Strategic Business Engagement Officer in Horncastle, Lincolnshire

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 and 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 plus 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.
• Flexible Working Policy.
• Agile Working Policy.
• Long service recognition.
• Excellent career progression and training opportunities.

The Council reserves the right to change the closing date, depending on application numbers. Interviews may be arranged virtually / in person when suitable candidates apply which may be prior to the closing date.