Principal Business Engagement Officer

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to lead engagement with businesses from London's key sectors to ensure skills training addresses their current and future workforce needs, and to ensure they can access talent.

The Skills and Employment unit is looking for a new Principal Business Engagement Officer to deliver a programme of business engagement in support of a number of skills and employment programmes.

The post holder will be required to deliver business and strategic partner engagement activities to support the delivery of existing programme objectives, and using industry insight help to inform the strategic direction of the Mayor's skills programmes.

We are seeking a highly motivated individual to lead on identifying opportunities to engage with business to support the development and performance of our programmes, to maximise the number of Londoners supported by the Mayor's investment to enter or progress in employment.

Demonstrable evidence of delivering employer engagement programmes is a must and achieving results will be crucial for this role. We're looking for a confident communicator who can build relationships with employers, ensure the opportunity of support from our programmes for business is clear and develop advice and guidance for commissioned training providers on their own business engagement efforts.

About the Team

The Skills and Employment Unit is responsible for working with external partners to develop skills and employment strategies for London and managing the Adult Skills Budget, UK Shared Prosperity Fund and programmes such as the Mayor's Skills Academies, Skills Bootcamps for Londoners and Skills Capital investment programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• To establish and maintain effective working relationships across a wide range of local and regional employer and key stakeholder networks to promote engagement and drive job outcomes across the relevant delivery team's programmes
• To actively manage the end-to-end customer journey of a portfolio of employers to understand skills requirements and facilitate partnerships with training providers to support the development of industry-led training courses
• To strengthen local partnerships and linkages between employers, providers, boroughs, industry representative bodies and other key stakeholders and ensure connectivity with other initiatives to facilitate cross-referrals
• To work closely with employers and industry representative bodies and build up data and intelligence to better understand the skills requirements across key sectors in London
• To expand the GLA's business relationships, in particular in priority sectors of London's economy through active engagement and collaborative projects
• To communicate relevant and up-to-date industry insights to inform the current and future strategic and operational delivery of the skills and employment unit's programmes
• Lead the development and organisation of high-profile stakeholder events to secure successful outcomes
• To analyse relevant industry data and intelligence and provide recommendations to inform the development, delivery and sustainability of the Employer-focussed programmes
• To engage with officers across the GLA and GLA Group to ensure a joined-up approach to delivering skills and employment programmes across London
• To liaise with the GLA's Press team to demonstrate the impact of the employer-focussed programmes on local businesses, Londoners and the economy through pan-London and local PR coverage
• To represent the GLA, skills and employment programmes at relevant internal and external meetings
• To realise the benefits of London's diversity by promoting and enabling equality of opportunity, and promote the diverse needs and aspirations of London's communities among businesses and stakeholders

Person SpecificationTechnical Requirements/Experience/Qualifications

• Experience of working with, or alongside, the private and public sectors and a good understanding of the differences in their perspectives and values
• Highly developed interpersonal skills, including an ability to build and manage influential and effective relationships with a diverse range of senior stakeholders to deliver successful outcomes
• A strong understanding of UK skills and business policy
• A good understanding of industry intelligence and evidence of using strategic insights to drive delivery of high-profile, public-facing or corporate projects
• Experience of delivering communications and events activities for diverse range of audiences, including businesses

Behavioural CompetenciesBuilding and Managing Relationships

Developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Actively engages partners and encourages others to build relationships that support GLA objectives
• Understands and recognises the contributions that staff at all levels make to delivering priorities
• Proactively manages partner relationships, preventing or resolving any conflict
• Adapts style to work effectively with partners, building consensus, trust and respect
• Delivers objectives by bringing together diverse stakeholders to work effectively in partnership

Stakeholder Focus

Consulting with, listening to and understanding the needs of those our work impacts and using this knowledge to shape what we do and manage others' expectations

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Understands diverse stakeholder needs and tailors team deliverables accordingly
• Is a role model to others, encouraging them to think of Londoners first
• Manages stakeholder expectations, so they are high but realistic
• Removes barriers to understanding the needs of diverse stakeholders, including hard-to-reach groups
• Focusses own and team's efforts on delivering a quality and committed service

Planning and Organising

Thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Monitors allocation of resources, anticipating changing requirements that may impact work delivery
• Ensures evaluation processes are in place to measure project benefits
• Gains buy-in and commitment to project delivery from diverse stakeholders
• Implements quality measures to ensure directorate output is of a high standard
• Translates political vision into action plans and deliverables

Organisational Awareness

Understanding and being sensitive to organisational dynamics, culture and politics across and beyond the GLA and shaping our approach accordingly

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Uses understanding of differences between the GLA and its partners to improve working relationships
• Helps others understand the GLA and the complex environment in which it operates
• Translates changing political agendas into tangible actions
• Considers the diverse needs of Londoners in formulating GLA objectives
• Helps others understand how the media and external perceptions of the GLA influence work

Communicating and Influencing

Presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate, and engage with us

Level 3 Indicators of Effective Performance:

• Encourages and supports teams in engaging in transparent and inclusive communication
• Influences others and gains buy-in using compelling, well-thought-through arguments
• Negotiates effectively to deliver GLA priorities
• Synthesises the complex viewpoints of others, recognises where compromise is necessary and brokers agreement
• Advocates positively for the GLA both within and outside the organisation

The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here:

This role is based at the GLA's Head Office

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

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