Connect to Work Delivery Partner Contract Manager in Alconbury

Connect to Work is a new, voluntary supported employment initiative funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is the first major element of the "Get Britain Working Strategy" and will take a collaborative, locally led approach. It will:

• Connect local work, health, and skills support using a place, train, maintain model
• Target hidden unemployment and disadvantaged groups
• Deliver IPS (Individual Placement and Support) and SEQF (Supported Employment Quality Framework) interventions with high fidelity to national models
• Ensure equitable access through a zero-exclusions approach
• Support at least 3,738 residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough between 2026 and 2030

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) acting as the Lead Authority and Accountable Body has appointed Cambridgeshire County Council as Prime Provider to manage delivery across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and work strategically across the region to appoint a consortium of Delivery Partners, who will deliver the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) models of supported employment to high levels of fidelity.

IPS - Individual Placement and Support, is an intervention which integrates employment support alongside primary and secondary health services and other support services. SEQF - Supported Employment Quality Framework, intensive supported employment for people with learning disabilities, autism, and complex barriers. SEQF is a more intensive intervention, where in delivery terms the Participant will receive more contact and support from their Employment Specialist. Both models follow fidelity scales and evidence shows higher fidelity delivers stronger employment outcomes.

We will also work effectively with a wide range of partners and stakeholders who are operating in local areas, to provide therapeutic and holistic wrap‑around support for participants. Effective employer engagement will be key to the success of the programme.

Our benefits include:

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro‑rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in‑store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes

The Delivery Partner Contract Manager will be responsible for the operational management and performance monitoring of a defined portfolio of delivery partners, alongside leading employer engagement activity within an allocated area. The role supports delivery of Connect to Work across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, ensuring that our delivery partners meet contractual requirements, achieve agreed KPIs and adhere to IPS and SEQF fidelity standards.

The postholder also has operational responsibility for employer engagement, including direct engagement with employers at owner, director and senior manager level to promote the programme, helping the Employment Specialists to secure employment opportunities for participants and support inclusive recruitment practices. The postholder will line manage the Employer Engagement Officers to ensure a coordinated and effective approach to generating job outcomes.

You will be a confident leader with effective communication skills including report writing, presentation and interpersonal skills within different environments. You will be able to interpret and implement complex legislation and funding rules in order to support the set up of a new service and be able to represent the Council professionally with external stakeholders and will contribute to programme delivery and success through effective contract management, performance monitoring and employer engagement. Candidates must be able to commute comfortably across the local area to attend client visits and meetings as required.

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes. Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do. We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities.

We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self‑organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered.

We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager to discuss any adjustment needs.

Through a Guaranteed Interview Scheme, we will offer an interview to all applicants who disclose a disability and meet the essential criteria for a job vacancy. On your application form you can indicate you are disabled. Some examples of reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process could include additional time to complete an assessment or printing a document on pastel coloured paper with larger font size and line spacing. We would value talking about what might be possible to enable you to join us and thrive, so if there is something that would help you to do your best during your journey with us, please get in touch.