Business Relationship Manager (Contract) in Chelmsford

Salary: £62461 - £73483 per annum + Flexible Working, Hybrid Working

Location: Chelmsford, Essex

Job Type: Contract

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.

This vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months.

The Business Relationship Manager is a strategic partner to a designated business function, providing thought leadership, relationship management and data expertise to ensure decision-making is consistently evidence-based and outcomes-focused. Working closely with Executive Directors and senior leaders, the role translates business priorities into data-driven opportunities that support organisational transformation, service improvement and long-term strategic objectives.

As the principal link between business functions and the organisation's data, performance and analytics services, the Business Relationship Manager ensures that insight activity remains aligned to executive priorities and delivers meaningful organisational value.

The Role:

• Operating within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, the Business Relationship Manager sits within the central Data, Analytics and Performance team.
• The role acts as a trusted advisor to senior leadership teams and works collaboratively with internal and external partners to promote a culture of data-informed decision-making.
• The role holds ownership of the insight and analytics portfolio for their designated function, providing strategic oversight to ensure priorities, investments and outcomes are aligned with organisational ambitions.
• Through effective relationship management and a deep understanding of business challenges, the postholder ensures that data and analytics remain central to transformation, performance and service excellence.

Accountabilities:

• Apply exceptional influencing, persuasion, and communication skills to build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with key stakeholders, including Executive Directors and their leadership teams.
• Develop a deep understanding of the challenges faced by senior leaders to shape demand by co-developing business cases and identifying data and performance products and services that address strategic needs.
• Own the insight portfolio and align with executive priorities, translating business context into actionable data solutions and delivering prioritised roadmaps that guide the development and deployment of insight initiatives.
• Drive and lead data literacy across council services, providing oversight of the successful delivery of the council's data missions.
• Lead the dissemination of business intelligence and insights internally to stakeholders to ensure informed decision-making is integrated into the service's operations.
• Apply data storytelling principles to communicate insights effectively.
• Champion and market available data, performance and insight services by communicating the service offer and unique capabilities to stakeholders.
• Drive innovation by horizon scanning and researching emerging methodologies, tools, and technologies.
• Advocate for data-driven decision-making across the organisation.
• Responsible for managing ongoing relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead collaboration with Digital, Organisation Development, and Transformation teams to ensure strategic alignment.
• Promote the use of open data by identifying opportunities to publish appropriate datasets and insights in accessible formats.

The Experience You Will Bring:

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline (e.g., Business Intelligence, Data Analytics, Public Administration, or a related field).
• Accredited to BRMI Business Relationship Manager Professional (BRMP) or working towards accreditation.
• Evidence of continuing professional development in data analysis, performance reporting, or stakeholder management.
• Practical experience of relationship building and management in a complex organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage long-term strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Skilled in understanding business needs and translating them into data and insight requirements.
• Proven experience in translating complex data and analytical outputs into meaningful insights.
• Ability to align insight delivery with organisational priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Experience in influencing organisational change through insight-led engagement.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills that influence and inspire.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost.

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.

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