At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead initiatives to create meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities and autism.
- Company: Join MacIntyre, a national charity dedicated to inclusion and empowerment.
- Benefits: Enjoy 6 weeks annual leave, health support, and ongoing training.
- Other info: Dynamic role with travel across services and excellent career progression opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives by promoting inclusive employment.
- Qualifications: Experience in supported employment and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 36750 - 36750 £ per year.
Location: National (Requires travel across MacIntyre services)
Contract: 2-Year Fixed-Term | Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £36,750 per annum + £2,000 car allowance
Help Create Employment Opportunities That Change Lives
At MacIntyre, we believe everyone deserves the chance to live a "gloriously ordinary life." For many people, that includes meaningful paid work, learning new skills, earning their own money, and being valued as an equal part of their community. We are looking for an experienced, values-driven Employment Engagement Officer to support a 2-year project to strengthen and expand our supported employment pathways and supported internships across MacIntyre. This is a senior, high-impact position designed for a professional with a proven track record who is looking for a genuine step up into national strategic delivery.
Why This Role Matters
The opportunity in front of us is huge, and official figures tell a stark story:
- 6% of Adults with Learning disabilities are in paid employment, compared to 76% of the general population
- 4 out of 5 people with a Learning Disability want to work
Most people with a learning disability and many autistic people want to work. With the right support and the right employers, they thrive. Closing this gap is exactly what this role exists to do.
About the Role
This is not a traditional employment support role. You will lead the implementation of MacIntyre’s agreed Employment Strategy on a national scale, helping to build the tools, partnerships and local confidence needed to make this work sustainable. Operating with a person-centred, strengths-based approach, you will work with internal operational teams, Job Coaches, external employers and partner agencies to help remove barriers to work and support sustainable, long‑term employment opportunities.
Core Focus Areas
- Employer Engagement: Source, build, and maintain trusted relationships with local and national businesses that share our values. Advocate for inclusive recruitment, promote Disability Confident practices, and negotiate reasonable adjustments to secure job retention.
- Benefits Advisory & Guidance: Act as our internal expert on the work‑related welfare benefits system. You will carry out basic benefits calculations and "better‑off‑in‑work" assessments (covering Universal Credit, PIP, ESA, and Access to Work) to ensure the people who draw on our support can make informed financial decisions.
- Practice Leadership: Act as a role model upholding MacIntyre’s Leadership DNA. You will coach, inspire, and quality‑check local staff teams and Job Coaches on delivering tailored employment action plans (CV writing, interviews, in‑work support) and maintaining meticulous records.
- Compliance & Partnership: Ensure all activity aligns with regulatory standards, data protection, and safeguarding policies. You will track service performance against key KPIs and professionally represent MacIntyre at multi‑agency meetings, panels, and forums.
About You
This role requires a professional who has past experience in a similar role within supported employment, employability, social care, or SEN careers guidance.
Essential Criteria
- Experience: Significant, demonstrable experience supporting people with SEND, autism, or complex barriers into paid employment, alongside a proven track record in business outreach and multi‑agency partnership work.
- Sector & System Knowledge: A solid practical understanding of the SEND sector (including EHCPs and the SEND Code of Practice), supported internship models, and the benefits system.
- Qualifications & Skills: Educated to a Level 5 qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g., Social Care, SEN, and Management) or possess equivalent senior‑level experience. Excellent communication, advocacy, and IT/social media skills are required.
- Mobility: A full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle with business insurance are essential. This role involves regular travel to various MacIntyre services, some of which are not accessible via public transport.
- Personal Attributes: Resilient, patient, and solution‑focused with a passionate commitment to disability inclusion and employment equality.
Desirable Criteria
- Formal training in welfare benefits advice.
- Project management experience or qualifications.
About us
MacIntyre is a national charity supporting more than 1,400 children, young people and adults who have a learning disability or are autistic. For 60 years, we've worked alongside people to build lives filled with opportunity, connection and belonging. Whatever your role, you'll help make that possible.
Training, Development, and Career Progression
At MacIntyre, we are deeply committed to helping our colleagues grow. We know it can be daunting to start a new job, and because everyone learns differently, we provide a tailored mix of eLearning, face‑to‑face training, and on‑the‑job mentoring support throughout your probation. But it doesn't stop there. Throughout your career with us, you will have structured access to our dedicated in‑house Learning and Development team, Quality Specialists, and HR teams to keep your sector knowledge sharp.
Pay and benefits
Alongside your salary, you'll enjoy a range of benefits including:
- 6 weeks' annual leave per year including public holidays
- Pension scheme
- Paid DBS check
- Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme
- Shopping discounts through Blue Light Card and our staff discounts scheme
- Ongoing training and career development
See the full range of benefits on the Careers page of our website.
How to apply
Click Apply to complete a short application and upload your CV. We may close this vacancy early if we receive enough applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please note: we do not offer Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. You must already have the right to work in the UK.
Safer recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding the children, young people and adults we support. If we offer you a job, we’ll work with you to complete the appropriate pre‑employment checks.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we work in. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we're happy to help, call us on 01908 357016. Our recruitment website also includes accessibility tools such as translation, OpenDyslexic font and display options.
Employment Engagement Officer- Learning Disability and Autism in Leicester employer: MacIntyre
At MacIntyre, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the lives of children and young people with learning disabilities and autism. Our St Albans children's home fosters a warm and supportive work culture where kindness, respect, and teamwork are paramount, offering extensive training and career development opportunities to help you grow as a leader. With generous benefits including six weeks of annual leave, a workplace pension scheme, and access to employee discounts, joining our team means becoming part of a compassionate community committed to empowering both staff and the children we support.
