Operations Lead

West Sussex County Council; England; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A local governmental organization in West Sussex is looking for an Operations Lead to oversee its Connect to Work programme. This role involves managing a team, interacting with various stakeholders, and ensuring effective programme delivery. Candidates should possess strong partnership management skills and experience in budget and contract management, alongside a commitment to inclusivity. The position is full-time with a salary range of £48,226 to £51,356 per annum and requires travel across the county.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Local government pension scheme

Employee discounts

Qualifications

• Excellent influencing and partnership building skills.
• Ability to motivate teams to deliver for clients.
• Ability to analyze data and design service improvements.
• Experience of managing or leading staff.
• Hands-on experience in budget management.
• Experience of contract management with delivery partners.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Sound knowledge of Supported Employment models.
• Commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity.
• Experience of engaging with businesses and employers.

Responsibilities

• Oversee programme delivery and spot challenges and opportunities.
• Manage service capacity and oversee performance management.
• Develop relationships with key stakeholders.
• Manage training needs and coordinate operational practices.

Job description

Overview

Are you brilliant at bringing people together, do you love a challenge and want to help change lives for the better? Are you someone who is focused on impact, number and outcomes and also on how people feel when they use our services. Do you have strong communication skills, able to foster partnership and build trust working across a complex network of stakeholders? Do you strongly believe in the potential of employment to positively influence residents' life opportunities and outcomes? If the answer is yes, we want to hear from you!

We are looking for an Operations Lead to take on a vital leadership role in the impactful delivery of the Connect to Work programme in West Sussex. Connect to Work is a national, government-funded initiative, aimed at empowering individuals facing barriers to find employment.

You'll be part of the programme's management team, overseeing a talented team including Supervisors and an Employer Engagement Lead. You will be responsible for overseeing programme delivery in the county, spotting challenges and opportunities and working with the Programme Manager and Reporting and Compliance Lead to adapt and refine the service.

This is an opportunity for someone with strong partnership management skills, who enjoys variety, problem solving, and who has a high-performance ethos and who is committed to playing a key role in the success of the programme.

If you are eager to discover more about the Connect to Work programme and see how it can create life-changing opportunities by unlocking the world of work for people across West Sussex and Brighton and Hove, visit our Connect to Work Careers Page.

Salary: £48,226 to £51,356 per annum

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract until 31 March 2030

Working Pattern: Full-time (37 hours per week)

Location: County Hall, West Street, Chichester PO19 1RQ with required countywide travel.

Interview Date: week commencing Monday 06 October 2025

This role requires the successful candidate to travel throughout West Sussex for visits, working flexibly to meet the needs of the programme.

Regular (weekly) attendance at your base location will also be necessary, and there will be opportunities for remote work. Final arrangements will be confirmed with the successful candidate.

You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.

About the Job

This is an outcome-focused, challenging and rewarding position, working to the Programme Manager who has responsibility for Connect to Work across West Sussex and Brighton & Hove.

You will manage service capacity across West Sussex, working with the delivery and management team to oversee practice and caseload reviews, and identify issues, including under-performance and overseeing performance management measures.

You will develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and delivery teams, including contract management for commissioned organisations.

You will also manage the training needs of the West Sussex service teams, including designing, coordinating and chairing operational communities of practice.

We would love to hear from you if you have

• Excellent influencing and partnership building skills, including with a wide range of service providers and partners.
• The ability to motivate teams to build and maintain a service while delivering for a wide range of clients.
• The ability to analyse data, diagnose problems, identify service needs and design effective service improvements.
• Experience of managing/leading staff, including coaching and facilitating others.
• Demonstrated, hands-on experience in budget management, including a track record in a similar role handling budgets exceeding £1m annually.
• Experience of contract management and working with delivery partners, suppliers or commissioned services.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to report on and explain complex information in an accessible way.
• Sound knowledge of Supported Employment, particularly IPS and SEQF models - or a willingness to learn.
• A commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity in all aspects of work and a strong belief in the potential of employment to transform the life chances of residents.
• Experience of engaging with businesses and employers and knowledge of how marketing and communications can be used strategically to support a programme with multiple audiences.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Rewards and Benefits

We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 30 days annual leave, plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent local government pension scheme

A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is EIE01435.

Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Click apply below, upload your CV and cover letter.

Your cover letter should:

• Outline your motivations for applying.
• Explain the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the attached job description).

Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application helppage.

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