Business Growth Manager

Business Growth Manager

Secondment Opportunity / Fixed term contract, 12 months

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£57,183 to £67,273 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 12th November 2025

The Role

Essex County Council is a systems leader for Skills and Economic Growth, partnering with public and private sectors to position Essex as a hub of innovation, enterprise, and ambition. Through our new Essex Growth Agency, we drive an inclusive, integrated approach to skills development, business support, sector growth, and inward investment across the County.

Leading direct services (and the development of services) that support SMEs to set up and grow: The Business Growth Manager plays a pivotal role in fostering a resilient and thriving economy within Essex. Leading a team focussed on spearheading initiatives designed to provide direct services that support business growth, entrepreneurship, innovation and business retention to create high-quality employment opportunities. The role will play a key role in overseeing the client engagement and business account management approach ECC’s business-facing services, developing a structured, proactive framework to manage relationships with businesses across the region which strengthens ECC’s connection with the business community, fostering trust and ensuring that relationships are highly relevant and impactful.

This role is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive business growth and sector engagement programme, which aligns with Essex County Council’s strategic economic priorities. By identifying growth opportunities and understanding the unique needs of Essex’s industries, the manager ensures that local businesses have access to tailored resources, innovative support, and guidance essential for success in an evolving market. A critical aspect of this role is building and maintaining strategic partnerships with local authorities, business intermediaries, educational institutions, and government bodies. By collaborating closely with these stakeholders, the Business Growth Manager cultivates a coordinated business support system that provides comprehensive assistance to Essex’s businesses.

To read more about our business area, please visit Policy, Economy, Investment and Public Health

Organisational Accountabilities

- Operational planning and performance review, to maintain exceptional service delivery and ensure the political objectives and priorities of the council are met

- Working collaboratively within and across functions and thinking commercially to support the delivery of best possible outcomes for our customers, on a financially sustainable basis

- Maintaining and nurturing collaborative relationships with other teams in the function and external organisations that support the delivery of annual plans

- Implementing changes and continually evaluating the service to improve the area of work, while maintaining continual delivery of the highest possible levels of service quality.

- Managing complex issues and resources to meet the needs of customers and deliver the best possible outcomes

- Effective utilisation of digital technologies and innovation across the function

- Celebrating Equality and Diversity and ensuring it is considered as part of all decisions taken

- Using professional expertise to translate goals and plans into ways of working that comply with relevant legislation and statutory requirements, manages a level of appropriate risk

- Delivering exemplar customer interactions to individuals and communities which support strong relationships and a reputation for achieving outcomes and resolving issues

Role Accountabilities

- Responsible for implementing ECC’s business growth programme and services, building partnerships locally and nationally to ensure a coordinated support system for Essex businesses, driving sector growth, supply chain development & social value and creating employment opportunities for residents.

- Implement methods to engage with businesses and intermediary bodies, in order to strengthen public/private sector partnerships and collaborative relationships with businesses, government bodies, business intermediaries, local authorities and business representative organisations to enhance the business support ecosystem across Essex

- Working collaboratively with Heads of Service and the Business Partnerships Manager, implement, manage and deliver ECC’s business facing service client relationship and account management approach, including any related systems.

- Implement the planning, execution, and monitoring of targeted business growth and engagement projects and initiatives that address the specific needs of Essex businesses across key sectors. Ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and budget, while meeting quality standards.

- Support the development of and execute the implementation of business growth and economic growth strategies and action plans through conducting research, analysing data, and providing insights to enable successful delivery of Essex County Council’s economic objectives.

- Co-develop and implement performance metrics to measure business growth and engagement progress, using data-driven insights to inform strategic adjustments and continuous improvement.

- Lead collaboration with the communications and marketing colleagues to develop and implement cohesive strategies that ensure consistent messaging, branding, and campaign identities for ECC business facing services.

- Identify and recommend opportunities for service improvements and income generation through existing and new service offerings, through identifying potential revenue streams, creating business cases for new initiatives, and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to implement these strategies effectively.

- Represent Essex County Council at regional and national forums, showcasing the region’s economic development efforts and advocating for resources to support strategic priorities.

- Ensure the implementation of ECC’s business account management approach by leading business engagement efforts that build and maintain trusting relationships with businesses, industry representatives and partners.

- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF level 6 (degree level) in economic development, business development or related discipline, or equivalent by experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development and in-depth knowledge of Essex’s economic landscape, key sectors, and national and local policies impacting business growth.
• Proven experience of procuring, commissioning and delivering tailored business growth services.
• Programme management experience and the ability to develop and create strategies to changing market conditions and policy shifts.
• Experience of building strong collaborative client relationships with the business community, to understand their needs and the support required to grow or relocate to Essex.
• Experience of establishing strong partnerships across the public sector at senior level, which are influential and collaborative in their nature and engender delivery of joint innovative strategies.
• Strong leadership skills which drive a highly performing and motivated multi-disciplinary team from diverse backgrounds, to achieve strategic objectives.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex . With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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