Careers Inclusion Lead

Join us as Careers Inclusion Lead and help shape, deliver and champion our Youth Ambition, enabling young people from all backgrounds to access the support, guidance, and opportunities they need to achieve their career aspirations.

Welcome to EMCCA

EMCCA is the UK’s first mayor-led combined county authority. The East Midlands is a great region. But it deserves to be better. Better connected, better funded and better prepared for a future of opportunity, growth, and hope. EMCCA will oversee devolved powers around transport, housing, skills and adult education, economic development, and net zero. We will conceive the strategies and create the connections that will empower local partners, people and businesses – maximising the impact of billions of pounds of funding. Together, our new EMCCA team can put the East Midlands on the map as a place to live, work and study.

Your role in elevating the East Midlands

It will be your responsibility to drive the vision and strategic development, delivery, and continuous improvement of careers education, employability, and inclusion programmes across the authority. You will ensure that these strategies are aligned with regional priorities and respond to current and future workforce needs.

To achieve this, you will work collaboratively with internal teams, local authorities, education providers, employers, and community partners.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the development and implementation of the Youth Ambition agenda, working closely with the Head of Youth and Careers.
• Overseeing initiatives such as inclusive recruitment, employer engagement, SEND careers support, and targeted interventions for underrepresented groups.
• Collaborating and building relationships with local, regional, and national partners including schools, colleges, training providers, DWP, employers, and third-sector organisations.
• To ensure alignment with national careers guidance frameworks and regional devolution priorities, identify risks and noncompliance.
• Monitoring programme performance, outcomes, and impact, presenting and reporting regularly to senior leadership and governance boards.
• Contributing to strategic funding bids and investment planning.

Your profile

• Relevant degree or equivalent level of relevant experience with evidence of career progression.
• Extensive professional knowledge in the careers inclusion sector, ensuring governance, financial and risk framework compliance.
• Experience of initiatives such as inclusive recruitment, employer engagement, SEND careers support, and targeted interventions for underrepresented groups.
• Proven experience in national careers guidance frameworks and understanding of regional devolution priorities.
• Experience in embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion principles across programme areas, monitoring programme performance, outcomes, and impact, providing analysis and report regularly to senior leadership and governance boards.
• Experience in commissioning and managing contracts or funding calls related to careers and inclusion provision and contributing to strategic funding bids and investment planning.
• A proven track record of engaging with and influencing senior, cross sector stakeholders to drive collaboration and achieve balance in the regional system.
• Up to date knowledge of the careers education sector and the wider economic, political and social drivers of business engaging with and supporting schools, colleges and young people.

For more details on EMCCA including our rewards and benefits, please visit: https://eastmidscareers.co.uk

Office location – all roles are based at NGEC, Saltergate, Chesterfield, S40 1UT unless stated otherwise.

Please note – at this time EMCCA cannot offer sponsorship.

To apply please visit: https://osbornethomas.org/jobs/careers-inclusion-lead/

Closing date: 9th September