Relationship Manager – Skills and Employment
Grade: F15
Directorate: Strategy and Inclusive Growth
Location: East Midlands
Reports to: Head of Employability and Health
Contract: Full-time
Help Shape Skills, Employment and Health Outcomes Across the East Midlands
We are looking for an experienced and highly skilled Relationship Manager to join our Skills and Employment Directorate. This is a pivotal role at the heart of our programmes, working with a diverse network of providers, local authorities, NHS and Integrated Care Board partners, employers, voluntary sector organisations, and government stakeholders to ensure high-quality delivery and positive outcomes for residents across the region.
As the central point of engagement between EMCCA and our delivery partners, you will play a critical role in driving performance, supporting collaboration, managing complex stakeholder relationships, and ensuring programmes deliver value for money, contractual compliance, and meaningful impact.
This role would suit someone who thrives in partnership environments, is confident navigating challenging conversations and can balance support, accountability, and influence to achieve results.
What You'll Be Doing
Building Strong Strategic Partnerships
- Act as the primary relationship lead for a broad range of stakeholders including providers, local authorities, NHS and ICB partners, employers, DWP representatives, and VCSE organisations.
- Develop and maintain productive partnerships that support programme objectives and regional priorities.
- Represent EMCCA at programme boards, stakeholder forums, governance meetings, and partnership events.
Managing Performance and Accountability
- Monitor provider performance against contractual targets, KPIs, quality standards, and programme outcomes.
- Work closely with providers to address performance concerns, identify solutions, and drive continuous improvement.
- Support assurance activities, ensuring accurate reporting, robust governance, and effective communication with senior leaders.
- Review performance information, contracts, claims, and delivery data to identify risks, opportunities, and emerging issues.
Influencing and Problem Solving
- Lead constructive conversations with partners to resolve challenges, improve delivery, and strengthen accountability.
- Influence stakeholders across complex systems to secure engagement, commitment, and collaborative solutions.
- Balance supportive relationship management with the confidence to challenge underperformance when required.
Driving Continuous Improvement
- Facilitate collaboration across provider networks, encouraging the sharing of best practice and innovation.
- Gather stakeholder intelligence and feedback to inform service improvements and future programme development.
- Support the integration of employment, skills, health, and care pathways to improve participant experiences and outcomes.
What We're Looking For
Essential Experience and Skills
We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
- Experience working within local government, combined authorities, public sector organisations, or government-funded programmes.
- Significant experience managing relationships across a wide range of stakeholders, including providers, councils, NHS organisations, employers, and government agencies.
- Strong diplomacy, influencing, and negotiation skills, with the ability to build trust while maintaining accountability.
- Confidence handling challenging conversations and addressing performance concerns in a constructive and professional manner.
- Experience working with contracts, performance management frameworks, claims processes, funding requirements, or compliance arrangements.
- Experience managing provider performance within employability, skills, health, welfare-to-work, or similar programmes.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and make evidence-based recommendations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presenting information to different audiences.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- High levels of adaptability and resilience, with the ability to respond positively to changing priorities and evolving programme requirements.
- Experience using CRM systems, Microsoft Office applications, and project management tools.
Qualifications
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant experience in a transferable role.
- Evidence of continued professional development and career progression is desirable.
Why Join Us?
At EMCCA, our mission is to create long-term impact for the people, businesses, and places of the East Midlands. We work through partnership, collaboration, and systems leadership to create opportunities and drive inclusive growth.
Our values underpin everything we do:
Lifting Our Region
Championing programmes and partnerships that deliver meaningful outcomes.
Working Together
Building trusted relationships and bringing diverse stakeholders together.
Making an Impact
Turning strategy into action and driving continuous improvement.
Valuing different perspectives and building authentic, respectful relationships.
Who Will Thrive in This Role?
You’ll be successful if you are someone who:
- Enjoys working with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders.
- Can confidently balance support, challenge, and accountability.
- Has a diplomatic approach and strong political awareness.
- Is comfortable operating in complex environments with competing priorities.
- Remains resilient and adaptable when managing change and uncertainty.
- Is passionate about improving employment, skills, and health outcomes for local communities.
If you’re an experienced relationship manager who can influence, challenge, collaborate, and drive performance across complex partnerships, we’d love to hear from you.
