Sustainable Growth Client Relationship Lead

About the role

Sustainable Growth Client Relationship Lead

Secondment Opportunity / Fixed Term contract, 12 months

Full Time, 37 hours per week

Up to £ £53,892 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker (Expectation to attend County Hall, Chelmsford, usually once a month)

Closing Date: 6th May 2024

In support of the delivery of Strong and Inclusive Economic Growth, the Sustainable Growth Client Relationship Management Lead oversees a broad spectrum of activities aimed at realising the strategic objectives of both ECC and the Sustainable Growth directorate .

This role will work closely with senior corporate and political stakeholders to develop and manage a strategic approach to business relationships with key internal and external partners. Developing a comprehensive approach to managing, analysing, and monitoring ECC’s strategic business engagement activity in order to enable ECC to understand and develop policy, strategies, and programmes to address the drivers of business growth, innovation and productivity. The role will strategically guide the implementation of business engagement strategies to support ECC’s priorities, thereby enabling the growth of the Essex economy.

With a strong track record for high quality, proactive delivery and project management experience that ensures delivery that stays on track, this role also requires a flexible approach from an individual that enjoys variety and thrives on being able to deliver exacting, high-profile work for senior leaders, often to very short deadlines.

Accountabilities

· Lead on ECC business engagement management, including development of stakeholder mapping, overseeing ECC’s client relationship management systems and approach to forge robust relationships with key strategic organisations, in support of ECC’s strategic ambitions for economic growth and systems leadership of the skills landscape across the county.

· Lead communication and collaboration within and across ECC Functions in order to co-ordinate client relationship, ensuring cohesive service delivery to Essex businesses and supporting the delivery of best possible outcomes for Sustainable Growth and partners.

· Manage client engagement with external stakeholders, maximising the benefits of inclusive economic growth, promoting economic benefits to create jobs, secure development and enhance the reputation and economy of Essex through a comprehensive stakeholder management approach.

· Support Green Growth, Sector Development and Business Growth teams to target, engage and influence Essex businesses in support of Sustainable Growth strategic ambitions - maximising the impact of the client relationship management systems through the comprehensive design of a measurement, tracking and evaluation system to understand performance and inform continuous improvement.

· Deliver engagement plans for Essex businesses in support of requirements to establish business representation linked to integration of Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) functions integration and future Devolution of Greater Essex, working with key political partners and senior ECC leadership to ensure a collaborative dialogue and holistic approach for the council.

· Provide support to political and senior leadership to achieve greater cohesion and effective collaboration between ECC, the regional economic partnerships (South Essex Councils (SEC), North Essex Councils (NEC), North Essex Economic Board (NEEB) and the Greater Essex Business Board, through the development and delivery of a robust and external stakeholder plan for communications and engagement.

· Develop and maintain regular and comprehensive overview and reporting of client engagement projects to senior and political leadership, to enable the implications of the work to be shared, understood, and appropriately challenged.

· Represent the Council at a wide range of meetings, working closely with partners and stakeholders to support the delivery of ECC’s economic growth outcomes.

· Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

· Educated to RQF level 6 or equivalent by experience.

· Proven experience of leading high level, strategic stakeholder identification, mapping activity and analysis, including the development and delivery of communications and engagement plans

· Demonstrable evidence of working effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, successfully influencing partners and ensuring good relationship management

· Proven experience of local government economic development, client and business relationship management (including systems) and an understanding of the skills, business and economic landscape for Essex

· Proven track record of effective management of multi-disciplinary, high profile and complex projects

· Ability to provide robust written and verbal recommendations on proposed courses of action to political and senior leadership.

· Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional areas

For more information on the wider Economy, Investment and Public Health function please visit https://workingforessex.com/role/economy-investment-and-public-health

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. To read more please visit: https://www.workingforessex.com/about-us/

Apply and next steps

Please apply via the Working for Essex website, ensuring you upload an up-to-date CV and provide a supporting statement when prompted.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community.

If you have any queries regarding this role, or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

Downloads / links

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us| Organisation Behaviours