Inclusive Economy Manager - Healthy Working Life in Leeds

£49,359 per annum (pay award pending) - Grade 9

Leeds / Hybrid

Full time (37 hours per week) / Permanent

Closing date - Sunday 15 February 2026 at 11:55pm

Please note that the Combined Authority will consider requests for part-time working and/or job share.

We are currently recruiting two Inclusive Economy Managers across two high profile areas of work, Healthy Working Life and Skills for Work and Life. This advert is for the Healthy Working Life role.

Healthy Working Life is a joint programme of West Yorkshire Combined Authority and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. The programme will deliver the region’s £37 million work and health plan, which has been created following consultation with residents and employers. The programme aims to grow the economy and put more money in people’s pockets by supporting those with long-term sickness or disability into secure, rewarding and well-paid work and looking at innovative ways to move economically inactive people towards or into the workforce.

This role is an exciting opportunity to be part of the Employment and Skills team, which aims to improve the impact that funding has on the lives and prospects of West Yorkshire residents and the economy. The team does this through system leadership, policy development, partnership development and strategic commissioning, including developing services which upskill adults, connects them to employment opportunities and supports career progression.

The role has a focus on an area of strategic importance for West Yorkshire, and you will be responsible for leading a team to identify and deliver change and transformation in order to deliver the Combined Authority’s ambitions to improve outcomes for individuals, communities and business.

You will lead the innovation and performance management of Healthy Working Life delivery to maximise its impact, with a strong focus on employment support, digital inclusion, and work and health initiatives. This role is central to achieving the vision of the West Yorkshire Work and Health Plan, which aims for the region to have the healthiest residents and workforce in England by 2040. As part of this vision, you will oversee programmes designed to reduce economic inactivity and tackle health and socio-economic inequalities by supporting more residents particularly those with health conditions and disabilities to access or sustain good quality work.

Working towards an integrated settlement, this post will ensure programme design is evidence-based, delivery-focused, and holistically designed to tackle West Yorkshire’s employment and skills challenges. You will embed a continuous improvement approach, ensuring that commissioning develops and adapts based on learning, insight, and pilot activity.

Our Offer

• Work your way – From flexible and agile working options, including a generous flexi-time scheme to help you balance your personal life and career.
• Time to recharge – Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (with increases based on length of service), plus all Bank Holidays.
• Free greener travel across West Yorkshire – Cover your commute sustainably with unlimited free bus and rail travel using the MCard (Zones 1–5).
• Secure your future – Benefit from a highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Investing in you – Take advantage of fully funded professional development, regular training, and up to 3 paid volunteering days per year.
• Grow with us – Incremental salary progression for most roles and annual cost of living increases.
• Family first – We offer enhanced parental and bereavement leave, plus other family-friendly policies to support you when it matters most.
• Your wellbeing, our priority – Access 24/7 free confidential counselling services and the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends.
• Modern workspace in a prime location – Work in bright, contemporary offices just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station, fully equipped with the latest tech.

The Role

Reporting into the Policy and Partnerships Lead - Healthy Working Life, your key responsibilities will include:

• Drive impact by leading the implementation, delivery and performance management of Healthy Working Life programmes, including Connect to Work and the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer across West Yorkshire, to reduce unemployment and economic inactivity, enabling residents to access or sustain good-quality work.
• Inspire and empower a team of Project Leads, fostering collaboration and innovation to achieve outstanding results.
• Champion excellence by overseeing key workstreams including performance, risk, procurement, finance, legal, and communications while building strategic partnerships that maximise value and create lasting change.

Please review the Role Profile for more information about the responsibilities.

About You

You will have the following key skills, attributes, education and experience:

• Proven experience in implementing and managing complex employment support or work and health programmes, with a strong understanding of funding rules and ability to demonstrate impact on outcomes.
• Strong leadership and analytical skills, including line management, strategic performance oversight, and the ability to interpret data, challenge performance, and ensure compliance with audit and evidence requirements.
• Excellent communication and writing skills, enabling you to engage confidently with diverse audiences, build strong relationships with internal colleagues, stakeholders, and external organisations, while simplifying complex technical themes into clear, concise language.
• Highly organised and process-driven, with a talent for improving systems and services while taking initiative and solving problems collaboratively.
• Passion and motivation to deliver results, exceed performance and financial targets, and make a positive impact on West Yorkshire communities.

To Apply

If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements under the ‘About You’ section of the advert and criteria within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form.

If you would like to discuss this role in more detail, please contact Anna Myers via Anna.Myers@westyorks-ca.gov.uk

Further Information

The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met.

Please note that whilst it is our policy to recruit at SP1 for all appointments, which is the salary stated above, each role includes career salary progression, with incremental increases applicable in most cases on an annual basis.