Sustainable Growth Engagement Lead

Sustainable Growth Engagement Lead

Fixed Term, 12 months

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£47,183 - £55,509 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 16th November 2025

In support of the delivery of Strong and Inclusive Economic Growth, the Sustainable Growth Engagement Lead covers a diverse range of activities to support the delivery of the strategic ambitions of both ECC and the Sustainable Growth directorate. This role will work closely with senior corporate and political stakeholders to develop strategic relationships with key internal and external partners and organisations - developing an in-depth understanding of what drives their strategic needs and ambitions and delivering engagement strategies to support ECC priorities and enable their growth and development in Essex.

With a strong track record for high quality, proactive delivery and project management experience that ensures delivery that stays on track, this role also requires a flexible approach from an individual that enjoys variety and thrives on being able to deliver exacting, high-profile work for senior leaders, often to very short deadlines.

Accountabilities

• Responsible for strengthening engagement with external stakeholders, maximising the benefits of inclusive economic growth, promoting economic benefits to create jobs, secure development and enhance the reputation and economy of Essex through a comprehensive stakeholder management approach
• Responsible for supporting ECC Skills and Employability engagement programmes, including development of stakeholder mapping and engagement plans to forge robust relationships with key strategic organisations, in support of ECC’s strategic ambitions for economic growth and systems leadership of the business support and skills landscape across the county
• Responsible for supporting Sustainable Growth’s strategic ambitions for inward investment, sector growth, innovation, business support, skills and employability. Working with large scale businesses and key external partners to transform the outward facing messages about the Essex economy, opportunities for growth and investment, highlighting key strengths, leading companies and key growth sectors. Developing wider collaboration and stakeholder management plans for key strategic relationships and planning cross-cutting engagement and communication activity with residents and businesses to build engagement and awareness.
• Responsible for supporting, Sector Development and Business Growth teams to target, engage and influence Essex businesses in support of Sustainable Growth strategic ambitions - maximising the impact of the communication and engagement channels through the comprehensive design of a measurement, tracking and evaluation system to understand performance and inform continuous improvement
• Responsible for supporting engagement with Essex businesses in support of Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation for Greater Essex, working with key political partners and senior ECC leadership to ensure a collaborative dialogue and holistic approach for the council
• Responsible for the integration of the existing communications and engagement activity within the newly developed Ambitious Essex Growth Agency, working closely with the Business Engagement Leads and developing a plan to support continued engagement, including social and digital channel content, video, images, web presence, written brochure style collateral, presentations and newsletter activity, as required
• Responsible for supporting political and senior leadership to achieve greater cohesion and effective collaboration between ECC, the regional economic partnerships, and the Greater Essex Business Board, through the development and delivery of a robust and external stakeholder plan for communications and engagement
• Working collaboratively within and across ECC Functions and thinking commercially to support the delivery of best possible outcomes for Sustainable Growth stakeholders on a financially sustainable basis
• Responsible for the provision of a regular and comprehensive overview of engagement projects to senior and political leadership, to enable the implications of the work to be shared, understood and appropriately challenged
• Represent the Council at a wide range of meetings, working closely with partners and stakeholders to support the delivery of ECC’s economic growth outcomes
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Proven experience of leading high level, strategic stakeholder identification, mapping activity and analysis, including the development and delivery of communications and engagement plans
• Demonstrable evidence of working effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, successfully influencing partners and ensuring good relationship management
• Proven experience of local government economic development and an understanding of the skills, business and economic landscape for Essex
• Proven track record of effective management of multi-disciplinary, high profile and complex projects
• Ability to provide robust written and verbal recommendations on proposed courses of action to political and senior leadership
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional areas

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

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. 

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR)) on our careers site

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.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

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 or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page.

Links / Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working  | About Us  | Organisation Behaviours