Head of Employer Partnerships (Merseyside)

The King's Trust Group; West Kirby; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great holiday package

Flexible working

Volunteer events

In-house learning platform

Benefits platform

Networks for development

Family leave

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Job summary

King's Trust in Merseyside seeks a Head of Employer Partnerships to lead employer engagement across a region, building partnerships with businesses and organisations that open doors to sustainable employment for young people.

You will drive a regional strategy, lead a team, and use local labour market insights to maximise impact. The role combines leadership with strategic relationship-building and delivery of scalable opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience leading employer engagement teams.
• Strong understanding of local labour market and employer landscape.
• Ability to identify where opportunities for young people come from.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a regional employer engagement strategy.
• Build relationships with employers, industry partners and key stakeholders.
• Identify and secure employment opportunities for young people at scale.
• Lead and develop a high-performing employer engagement team.
• Use local labour market insight, employer intelligence and performance data to maximise impact and outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Employer engagement

Labour market insights

Strategic thinking

Job description

Head of Employer Partnerships (Merseyside)

Company: King's Trust

Contract Type:Fixed Term until 31st March 2028 with the possibility of extension

Hours:Full Time,35hours per week

Closing Date: 23:59 on 23/11/2026

Salary:£38,263.00to£47,829.00, dependent on your skills, knowledge and experience

Location: Merseyside - Hybrid role with a minimum of 60% of your week in the Centre. There is an expectation to travel as and when required

2nd stage interviews: w/c 7th Dec in-person

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in one of the UK's largest employability programmes, helping to create life-changing opportunities for young people. As Head of Employer Partnerships, you will lead employer engagement activity across your region, building partnerships with businesses and organisations that open doors to sustainable employment.

This fully funded role runs until 31st March 2028 and offers the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to a major employability programme supporting young people across the UK.

We're looking for a proactive, commercially minded leader who can quickly establish credibility with employers and stakeholders. You'll bring a strong understanding of the local labour market and employer landscape, and know how to identify where the best opportunities for young people are likely to come from. You could come from employability, recruitment, workforce development, business development, employer engagement, sales, partnerships or a related field where building relationships and delivering results are central to success.

In this role, you will:

• Develop and deliver a regional employer engagement strategy


• Build relationships with employers, industry partners and key stakeholders


• Identify and secure employment opportunities for young people at scale


• Lead and develop a high-performing employer engagement team


• Use local labour market insight, employer intelligence and performance data to maximise impact and outcomes

We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates whose backgrounds, experiences and perspectives reflect the diverse communities and young people we serve. We welcome applications from people who may not have followed a traditional career route and recognise the value that different lived experiences can bring to our work.

Why do we need Heads of Employer Partnerships?

Last year, we helped more than 40,000 Young People, with three in four young people on our programmes moving into a positive outcome in work, education or training.The young people we help face a range of challenges, such as unemployment, mental health issues or some who have been in trouble with the law. We believe all young people should have the chance to succeed, and that young people are the key to a positive and prosperous future for all of us. We want to continue having a positive impact on young people’s lives, and we couldn’t do this without the important work of the Heads of Employer Partnerships!

Perks for working at The Trust!

• Great holiday package! 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays. Office closure on the days between Christmas and New Year


• Flexible working! Where operationally possible, our roles require a combination of office days and working from home (please speak to the hiring manager about this particular role)


• You can volunteer for and/or attend events – The King's Trust Awards, Pride, active events etc.


• In-house learning platform! Develop your skills for your career and your role


• Benefits platform! Everything from health and financial well-being support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas.


• Personal development opportunities through our Networks – KT CAN (Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network), and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network).


• Fantastic Family leave! Receive 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks of half pay for maternity and adoption leave. Receive 8 weeks of full pay for paternity leave.


• Interest-free season ticket loans


• The Trust will contribute 5% of your salary to the Trust Pension Scheme


• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary)

Here at The King's Trust, we're committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We want to be an organisation that's representative of the communities we serve, which is why we strive for diversity of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion and sex. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, from any background, can be themselves and do the best work of their lives.

We are looking for people who can bring different perspectives and experiences and especially welcome applications from those who are underrepresented in our organisation and sector, such as candidates from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

We're a Stonewall Top 100 Employer, and we are an employer that is Disability Confident. Our staff, volunteers and young people are supported by KT CAN (our Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network) and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network).

Safeguarding

The King's Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of this commitment, we undertake basic disclosure checks in accordance with the Codes of Practice for all roles within the Trust, and for our roles working directly with young people, at an enhanced level. Having a criminal record will not automatically exclude applicants.