Inward Investment Account Manager

This is the perfect time to join our Inward Investment & Business Growth Team. We have a newly adopted Economic Growth Strategy setting out ambitious target investment sectors and bold plans to drive inclusive, sustainable growth. You will lead on targeting quality employers to invest in West Northants, utilising our brand new Invest in West Northants brand, generating a pipeline of investment opportunities across a range of sectors.

Working collaboratively with internal services such as Regeneration, Development Management and Assets, as well as external partners such as the Department for Business & Trade, you will target, secure and manage inward investment from pre-target to after care. You will use your skills in relationship management to develop effective relationships with commercial agents, developers and property/landowners to manage a portfolio of opportunities for investment. You will be skilled in place-marketing to sell West Northants as a must-invest destination, tailored to our target investment sectors to increase business investment of all scales from SMEs to large corporations into this area.

As we develop a new Local Plan as well as look to realise the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and the powerhouse that is Silverstone, inward investment is a top priority at West Northamptonshire Council and you could be part of the team leading this. In the wider region, the largescale investments of Universal Studios and Luton Airport's expansion, including the existing investments within West Northants in relation to Advanced Logistics and Advanced Manufacturing, the world will have its eyes on our area - it will be your job to harness this momentum to benefit our local economy.

West Northamptonshire is a place of huge opportunity, world renowned skills, and locational advantage. We in the Economic Growth & Inward Investment Service are at the forefront of capitalising on these strategic assets and establishing new opportunities for growth. Working innovatively, we are proactive in our approach to supporting and growing the local economy with a strong focus on the following areas:

• Inward Investment & Place Marketing
• Skills & Employment
• Business Growth
• Tourism & the Visitor Economy
• Funding Programmes & Projects

Home to over 20,000 businesses and more than 425,000 residents, the value of West Northants' economy (GVA) was valued at around £11.5bn in 2022, supporting around 214,700 jobs. In addition, around 20m visitors flock to the area each year, generating over a £1bn and supporting 14,000 jobs. We want to support and grow the local economy, meaning that our Team must establish a high-profile reputation across the world that West Northants is a place where everyone can thrive, supporting businesses & investors to locate & grow here, upskilling the local labour market and ensuring there are opportunities for all. We must showcase West Northants as a destination for investment, business, tourism and quality of life.

This role will be essential in showcasing West Northamptonshire as a destination for investment and business growth, combining place-marketing, sales, negotiation and relationship management to achieve tangible outcomes and securing continuous investment into the area.

What will you be doing?

Working alongside our colleagues in the wider Economic Growth & Inward Investment service, you'll act as a key delivery officer in respect of activities to promote West Northants as a destination for investment & business growth (through activities such as events, exhibitions, promotional activities and account management). You will focus on the delivery of high profile, high value, and high-quality inward investment projects and initiatives to ensure that West Northamptonshire maximises opportunities and outcomes associated with inward investment.

You will generate and manage a high-quality pipeline of inward investment prospects from large to micro businesses. Seeking to attract major and high-profile companies in our target investment sectors, including new accelerator and incubator spaces and programmes to the area. Designated as a flexible worker type, you will attend meetings & events to build effective relationships with partners and stakeholders; you'll work with developers, commercial agents, internal colleagues and more to land new investment into the region. You will oversee a CRM system to handle enquiries, maintain communication and maximise engagement and opportunities to achieve tangible outcomes resulting in increased investment, more businesses, more jobs and an improved local economy.

You will enhance and grow our Invest in West Northants brand, expanding our dedicated website and social media to increase content and engagement. You will oversee the commercial property finder tool on the website, handling the enquiries received and working with agents to ensure the tool is as populated as possible.

Each day will look slightly different and you'll be able to get involved in various projects across the directorate, including opportunities for CPD and to share best practice. You will be involved with the delivery of our new Economic Growth Strategy and will input into the processes to manage and oversee inward investment enquiries and stakeholder engagement.

About you

We're looking for an expert in the field with proven experience & skills, able to drive and implement initiatives to generate a high-quality pipeline of inward investment enquiries and land enquiries within the area. You will be passionate about working innovatively to showcase West Northamptonshire as the perfect destination for investment, combining creativity with finely honed negotiation skills to achieve tangible outcomes.

Exceptional interpersonal and collaboration skills are key. We are also looking for significant experience of working with a range of internal and external partners and forging successful partnerships alongside account management to achieve high performance and significant, sustainable accomplishments for the service. You will be a personable relationship manager with the ability to foster mutually beneficial relationships with contacts at all levels of seniority.

You'll need to have a solutions driven and adaptable approach to working and thrive in a busy environment with a positive approach to challenges! Ideally you will have previous experience of securing inward investment within a local authority, with experience of project management, place-marketing and an understanding of the commercial landscape. You will be able to smoothly manage and develop a pipeline of enquiries, handling all relevant processes whilst being able to use your own initiative to 'think outside of the box'. You'll use your great attention to detail to ensure our activities are innovative, creative and achieve high level results. You will be dedicated to land investment and become a fountain of knowledge in terms of our available land/premises and offer for investors, able to match opportunities together to secure the investment into our area.

Finally, your knowledge of achieving economic growth initiatives will be utilised as part of the wider service, showing your ability to thrive as a team player as well as lead on projects relating to inward investment. You will combine sales and marketing experience, along with expert knowledge to champion business growth and investment in the area.

Our benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

About us

At West Northants Council, it's about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is 'to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive'. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.