Senior Triage Officer Permanent, Full Time £26,485 to £31,158 Per Annum Location: Chelmsford Closing Date: Wednesday 28th May 2025 at 11.59pm The Opportunity Essex has a number of key employment and skills challenges including low productivity, low wages and lower than average workforce skills levels. Whilst the unemployment claimant count is low, Essex suffers from high levels of economic inactivity and significant pockets of deprivation in communities and cohorts. To resolve these challenges, Essex County Council delivers the Connect to Work Programme which supports residents with facing barriers or challenges to get into and maintain meaningful employment. The Senior Triage Officer will oversee the effective processing of referrals and onboarding of residents to the Connect to Work programme, delivering effective signposting, administration and project support that enables the delivery of a customer-focused and outcomes-based service. The role plays a vital role sustaining the programme by supporting the coordination of applications for support, quality assuring and delivering initial eligibility assessments and working with managers and partners to develop the triage and assessment service. Accountabilities Contribute to the successful delivery of the Connect to Work programme by providing high-quality administrative support and quality assurance as well as acting as the first point of contact for enquiries to the programme. Maintain a strong understanding of eligibility and suitability requirements of the Connect to Work Programme, ensuring updates are identified, communicated and amendments made to programme materials and application forms. Oversee the processing of Expressions of Interest received for the programme in the form of direct and third-party referrals from professionals, coordinating with providers and clients to ensure an efficient process is operated and expressions of interest are processed within specified timescales. Assist in the development and maintenance of a structured approach to managing Expressions of Interest by the triage service to facilitate effective coordination of applications, supporting as required Triage officers to make recommendations for participant engagement in the programme. Facilitate effective working relationships with commissioned providers, coordinating support assessments for participants, acting as the initial point of contact for complaints or issues, seeking to resolve any urgent or complex issues that arise, escalating significant issues to programme management. Collaborate with partner organisations, such as local authorities, educational institutions, and business intermediaries to develop and maintain a database of employment support and skills programmes, using this to provide signposting for support to those not eligible for the Connect to Work programme. Prepare analysis, reports and presentations on performance of the triage service, providing recommendations to support strategic decision-making and continuous improvement in the Connect to Work programme. Lead research into benchmarking and best practice to support service innovation and continuous improvement. Assist in the development and maintenance of a structured client engagement approach, ensuring updates are made to the Management Information System (MIS), PRaP and other systems as required, accurate records are kept, and confidentiality is maintained through regular quality assurance audits of the MIS. The Experience You Will Bring Educated to RQF Level 4 in Business Administration (or similar) or equivalent relevant experience in senior business administration role. Project coordination skills, with the ability to manage tasks, meet timelines, and contribute to team objectives with an ability to demonstrate a high level of attention to detail and assure programme quality are essential. Strong analytical skills, with experience in data collection, performance measurement, and translating data into actionable insights to improve program effectiveness and support data-driven decision-making. Experience of MS Office suite of programmes and their practical application, as well as the ability to use computerised systems with a high level of speed and accuracy. Experience in client engagement, with a demonstrated ability to build relationships and collaboration with service users, commissioned providers and partners. Experience of developing and implementing CRM / MIS system and/or other financial and data management systems and creating customer-focused communication processes. Ability to manage time effectively and demonstrate a wide understanding of customer needs and being able to manage their expectations as well as solve simple problems and identify alternative solutions Experience of working with Government programmes, particularly in employment and skills is desirable.