Strategic Business Engagement Officer

South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership; Spalding; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Benefits Platform including discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Flu Jabs

Eye Test voucher for screen users

Flexible Working Policy

Agile Working Policy

Car mileage reimbursement

Career progression and training

Job summary

South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership is seeking a strategic business engagement professional to strengthen its frontline team, acting as the first contact for the business community. You will lead on supporting businesses to thrive by providing advice and signposting to investors and existing firms.

The role sits at the heart of economic development, shaping engagement approaches, influencing service delivery, and building relationships driving growth across the partnership area.

Qualifications

• Experience of working positively with new and existing businesses to help solve problems and unlock opportunities.
• Ability to identify, lead and motivate effective partnerships amongst key stakeholders at district, county and regional level.
• Strong knowledge of the economic drivers that support business growth.
• Excellent communication, organisational and decision-making skills.
• A customer-focused, solutions-driven approach to service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Be a visible presence amongst the South East Lincolnshire business community, ensuring high-quality support to new and existing businesses.
• Develop and maintain ongoing relationships with strategically important businesses across South East Lincolnshire.
• Identify, understand and evaluate local business intelligence to influence future strategy and policy development.
• Promote all authority areas within the partnership as great places to do business, visit and live.
• Engage with businesses to understand needs and signpost to council services and partners.
• Support the design and implementation of initiatives aimed at stimulating high-quality economic growth.

Skills

Business engagement

Stakeholder engagement

Partnership building

Strategic thinking

Communication

Organisational skills

Job description

Are you passionate about supporting businesses to grow and committed to developing and maintaining strategically important relationships with key businesses, stakeholders and educational establishments?

We are seeking a strategic business engagement professional to further strengthen our existing team of front facing officers responsible for being the first point of contact in the Partnership’s relationships with its business community.
You will lead on supporting businesses to thrive and grow through providing advice, information and support to potential investors and existing businesses.

This is a pivotal and highly rewarding opportunity at the heart of our economic development and inward investment service. You will play a leading role in shaping our business engagement approach, influencing service delivery, and building strong relationships that drive growth. Through proactive engagement, commercial awareness, and a passion for supporting businesses to succeed, you will make a visible and lasting contribution to the area’s economic future.
This role is particularly suited to someone already working within business support, economic development, inward investment, regeneration or a related field who wants to broaden their experience and move into a more strategic role. The role will further develop your existing skills in partnership working, strategy and policy development and business and stakeholder engagement.

Why this role matters

The work you do will have a visible and lasting impact right across the business community. From helping existing businesses to stay and grow, to supporting new businesses to establish a local presence, your work will directly contribute to creating a more prosperous and thriving economy. Few roles offer the opportunity to combine strategic thinking, partnership working, stakeholder engagement and genuine economic impact in the same way.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting into the Group Manager for Economic Development and Inward Investment, you will:

• Be a visible presence amongst the South East Lincolnshire business community, ensuring consistent, high-quality support to new and existing businesses.
• Develop and maintain an ongoing relationship with the strategically most important businesses across South East Lincolnshire, be that by size, scale, key sector alignment and future high growth potential.
• Take ownership of identifying, understanding and evaluating local business intelligence to influence future strategy and key policy development.
• Position and promote all authority areas within the South East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership as great places to do business, visit and live.
• Engage with businesses of all sizes to understand their needs in order to signpost to other council services and relevant stakeholders and partner organisations.
• Support the design and implementation of initiatives aimed at stimulating high quality, value added economic growth.

Who we’re looking for

• Experience of working positively with new and existing businesses to help solve problems and unlock opportunities.
• A commitment to helping existing businesses to grow and stay in the area and to attract new businesses to invest in South & East Lincolnshire.
• The ability to identify, lead and motivate effective partnerships amongst key stakeholders at district, county and regional level.
• Strong knowledge of the economic drivers that support business growth and retention.
• Excellent communication, organisational and decision-making skills
• A customer-focused, solutions-driven approach to service delivery

Where you’ll be working

The nature of this role allows for a high degree of agile and remote working, alongside attendance at meetings, partnership events, company visits and office locations.
The role involves regular travel to businesses and partner organisations across the wider partnership area, with multiple site visits on a regular basis, so the ability to independently and reliably travel as part of your daily duties is essential.

BENEFITS

We offer excellent terms and conditions of employment including:

• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, enjoy peace of mind with generous employer contributions to a scheme designed to provide long-term financial security after your working life
• Generous annual leave scheme +option to buy more
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Benefits Platform including retail, holiday, and leisure discounts
• Cycle to work scheme*
• Flu Jabs
• Free Eye Test voucher for regular screen users
• Flexible Working Policy
• Agile Working Policy*
• Car mileage reimbursement*
• Excellent career progression and training opportunities
• Long Service Recognition*
• Salary sacrifice car scheme roles over 33k*

*Certain restrictions may apply

ABOUT US

Boston Borough Council, East Lindsey District Council and South Holland District Council have formed the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership. The largest Council Partnership in the country. Since October 2021, the Partnership Councils have been working closely to deliver improved services to the communities in the sub-region and already there have been many positive outcomes.

Over time, it is envisaged that services will become formally shared across the three Councils creating the opportunity for colleagues to be involved in new and innovate areas of work.

If you would like an informal chat about the role then please reach out to Jon Hinde (Economic Development & Inward Investment Manager) [e-mail]

The Council is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are committed to ensuring all recruitment processes are non-discriminatory and that no potential or current employee is treated unfairly. Find out more about our Equal opportunities on our website