Consultant - Workforce

Job Title: Consultant – Workforce

Department: Consultancy and Research

Location: Bristol/Sheffield Office, with hybrid working available

Pay Scale £46,000 - £50,000k per year

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

The Workforce Development Trust

The Workforce Development Trust is a not-for-profit organisation that provides services that support employers to develop skilled, sustainable, and efficient workforces in the UK and abroad. We operate via our four brands; Skills for Health, Skills for Justice, SFJ Awards, iCQ Awards and People 1st International, which deliver specialist, targeted skills interventions to support a variety of frontline public services.

The Workforce Development Trust is growing and we're looking for talented consultants to join our expanding Consultancy & Research Division. With ambitious plans for the years ahead, we're building on our success across health, justice, emergency services and the wider public sector to deliver work that makes a real difference.

We have multiple positions available at Consultant and Senior Consultant level, offering the chance to lead and contribute to a wide variety of projects, from national workforce transformation programmes to local service redesign and capability frameworks. Working within a collaborative, matrix team, you'll bring your own specialist strengths while contributing across the full breadth of our consultancy offer.

If you're passionate about improving how public services plan, develop and support their people and you thrive in an environment where evidence, innovation and purpose come together we'd love to hear from you.

Job summary

As a Consultant-Workforce, you will play a key role in the design and delivery of workforce consultancy projects across health, justice, emergency services and the wider public sector. Working as part of a matrix team, you will contribute specialist expertise and strong project management skills to deliver practical, evidence-based solutions for clients.

You will lead defined projects and/or work packages within larger assignments, working closely with Senior Consultants and the Principal Consultant. You will be expected to conduct research and analysis, manage client engagement, and produce clear, high-quality outputs.

What is the impact of the role on the business?

As a Consultant in our Workforce team, you'll help shape the future workforce across health, justice, emergency services and the wider public sector. Your work directly influences national programmes, policy, and service improvement helping organisations build skilled, sustainable, and motivated workforces. Every project you deliver contributes to making frontline services stronger, more effective, and better supported.

Key business skills necessary for the role?

You'll need excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, alongside strong communication and stakeholder-management capabilities. The role suits someone who enjoys making sense of complex systems, producing clear insights and recommendations, and managing multiple priorities with professionalism. Project management experience, attention to detail, and the ability to write with clarity and purpose are also essential.

What does the daily work look like?

No two days are the same. You might be facilitating a client workshop one morning, analysing workforce data in the afternoon, and drafting a report or presentation the next day. You'll collaborate closely with colleagues across our consultancy, research, and technical teams, often working on two or three projects at a time. Hybrid working gives

you the freedom to combine focused home-based work with in-person team sessions and client engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery

• Deliver work packages ensuring outputs are accurate, timely and aligned with client needs.
• Lead projects and/or workstreams within larger programmes.

Client and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build positive working relationships with clients, operating as a credible point of contact.
• Support client presentations, workshops and meetings.

Collaboration & Teamwork

• Work collaboratively with Senior Consultants, Associates and wider colleagues.
• Share knowledge, learning and good practice with peers.

Business Development & Service Improvement

• Contribute to proposal writing, tenders and business development opportunities.
• Support the refinement of tools, methodologies and frameworks used across the consultancy.

Quality Assurance

• Apply structured QA processes to own work and contribute to peer review.
• Seek feedback and reflect on learning to continuously improve practice.

Please download full JD here and our job pack here or click the link below:

This job requires some days in the office. Please consider if you are willing to relocate before applying.

Please include your CV and cover letter . In your covering letter, please give specific examples of work you've done or experiences you've had that demonstrate how you meet the requirements of this post and why this role feels like a good fit for you.

Only apply if you currently have a valid right to work in the UK.

Please note, we reserve the right to alter the closing date before the one stated.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

Benefits:

• Generous annual leave entitlement up to a maximum of 28 days, plus public holidays and a potential Christmas closure
• Flexible working - 50% working from home with a dress for your day approach
• Staggered start and finish time
• Employee referral recruitment scheme
• We provide enhanced leave, bereavement, carers, maternity, paternity and sickness leave.
• Health and wellbeing benefits, access to our mental health first aiders, a confidential employee assistance programme, free eye tests and payment for an annual flu jab
• Enhanced pension scheme, with a contribution matching up to a combined 12%, and the option to join the Salary Exchange Pension Scheme along with death in service coverage at three times annual salary.
• Flexible employee benefits, portal including a cycle to work scheme
• Buy annual leave scheme
• Organisational development days and departmental training budgets
• Payroll giving, this is a tax-free way to donate to any charity, good cause or place of worship

The Workforce Development Trust is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone.

If your experience differs a little from what is outlined in the job description, or you are missing a desired qualification, yet you think you can bring value to this role, please apply, we would like to hear more about you.

We strongly encourage people of all gender, religion, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, and individuals with disabilities to apply.

If you need any reasonable adjustments at any point, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to advise on your preferred pronouns, for example she/her, he/him, they/them etc.

Closing date: Wednesday 19th November