Project Officer Economic Development & Inward Investment

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About the role

Economic Growth & Sustainability is part of the Council’s Place & Economy Directorate and spans different activities from inward investment and business support to external funding and programme management, to digital and electric vehicle infrastructure, to climate change and sustainable living.

External funding is a crucial element of the team’s work. It is responsible for identifying opportunities, developing business cases, bids, and submissions to secure funding to support economic growth and regeneration, and putting in place robust processes and systems to ensure that resources are targeted to deliver improved outcomes. This involves a mixture of bidding in competition with other areas and securing funding which has been provisionally allocated to the area but requires the submission of 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 being able to demonstrate stakeholder engagement to inform the interventions that would be prioritised for support through this funding, and political support from the areas’ MPs.

Whilst the UKSPF programme is coming to an end in March 2026, the team is working on new funding programmes and opportunities including the Pride in Place initiative, which will see targeted funding and support helping to regenerate three local communities in Corby, Kettering, and Wellingborough.

Business support activities include site visits and business owner meetings to support and discuss issues impacting local enterprises. The team uses a triage system to signpost businesses to sources of specialist help. This is aided through the North Northants Business Forum which brings together the main public sector organisations, business networks and partners representing local businesses in the area.

The Council is a member of the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and sponsors the most Innovative Business of the Year category alongside West Northants Council. It also attends local business events and meetings to explain the services offered by the Council, gather intelligence, take ‘soundings,’ and provide advice and support.

With North Northants a target for housing growth, it is vital that new businesses are attracted to support the growing population and reduce out-commuting. Inward investment is an important activity for the team. Some of the recent enquiries which the team has dealt with include investments by Iron Mountain (Information Management Services), Ball Corporation (Manufacturing), Navarra (Manufacturing), and Nike (Sports).

The team manages the Superfast Northamptonshire initiative which is bringing new investment in digital connectivity to Northamptonshire. Attention has shifted to Phase 4 of the initiative which will be delivered through Project Gigabit led nationally by the Government Agency Building Digital UK (BDUK). This will focus on premises which have not benefitted from gigabit connectivity through previous phases, or are outside of commercial coverage, or planned coverage with delivery through Cityfibre.

The team also manages the North Northamptonshire Electric Vehicle Initiative (NNEVI) with the NNEVI Strategy adopted in 2024. A key objective of the strategy is the expansion of the EV charging network in the area to cover all the towns and serve the wider rural area. The team has secured almost £2.9m from Government to invest alongside the private sector to build, operate and maintain this network.

The team also has a key role in leading the Council’s strategic approach to climate change, which includes the Carbon Management Plan and Climate Change Strategy, which was adopted last year, and in shaping North Northamptonshire’s transition to a greener, more resilient future. This also included the recent publication of a Local Area Energy Plan for North Northants. The team supports the delivery of strategic projects that enable environmental resilience, adoption of low-carbon technologies, and sustainable development across the area. It works across departments — such as Planning, Highways, and Assets — and with external partners to embed sustainability into policy and initiatives. This includes promoting carbon reduction practices, supporting sustainable employment and skills programmes, and ensuring that inward investment aligns with environmental priorities. The team also contributes to policy development, public engagement, and the integration of sustainability metrics into project performance frameworks, helping the Council meet its long-term climate and economic objectives.

Other initiatives led by the team include the management of the Northamptonshire e-scooter trial with Voi Technology (which covers the towns of Corby, Kettering, Burton Latimer, Wellingborough, Higham Ferrers and Rushden – as well as Northampton). This provides an important, green and low cost transport mode for accessing employment and training.

The prime focus of the Project Officer role within the Economic Growth & Sustainability team is attracting inward investment to the area. They will be the first port of call for most inward investment enquiries. This will include working with developers, land owners, commercial agents, statutory agencies, and potential occupiers. Internally, the role will liaise with colleagues in planning, highways and assets teams. It will also work closely with other stakeholders including the Department for Business & Trade, Office for Investment, and Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor team to promote North Northants for investment. The Council is proactive at events such as UKREIIF, and the role will be expected to support this work and other similar activity including through attendance.

The Council’s Economic Growth Strategy, adopted last year, provides the strategic framework for these and other activities, including the Space to Grow initiative.

If you have any questions, or would like more information about the role, please contact Greg Ward greg.ward@northnorthants.gov.uk.

The purpose of this job is to support growth of the local economy and promote North Northamptonshire as a great place to do business, visit and live. The Postholder will undertake a range of projects and initiatives that will principally focus on attracting inward investment and jobs to the area.

• Act as a Council Key contact for employers within North Northamptonshire
• Deliver, assist and co-ordinate projects and programmes, particularly relating to Inward Investment, to support the delivery of the Economic Growth Strategy for North Northamptonshire and annual Service Plan, including attendance at and organising partner meetings, business events and exhibitions
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with external partners in particular businesses, investors and commercial agents to help ensure a co-ordinated and effective approach to Inward Investment across North Northamptonshire
• Support the development and delivery of Inward Investment initiatives relating to North Northamptonshire including the identification and promotion of investable sites for strategic employment land
• Work with employers and partner organisations to deliver and support Inward Investment initiatives.
• Contribute to KPI monitoring and the production of analysis, reports, strategies and presentations on the local economy, including regular monitoring of employment sites.
• Help maintain a CRM system to help track and support local business enquiries and interactions.