Business Workforce Development Manager

CRA Group Limited; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in Greater London is seeking an experienced Business & Workforce Development Manager to provide strategic leadership for workforce development and childcare delivery across the borough. The role involves overseeing training services, managing early years initiatives, and developing partnerships with schools and providers. The ideal candidate should have significant experience in early years, strong business planning skills, and proven experience with government funding. This interim position calls for excellent communication and leadership abilities.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in early years, childcare, education or workforce development.
• Strong knowledge of business planning and financial management.
• Proven experience managing government-funded programmes.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for workforce development and business planning.
• Lead on the development and delivery of a comprehensive workforce development plan.
• Manage and monitor budgets for workforce development and childcare entitlement.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Financial management

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication skills

Job description

Overview

The London Borough of Lambeth is seeking an experienced Business & Workforce Development Manager (PO5) to join the Education, Learning and Skills directorate on an interim basis. This senior role provides strategic leadership for workforce development, business planning and early years childcare delivery across the borough.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for workforce development, business planning and early years childcare delivery across the borough.
• Lead on the development and delivery of a comprehensive workforce development plan, oversee traded training services, manage key government‑funded early years initiatives, and ensure the sufficiency, quality and sustainability of childcare provision for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.
• Lead the development and delivery of the Early Years Workforce Development Plan aligned with government policy.
• Design and oversee an annual programme of continuous professional development (CPD) across the early years and childcare sector.
• Audit workforce qualifications and training needs and commission appropriate internal and external training provision.
• Develop and manage a traded training service, ensuring agreed annual income targets are achieved.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the quality and impact of training programmes.
• Provide strategic financial and business planning advice to senior leaders, schools, children's centres and childcare providers.
• Manage and monitor budgets for workforce development and the 2, 3 and 4 year old funded childcare entitlement.
• Lead on the implementation and dissemination of government funding streams and capital grants.
• Support providers with financial sustainability, business planning and compliance with funding requirements.
• Monitor grant expenditure, performance outcomes and value for money.
• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team, providing supervision, performance management and professional development.
• Act as the operational lead for key government early years initiatives, including funded childcare and the 30 hours entitlement.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with schools, private and voluntary providers, government departments and pan‑London networks.
• Represent the Council at forums, conferences and stakeholder meetings.
• Deputise for the Early Years Quality Improvement Lead as required.
• Ensure sufficiency of high‑quality childcare places across the borough.
• Lead on policy development, funding frameworks and statutory contracts with providers.
• Oversee IT systems supporting training access, funding claims and headcount data collection.
• Ensure compliance with DfE, Ofsted and local authority requirements.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in early years, childcare, education or workforce development.
• Strong knowledge of business planning, financial management and commissioning.
• Proven experience managing government‑funded programmes and grant funding.
• Experience leading complex projects and delivering strategic initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including partnership working with external providers.
• Experience of managing teams and driving performance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presentations.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, equality, data protection and public sector governance.