Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£59,574 per annum

About the Role
Hackney Borough Council is seeking a purpose-driven and strategic leader to join us as a Supported Employment Operations Manager on a 5-year fixed term contract/secondment opportunity. Hackney is a vibrant and progressive borough in the heart of London, known for its diversity, innovation, and commitment to equity and inclusion. This role offers the chance to lead the Connect to Work Team, providing operational leadership and day-to-day management of front-line employment specialists.

You will develop and deliver employment support strategies aligned with organisational priorities, forge influential partnerships with training providers, employers, and multi-agency stakeholders, and oversee the creation of tailored training programmes addressing labour market gaps. Acting as a subject expert, you will provide strategic briefings to senior leadership and deputise for the Head of Employment Pathways.

The role involves directing the implementation of Supported Employment and IPS models, ensuring fidelity to evidence-based practice, and driving a performance-led culture through robust monitoring and impact measurement. You will cultivate high-level stakeholder relationships across sectors including NHS, employers, and DWP, and work closely with communications teams to develop engagement campaigns and promotional materials.

As a key representative of the programme at borough-wide events, you will ensure alignment with corporate strategy and influence policy. You will provide strategic oversight of the team, lead meetings to align with political, commissioning, and labour market priorities, and foster a culture of agility and innovation. Managing and mentoring Employment Advisors, you will embed a high-performance, customer-focused culture and ensure effective caseload management through data analysis and performance monitoring.

Additionally, you will oversee supervision of co-located staff, promote cross-departmental collaboration, and champion a joined-up approach within ESAL services. This is an impactful leadership role for someone committed to empowering individuals through employment and driving operational excellence.

Experience
Proven experience in operational leadership within supported employment or related fields. Demonstrated ability to manage front-line teams and deliver employment support strategies. Experience working with multi-agency partnerships and stakeholders including training providers, employers, NHS, and government departments.

About you
A strategic and purpose-driven leader with strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills. Committed to equity, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practices. Able to foster a high-performance, customer-focused culture and drive innovation and agility within teams. Comfortable working in a dynamic local government environment and representing programmes at public events.

Qualifications
Relevant professional qualifications or equivalent experience in employment support, social care, or related sectors are desirable. Competency in data analysis, performance monitoring, and evidence-based practice implementation is essential.