop the Essex Open Data platform to maximise transparency, innovation, and public value.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline (e.g., Business Intelligence, Data Analytics, Public Administration, or a related field), or equivalent professional experience demonstrating expertise in insight generation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic data use. Accredited to BRMI Business Relationship Manager Professional (BRMP) or working towards accreditation.
• Evidence of continuing professional development in data analysis, performance reporting, or stakeholder management.
• Practical experience of relationship building and management in a complex organisation, creating business partnerships that build trust to enable co-designed data driven solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage long‑term strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Skilled in understanding business needs, translating them into data and insight requirements, and ensuring alignment between service priorities and analytical capabilities.
• Proven experience in translating complex data and analytical outputs into meaningful insights that inform business strategy, operational planning, and service improvement. Ability to align insight delivery with organisational priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Experience in influencing organisational change through insight-led engagement. Skilled in managing expectations, navigating complexity, and building trust with senior leaders and operational teams.
• Demonstrated ability to work across departments and disciplines to identify shared goals, coordinate insight requirements, and ensure consistent messaging and delivery of analytical products.
• Expertise in managing complex, multi-stakeholder environments across functions and external partners, influencing strategic decisions. Awareness of digital technologies, architecture principles, and emerging trends to support broader strategic capability data, performance and insight. Excellent leadership and communication skills that influence and inspire.

Role profile

For a full copy of the role profile please click following link

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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