Head of Provider Engagement (6 Month Fixed Term Contract)

London & Partners; London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days holiday plus public holidays

Excellent employer pension contribution

Medical Cash Plan

Job summary

A social enterprise in London is seeking a Head of Provider Engagement to lead strategic relationships with service providers, ensuring quality support for SMEs. The role includes managing a team and developing operational strategies to meet business needs. The ideal candidate has a strong management background, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to inclusion. This position offers a hybrid working environment and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated successful management experience.
• Clear, engaging, and inspiring communicator.
• Understanding of structural inequalities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the Provider Engagement team.
• Build strategic relationships with Business Support and Skills service providers.
• Lead continuous development of the provider offer across London.

Skills

Management

Communication

Inclusion and outreach

Policy and stakeholder management

Service delivery and technology

Job description

Head of Provider Engagement (6 Month Fixed Term Contract)

Join to apply for the Head of Provider Engagement (6 Month Fixed Term Contract) role at London & Partners.

Description

Grow London Local (GLL) is the one place SMEs can get free access to small business support and services they need to thrive. The Head of Provider Engagement will provide strategic leadership to the Provider Engagement team, supported by two Senior Managers, including line management. You will lead on building and maintaining strategic relationships with Business Support and Skills service providers across London to ensure that navigations services, including GLL, have the right quality, type and volume of service provision (in person/online courses, events, etc.) to enable SMEs (particularly disadvantaged entrepreneurs) to thrive.

You will lead all aspects of the London & Partners provider engagement strategy, working with the wider GLL team to identify and address gaps in providers and to meet SME needs. The role will support the Director of Corporate Affairs to develop long-term operational strategies to assist in meeting the company’s objective for supporting SMEs across London and aligning with DBT’s wider business strategy.

Key Tasks

• Collaboration: Engage with delivery partners to improve join-up and processes across GLL and BGS and with SMEs; act as Lead for Grow Hub Cluster and National network.
• Scope: Continue to build the GLL service over the next few years, integrating additional sector offers including Made Smarter.
• Integration: Integrate wider government-funded business support services and link with university and private sector services.
• Digital experience: Promote development of the modernised digital interface and personalised dashboards through the Grow OS project.
• Long-term setup: Work across L&P teams to support digital platforms.

You will be a natural leader with passion, energy, creativity and strategic leadership to a high-performing team. You will be self-motivated and proactive, able to quickly develop relationships with key providers, industry stakeholders and internal teams to deliver the provision strategy. You will ensure consistency and best practice in account management of providers, strategic engagement and other stakeholders, and the quality of provision available to the delivery team and digital platform. You will ensure systems and processes deliver benefits, track satisfaction and build long-term, valuable relationships. You will lead the team to deliver the strategy and work with teams across London & Partners, including the Partnerships team. The Head of Provider Engagement will be an integral part of the Strategy & Small Business Directorate Senior Leadership Team.

Additional Tasks

• Lead the development of a cohesive and integrated business support and skills provision strategy across London & Partners, including annual business plan, objectives and KPIs.
• Lead on continuous development of the provider offer, including:
  - Identify, engage and manage relationships with FE Colleges, Independent Training Providers, Institutes of Adult Learning, Universities.
  - Engage with the relevant departments within the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London Boroughs to align employer skills strategy with economic development priorities.
  - Work with GLA colleagues to share insights from GLL to inform skills policies and programmes and ensure GLL includes up-to-date Mayor of London funded skills programmes.
  - Identify opportunities to create and enhance collaboration across the provider community.

Leadership

• Lead two Senior Managers and a team of provision relationship managers and support executives to develop, identify, map and account-manage business and skills providers delivering support for small businesses.
• Inspire the team, set direction and accountability, ensure high performance, and cultivate continuous development.
• Build strong working relationships with other Heads of Service across the Small Business Directorate at London & Partners.

You’ll have / bring

• Management: Demonstrated successful management experience; ability to lead, motivate and develop a team.
• Inclusion and outreach: Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and understanding of structural inequalities.
• Communication: Clear, engaging, and inspiring communicator who promotes collaboration.
• Policy and stakeholder: Ability to operate in a fast-paced, public-private, politically sensitive setting; experience with leaders in the business support and skills sectors; knowledge of small business and skills ecosystems is ideal.
• Service delivery and technology: Ability to lead a small team to deliver high-quality service with continuous improvement and innovation.
• Personal growth: Self-aware and proactive in seeking opportunities to improve performance.

You’ll Get

• To join a fast-paced, flexible and inclusive social enterprise
• Hybrid working environment
• 30 days’ holiday in addition to UK public holidays
• Excellent employer pension contribution and Medical Cash Plan

Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date to manage application levels and maintain a positive candidate experience. We encourage applications from all sections of the community and support flexibility in working patterns.

London's diversity is its biggest asset. We aim to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the city we promote and encourage applications from people of any age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. We look for talented people who share our values.