Funding And Programme Manager

What will you be doing?

You will drive delivery of the £5.4M UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the £1.3M Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) to achieve high quality outputs and outcomes, delivering service excellence and best practice in terms of funding delivery and fulfillment of Government requirements. You will provide oversight and accountability for these funding streams in line with the funder and audit requirements.

You will ensure that the Council maximises opportunities to secure external funding through building effective partnerships with internal stakeholders and external organisations at local, regional and national levels to maximise the opportunities for investment in economic growth across West Northants. You will build partnerships and delivery approaches with neighbouring councils to maximise access to regional money for the area.

Direct and manage the work of the Funding and Delivery team by providing an efficient and effective approach to delivering our dedicated Employment Support service, helping residents to increase employment levels in the area, including skill levels and economic activity.

You will engage with numerous internal teams to collaborate on opportunities resulting in the ability to secure or deliver funding, such as engaging with Planning to develop measures to improve the Council’s performance on developer funding matters, including section 106 agreements, and the Community Infrastructure Levy to ensure this funding is targeted to meet the needs of the local economy and benefits the community.

You’ll proactively seek out appropriate funding streams, understand current government policy & funding programmes to actively develop funding bids for any that are suitable to delivery quality outcomes for West Northants businesses and residents.

Have oversight of projects relating to employment support, upskilling the future workforce, town centre management and numerous funding streams. Plus you’ll work with the wider service managers and Head of Service to enhance the local economy and increasing the number of businesses, jobs, investment and GVA.

Each day will look slightly different and you’ll be able to get involved in various projects across the directorate, including opportunities for CPD and to share best practice. You will be involved with the creation of a new Economic Growth & Inward Investment strategy and will input into the processes to manage and oversee business growth enquiries and stakeholder engagement.

About you

We’re looking for an expert in the field with proven experience & skills, able to drive and lead initiatives to enable economic growth and make a significant contribution to delivering economic growth in the area. You will have strong experience in managing government funding programmes, including delivery, reporting and audits to ensure funds are managed accurately to deliver desired outcomes.

You will be passionate about working innovatively to deliver service excellence for West Northamptonshire businesses and residents, combining creativity with finely honed project management skills to achieve tangible outcomes.

You will be a charismatic manager, able to support your team to deliver a range of successful initiatives and projects relating to funding, dedicated to upskilling your Team and working collaboratively with the wider service and beyond.

Exceptional interpersonal and collaboration skills are key. We are also looking for significant experience of working with a range of internal and external partners and forging successful partnerships to achieve high performance and significant, sustainable accomplishments for the service.

You’ll need to have a solutions driven and adaptable approach to working, thrive in a busy environment with a positive approach to challenges!

Ideally you will have previous experience of facilitating business growth within a local authority, with experience of project management, grant processes and an understanding of the commercial landscape. You will be able to smoothly manage and develop a pipeline of opportunities, handling all relevant processes whilst being able to use your own initiative to 'think outside of the box’. You’ll use your great attention to detail to ensure our activities are innovative, creative and achieve high level results.

Finally, your knowledge of achieving economic growth initiatives will be utilised as part of the wider service, showing your ability to thrive as a team player as well as lead on projects relating to business growth. You will combine sales and marketing experience, along with expert knowledge to champion business growth and investment in the area.

Our benefits

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

• Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 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.
• Cycle to Work scheme. 
• 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
• Professional subscriptions / registration - if your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees
• 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.

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.

Hear more from Anna Earnshaw, our Chief Executive, about working for West Northants Council: https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU

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.