Job Description
* Suffolk County Council
* Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX - Hybrid
* Salary: £48,163 per annum (pro rata for part time)
* Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
* Contract: Permanent
We’re focused on making a real difference for communities across Suffolk – especially for unpaid and family carers. We do that by listening to people, learning from their experiences, and creating a culture where respect and collaboration genuinely matter. Unpaid carers are a vital part of our social care system, and we’re committed to ensuring their voices shape the services, support and direction of our work.
As the Carers Development Manager, you’ll play a key role in championing those voices. You’ll work alongside passionate colleagues, partners and carers themselves to strengthen and modernise individuals’ experiences across the county. If you want to make a tangible impact and develop your career, this is your opportunity.
Your role and responsibilities
In this role you’re part of Suffolk’s commitment to supporting unpaid carers. No two days are the same – one morning you might chair a triage meeting to ensure fair and transparent support allocation; that afternoon you could meet with providers, shape improvements or work with partners on Carers Week celebrations.
You’ll work closely with colleagues across Adult Social Care, voluntary sector partners and lived‑experience groups. You’ll turn strategy into action, support a thriving market and make a visible difference for carers across the county.
On a typical week, you might:
* Bring partners together to plan improvements to the carers offer
* Lead and support the pillars of the Carers Strategy
* Work with ICBs and Suffolk Family Carers through regular contract meetings
* Prepare for the next FCPB or quarterly agenda‑setting session
* Shape digital solutions and community support that give carers more choice and control
* Coordinate celebrations for Carers Rights Day and Carers Week
* Meet with colleagues to progress the Caring Companies initiative
* Lead the long‑term planning for the 2028 Carers Contract procurement
You will enjoy a supportive, forward‑looking team where your work has a direct impact on people's lives.
What you will need
We hope you bring curiosity, compassion and confidence. Experience working with unpaid or family carers – in a professional, voluntary or community context – will be an advantage, helping you understand the challenges carers face and the support that makes a difference.
Our ideal candidate has experience coordinating projects, working with partners or developing services, but we’re just as interested in your potential and ability to build strong, respectful relationships. If you’re organised, clear in communication and enjoy bringing people together around a shared purpose, you’ll thrive.
We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds. You might have worked in commissioning, community development, social care, the voluntary sector or another area where collaboration is key. What matters most is your motivation, values and commitment to improving the lives of unpaid carers.
A full list of requirements will be available in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply – even if you don’t meet all requirements, we would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The team
As the Carers Development Manager, you’ll work independently day‑to‑day but never in isolation. You’ll be closely aligned with colleagues across the system – from voluntary sector partners to operational teams and wider ASC stakeholders – ensuring your work is connected, supported and impactful.
You’ll sit within our small but supportive Homecare & Brokerage Commissioning and Contracts team. We care about getting things right for carers and are proud of the collaborative, open, respectful culture we’ve built.
We share ideas, problem‑solve together and celebrate each other’s progress. You’ll have the space to lead your own work while staying part of a team that genuinely looks out for one another.
Empowering Everyone
We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We represent diverse communities and welcome applications from all individuals, especially those underrepresented in the organisation as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For more information
If you’d like an informal conversation about the role, please contact Ed Abbott (he/him) on 01473 264471 or email Ed.Abbott@suffolk.gov.uk. I’m happy to discuss the role and answer any questions you might have.
How to apply
Step 1 – Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) (Word).
Step 2 – Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 – Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). Use the Supporting Statement template (Word).
1. Partnership and System Leadership
Describe a time when you strengthened relationships across a complex system (e.g., VCSE, health, commissioning, providers, carers). What was your approach, and how did it lead to better outcomes for service users?
2. Carer Voice and Co‑production
How would you ensure that carers’ voices – including seldom‑heard groups – meaningfully shape service design, contract management and system priorities? Give one practical method you would implement in your first three months.
3. Commissioning and Contract Oversight
Tell us about a time you used data, intelligence, or performance information to influence commissioning decisions or improve a contract. What changed as a result?
4. Independent Working with Strategic Alignment
This role works independently day to day while staying aligned to ASC priorities and the wider system. How do you organise yourself to maintain momentum, visibility and connection without close supervision?
5. Forward Thinking and Improvement Mindset
The Carers Development Manager will help shape the future Carers Contract, support the strategy, and influence countywide service development. What do you see as the most important opportunities for improving the carer experience over the next two years?
We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.
If you require reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.
Closing date
11.30pm, 17 December 2025
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid
About Us
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you’ll enjoy:
* Up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
* Membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
* Travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
* Performance‑related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost‑of‑living pay increase
* Training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
* A variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
* Diverse and active staff networks
* Flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
Plus lots more! If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).
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