Principal Programme Officer – Supported Employment

London | Southwark Council

Permanent contract

Do you have the vision, leadership, and passion to drive meaningful employment opportunities for those facing the biggest barriers to work? Are you ready to shape a transformative programme that integrates employment support, health, and wellbeing services?

Deadline: 23rd March 2025

• London
• Full-time

Job overview

Reference number: SC07265
Location: London
Schedule: Full-time
Salary Range: (Full time equivalent) – £52,674 – £59,772
Contract Type: Permanent

About Southwark Council
Southwark Council is the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues such as The Shard, The Tate Modern and Borough Market along with many social enterprises and we have a young, diverse, and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals, and attend our universities.

Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice, and inequality) underpins all that we do.

• Application closing date: 11:59 PM on 23 March 2025.
• Interview date: 7 April 2025.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, in which case we will move the key dates for the process. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Role

The role
Southwark Council is seeking a new Principal Programme Officer to lead the way in delivering a cutting-edge, in-house employment support service that changes lives.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead & develop a new corporate programme supporting Southwark residents with complex barriers to employment, delivering the DWP Connect to Work programme locally.
• Recruit & manage a team of dedicated Supported Employment Specialists to deliver exceptional services.
• Drive strategic partnerships, working with internal and external stakeholders to align efforts and maximise impact.
• Ensure effective governance, financial management, and performance monitoring to deliver top-quality results.
• Manage commissioned providers, ensuring programme outputs and quality standards are met.
• Champion integration, working across council services and external partners to align employment, health, and wellbeing initiatives.
• Support Southwark 2030 ambitions, shaping a strong and fair economy through strategic employment programmes.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you’ll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care.
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition.

Responsibilities

How will you make an impact?
We need dynamic and experienced Principal Programme Officer who is passionate about public service and driven to make a difference who will bring a blend of the following:

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage, support, and inspire a team.
• A dynamic and experienced programme leader with a track record in employment support.
• Strong strategic, stakeholder engagement, and contract management skills.
• Proven ability to manage complex programmes, ensuring high performance and financial efficiency.
• A passion for inclusive employment and social impact, with the ability to inspire and lead change.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to handle complex inquiries and deliver tailored solutions.
• Work in a forward-thinking environment that values innovation and community impact.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on delivering results within tight deadlines.
• Enjoy a balanced approach with flexible home working, alongside occasional travel to our London Bridge HQ.

#J-18808-Ljbffr