Vacancies

Head of Economic Growth and Inward Investment

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

About the role

We’re looking for an ambitious individual to drive forward the economic growth and inward investment agenda across Northampton, Daventry, Brackley and Towcester, transforming this area into one of the UK's major destinations for inward investment, business and tourism. The Head of Economic Growth & Inward Investment will be responsible for supporting sectors and existing businesses and employers, alongside assisting in the delivery of the skills agendas to ensure this is an area to attract new business whilst also support existing business.

West Northamptonshire is a great place to live and work, with wonderful countryside, heritage, leisure opportunities, and many strong established businesses. It is also a place that has many strengths and attractions for investors, new businesses and visitors. In 2019, Northampton was ranked in the top third best for business in the country, by Management Today ’21 Best Towns and Cities in Britain’. The area is facing a high level of growth and our Place and Economy directorate is key to enabling the realisation of the Council’s vision to build on the existing qualities of the area.

The Council area includes Silverstone Circuit and Park, which is part of Motorsport Valley and home of the F1 British Grand Prix, the University of Northampton, Northampton Saints rugby and is also part of the Golden Triangle of Logistics with two Rail Freight Interchanges and is a one-hour drive from London, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge and we’re part of to the Oxford Cambridge Pan Regional Partnership.

This new role is within the Communities & Opportunities Directorate and will be part of its management team. The Directorate provides synergies between regeneration, housing delivery, economic growth, employment services and other community facing services such as libraries. It is an exciting opportunity to lead on establishing a new service area within this directorate, which will include inward investment and business relationships; securing government funding, managing and delivering funding programmes; supporting the regeneration service in the delivery of its ambitious development programme and also leading on the tourism and visitor economy.

For more information:

If you’d like to find out more about this exciting position, please click here to view the full job description and apply.

If you would like to have an informal chat about the role, please feel free to contact Louise Seymour, Assistant Director for Place Shaping: Louise.Seymour@WestNorthants.gov.uk

What will you be doing?

Leading the development and articulation of the offer and providing a compelling case for inward investors to consider West Northants as an excellent place to locate and grow their businesses
Working alongside our partners, including North Northants Council, to promote the wealth of leisure and tourism opportunities across Northamptonshire.
Working with the Council’s Regeneration team, supporting delivery of regeneration initiatives predominantly within Northampton but across the Council area, working to secure funding, facilitate investment and identify and work with end users.
Responsible for the delivery of the UKSPF and Rural Fund
Developing an integrated place marketing and strategic tourism strategy for West Northants
Generating inward investment leads by proactively marketing the offer to targeted firms in specific sectors, in which the area has considerable expertise and / or potential for growth and in key international markets
Establishing and maintaining business networks including the management and organisation of events and promotional activity
Supporting economic growth across the sub region, including new job creation and levering substantial investment in new infrastructure and improved productivity in key growth sectors

About you

You'll need:

Substantial experience of leading or managing successful inward investment projects and bids
Proven track record of developing and leading collaborative partnerships with stakeholders in the public and private sectors
Experience of managing and developing staff as well as managing complex budgets
Strong negotiating skills and the ability to influence decision makers at all levels
Investment & funding knowledge

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 27 days annual leave per year, 28 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
Car Lease scheme
Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
Ongoing training and development opportunities.
A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

The council is in the process of implementing a new pay structure and terms and conditions which will be applicable to this role.  The outcome could result in a future variation to the advertised salary, and this will be discussed at interview.

About us

We’re a new council, following one of the largest shake-ups in local government reform in recent history. As a new authority, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to deliver exceptional services for our residents, customers and communities.

Our vision at West Northamptonshire Council 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.

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.

When potential is unlocked, talent thrives.

Choose a career that offers you a true sense of achievement, fills you with pride and challenges you in a positive way, every day.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.