Economic Growth Manager

North Norfolk District Council; Cromer; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee assistance program

Discounts portal

Salary sacrifice schemes

Job summary

North Norfolk District Council is seeking an experienced Economic Growth Manager to drive economic development, business support and regeneration across the district. You will lead a small, dedicated team and work with partners to secure investment and deliver practical projects that benefit local businesses and communities.

Hybrid working is supported, with a focus on delivery, governance and measurable outcomes aligned to the Council's climate-conscious growth agenda.

Qualifications

• Experience in developing and delivering economic growth or business support initiatives.
• Strong project, programme, budget and performance management skills.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with businesses, partners and stakeholders.
• Good analytical skills and ability to use evidence to shape priorities and investment decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of economic development, business support, inward investment and regeneration activity.
• Work across Council services and with external partners to turn ideas into practical projects.
• Manage programmes, budgets, funding schemes and project delivery with visible leadership to staff and partners.
• Ensure delivery is aligned with the Council’s wider priorities for communities, infrastructure, climate and place.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Programme management

Inward investment

Regeneration

Analytical skills

Communication

Political awareness

Job description

About The Role

North Norfolk is a distinctive and ambitious place: a nationally recognised coastal and rural district with thriving towns, enterprising communities, outstanding natural assets and significant opportunities for sustainable economic growth. We are looking for an experienced, creative and collaborative Economic Growth Manager to help shape and deliver the next phase of our work with businesses, partners, communities and investors.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a small, committed team at the heart of the Council’s Sustainable Growth agenda. You will play a key role in developing strategies, securing and managing external funding, supporting local businesses, enabling regeneration projects and building the partnerships needed to deliver inclusive, resilient and climate-conscious growth across the district.

As Economic Growth Manager, you will lead the delivery of economic development, business support, inward investment and regeneration activity. You will work across Council services and with external partners to turn ideas into practical projects, helping local businesses to grow, attracting investment and ensuring that economic opportunities are aligned with the Council’s wider priorities for communities, infrastructure, climate and place.

You will manage programmes, budgets, funding schemes and project delivery, while providing visible leadership to staff and partners. The role requires someone who can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery, political awareness with partnership working, and innovation with sound governance.

About You

We are seeking a confident and motivated professional with experience of economic development, funding, business support and place-based investment. You will understand the national and local growth policy context and be able to work effectively with businesses, public sector partners, community organisations and elected members. You will have:

• experience of developing and delivering economic growth, regeneration or business support initiatives
• strong project, programme, budget and performance management skills
• the ability to build trusted relationships with businesses, partners and stakeholders
• good analytical skills and the ability to use evidence to shape priorities and investment decisions
• a positive, solution-focussed approach, with the confidence to bring forward new ideas and lead delivery
• strong communication skills, political awareness and a commitment to high-quality public service.

Why Join us?

At North Norfolk District Council, you will be part of an organisation that is ambitious for its communities and supportive of its people. We value innovation, creativity, collaboration and practical problem solving. You will have the opportunity to influence real change in a district where sustainable growth is not an abstract concept, but a live agenda shaped by local businesses, coastal adaptation, rural enterprise, infrastructure needs, skills, tourism, culture and investment.

You will be encouraged to think creatively, work across disciplines and bring partners together around shared opportunities. In return, we offer a supportive working environment, a purposeful role with visible local impact and the chance to help shape one of Norfolk’s most distinctive places for the future.

About Us

North Norfolk is a fantastic place to live, work and visit. It covers 360 sq miles of coastal and rural environment, with over 100,000 people living in 120 distinct communities. Our district is one of England's top holiday destinations and a place where people positively choose to live.

We're committed to promoting equality of opportunity for the people and communities of North Norfolk. We respect and value differences in our district and across our workforce, and we want everyone to feel included and able to play their part in making North Norfolk a great place to live, learn, work and visit. Our coast and environment are extremely important to us.

Recognising that North Norfolk faces a very real threat from climate change, the Council has declared a climate emergency. We have developed a Net Zero strategy to support our ambitions and all staff have a role to play in meeting our carbon reduction targets.

We have a supportive culture that enables our people to learn and grow through attending courses, e-learning, and their daily job roles. We provide excellent opportunities for communication through updates from Directors and the Chief Executive. Our onsite recognised union is UNISON.

Our Cromer office is clean, modern and light, with onsite lunchtime catering and free onsite parking. As one of the largest employers in the district, we offer several benefits to all our employees:

• employee assistance program
• discounts portal
• salary sacrifice schemes (bikes, home electricals and EV car leasing - available after completion of probation period).

You will also enjoy:

• a good work-life balance, with many roles following our hybrid approach to work (if your role supports hybrid working, all we ask is that you have a stable and reliable internet connection)
• 25 days' holiday per year, plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service (assuming the role is full-time)
• access to an excellent local government pension scheme based on your local authority career average earnings

We encourage applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.