Employability Lead - Serco Pathways Programme

Serco Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading employment service provider is seeking an Employability Lead to support individuals facing barriers to employment. You will create access to work and build talent pipelines. This role requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate others. The position offers a competitive salary and various employee benefits, including annual leave and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Annual leave purchase scheme

Up to 6% contributory pension scheme

Wide range of discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Career development training

Qualifications

• Ability to connect, empathise, and inspire.
• Comfortable engaging with diverse groups.
• Genuine passion for social impact.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage talent pools from various organisations.
• Partner with recruitment agencies and community organisations.
• Support individuals in their transition into work.
• Represent Serco at various events.

Skills

Strong stakeholder management

Interpersonal skills

Motivational abilities

Organisational skills

Project management skills

Job description

Location: Home-based - attached to Hook / London / Homer Road
Frequent national travel required to attend events.
Contract Type: Permanent | Full Time
Up to £35,000 (Dependent on experience)

Help people into meaningful work.

Serco's Pathways programme is our dedicated programme designed to source, support, and sustain meaningful job opportunities for individuals who face structural and societal barriers to employment. This programme strengthens our efforts to build equitable and inclusive employment routes for people who often face the greatest challenges stepping into work.

We are now looking for an Employability Lead to help grow and deliver this important programme. You will play a pivotal role in creating access to work, building talent pipelines from underrepresented communities, and supporting individuals to achieve positive, life-changing outcomes.

What makes this role unique

We highly value candidates who possess direct and indirect, authentic insight into the challenges and complexities of navigating the justice system and the journey back into employment. This perspective is vital for bringing empathy, credibility, and deep understanding when supporting others.

While lived experience of the justice system is not mandatory, we welcome applications from those who can demonstrate the unique skills and transformational impact that such insight brings to this role.

Who you are

We are looking for someone with the ability to connect, empathise, influence, and inspire. You will thrive here if you are:

• A natural people person - Warm, genuine, and easy to talk to. Someone people trust and feel safe opening up to.
• An exceptional communicator - Able to engage confidently with senior leaders, charity partners, prison staff, community groups, and individuals with diverse lived experiences.
• Comfortable with external partnership work - Skilled at building and sustaining relationships with third-party organisations.
• Able to travel and represent Serco confidently - This is a highly visible role with regular attendance at events and partner sites.

What you'll do

• Build and manage talent pools of candidates from employability programmes, charities, probation services, and community organisations.
• Partner with social recruitment organisations, prisons, educational institutions, and local support networks to identify opportunities for people facing barriers to employment.
• Represent Serco at job fairs, community events, prison workshops, and outreach sessions – requiring regular travel and high stakeholder visibility.
• Support individuals from diverse and sometimes vulnerable backgrounds, helping them recognise their strengths and transition confidently into work.
• Align pathways candidates to suitable roles by identifying transferable skills and understanding hiring needs across Serco.
• Work closely with the wider Talent Acquisition team to ensure campaigns and hiring strategies support the goals of Serco Pathways.

What you'll bring

• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to motivate, encourage, and inspire people who may lack confidence.
• An inclusive, non-judgmental approach grounded in empathy and respect.
• Good organisational and project management skills.
• A genuine passion for social impact and helping people rebuild their futures.

What we offer

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Annual leave purchase scheme.
• Up to 6% contributory pension scheme.
• A Serco benefits portal offering a wide range of discounts for major high street brands in Retail, Leisure & Hospitality.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Health Cash Plans, free flu jabs and more.
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.
• A safe and supportive culture.
• A company passionate about diversity and inclusion.

Apply now

If you are motivated by purpose, passionate about people, and able to bring empathy, resilience, and authenticity to your work – we would love to hear from you.

Your experience, your insight, and your story could be the difference that changes someone's life.

At Serco, we welcome applications from people with criminal convictions and believe that meaningful employment transforms lives, strengthens families, and builds safer communities. Through our Pathways Programme, we provide tailored support to help people with convictions find and thrive in work. Applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a role can apply via our Guaranteed Interview Scheme. For certain roles requiring security vetting, our team will discuss eligibility before progressing an application. Learn more and explore current vacancies at serco.com/gb/en/jobs-for-people-with-criminal-records.