Project Officer Economic Development, Skills & Employment in England

Economic Growth & Sustainability is part of the Council’s Place & Economy Directorate and spans activities from inward investment and business support to external funding, programme management, digital and electric vehicle infrastructure, climate change and sustainable living. External funding is a crucial element of the team’s work, responsible for identifying opportunities, developing business cases, bids, and submissions to secure funding to support economic growth and regeneration, and implementing robust processes to ensure resources deliver improved outcomes. This involves bidding in competition with other areas and securing funding which has been provisionally allocated and requires an Investment Plan or similar case to confirm and drawdown the allocation.

In recent years, the team has managed one of the largest Community Renewal Fund programmes in England and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) with over £10m secured for local projects supporting businesses, communities, and skills. Pivotal to this was stakeholder engagement to inform prioritised interventions and political support from MPs. The team is working on new funding programmes including the Pride in Place initiative to regenerate three local communities in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough.

Business support activities include site visits and business owner meetings to discuss issues impacting local enterprises, triage to signpost to specialist help, and engagement through the North Northants Business Forum. With North Northants a target for housing growth, inward investment is important. The team has handled investments by Iron Mountain, Ball Corporation, Navarra, and Nike. The team manages the Superfast Northamptonshire initiative to bring digital connectivity, with Phase 4 delivered through Project Gigabit led by BDUK, and the North Northamptonshire Electric Vehicle Initiative (NNEVI) with a strategy adopted in 2024 to expand EV charging. The team has secured almost £2.9m from Government to invest with the private sector to build, operate and maintain the network.

The team also leads the Council’s climate change strategy, including the Carbon Management Plan, and is developing a Local Area Energy Plan for North Northants. It works across departments and with external partners to embed sustainability into policy, promote carbon reduction, support sustainable employment and skills programmes, and align inward investment with environmental priorities. Other initiatives include the Northamptonshire e-scooter trial with Voi Technology.

The focus of this role is economic development, specifically skills and employment, working with partners such as the Department of Work & Pensions and Job Centre Plus to provide support for local people seeking employment and training through Job Fairs and wraparound support. The Council’s Economic Growth Strategy provides the framework for these activities.

Benefits include:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, with a significant employer contribution, life cover and ill-health protection
• opportunities to develop skills and knowledge in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) plus bank holidays and the option to buy up to 10 extra days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements where practicable to support work-life balance

We offer Employee Assistance Programme, Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, HMRC travel rates, and active Employee Network Groups.

Values and Behaviours: Customer-focused, Respectful, Efficient, Supportive, Trustworthy.

Key Commitments: We are proud to be Disability Confident and are committed to inclusive recruitment. North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 and is working toward Gold in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

To apply, please click the Apply Now link below.