Opportunity Sheffield is the employment and skills service within Sheffield City Council (SCC). We commission, deliver and oversee activities to support people into jobs, training and career development, and work to strengthen the local economy by helping employers attract, nurture and retain talent.
Our programmes are aimed at breaking down barriers to employment, particularly for those furthest from the labour market, while helping alleviate poverty and boost economic growth through skills enhancement.
Opportunity Sheffield’s employment support activity is delivered as part of regional programmes delivered in partnership with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA)
Sheffield City Council has been nominated by Government as a Delivery Area Member in South Yorkshire’s Connect to Work Programme, introduced in November 2024’s Get Britain Working white paper. The programme, set to run from 2025 to 2030, will be externally funded through Department for Work and Pensions funding designated to South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Connect to Work (CtW) will comprise two elements - IPS and SEQF employment support – which utilise the evidence-based ‘place, train, and maintain’ models, designed to support participants with higher-level needs.
We are looking to recruit a Senior Project Officer / Contract Manager to join the Opportunity Sheffield team and carry out duties of contract managing CtW IPS and SEQF employment support projects, acting as a critical friend and adviser to the employment support project providers. This role is a temporary position and will end on the 31st March 2027.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, flexible, and forward-thinking member of staff who can support and manage the delivery of employment support projects.
The individual will be expected to have knowledge and understanding of IPS, SEQF, externally funded programmes, the employment support sector, the Voluntary Community Sector and will carry out contract management of Opportunity Sheffield employment support project providers. This will include:
1. Monitoring provider activity and progress against set targets outputs and outcomes, and any key performance indicators as agreed on contract award
2. Arranging and holding monthly contract monitoring meetings with Opportunity Sheffield’s CtW employment project contract providers
3. Ensuring SCC contractual compliance is always maintained to the highest standard
4. Acting as a ‘critical friend’ to Opportunity Sheffield contract providers offering both support and advice to ensure effective project delivery
5. Building and maintaining positive relationships with contract providers, as well as a range of external stakeholders
6. Using Enspirio information systems effectively in accordance with the requirements of the CtW contract delivery, for which training will be provided
7. Assisting in the preparation and production of the management information and project returns
8. Facilitating weekly/bi-weekly case conferencing for IPS contract providers to bring the Employment Support Workers together to share best practice
9. Assisting in future procurement of tenders advertised by Opportunity Sheffield
10. Carrying out other duties, to be agreed upon with line manager
Interviews to be held week commencing 9th March an intended start date of April 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact Peter Slack (Development Manager) on or 0114 2057441
We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.