Inclusive Economy Manager

Inclusive Economy Manager – Careers and Education

£52,466 per annum - Grade 9

Fixed Term for 12 months Leeds / Hybrid Full time - 37 hours per week

Closing date: Tuesday 7 April 2026 at 11:55pm

Please note that the Combined Authority will consider requests for part-time working and/or job share.

We currently have a vacancy for an Inclusive Economy Manager to join our Employment and Skills team.

The Employment and Skills team provides leadership across the breadth of this fast growing agenda in order to deliver the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s pledge to make West Yorkshire a region of learning and creativity. The team’s role includes oversight and leadership of strategic commissioning, convening of partners and system leadership and will only grow under single integrated settlement and greater devolution.

This post leads a committed team of seven people – including two direct reports – and is responsible for the development of activity that supports the region’s ambitions for education and all-age careers, including the West Yorkshire Careers Hub, co-funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company. The successful applicant will take on this role at a pivotal time, as the region’s first Integrated Settlement with government heralds greater flexibility to tailor investment to regional need, and the Combined Authority prepares to re-shape how it supports careers provision and employer engagement in schools and colleges following more than 10 years of delivering the Careers Hub.

Our Offer

• Work your way – From flexible and agile working options, including a generous flexi-time scheme to help you balance your personal life and career.
• Time to recharge – Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (with increases based on length of service), plus all Bank Holidays.
• Free greener travel across West Yorkshire – Cover your commute sustainably with unlimited free bus and rail travel using the MCard (Zones 1–5).
• Secure your future – Benefit from a highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Investing in you – Take advantage of fully funded professional development, regular training, and up to 3 paid volunteering days per year.
• Grow with us – Incremental salary progression for most roles and annual cost of living increases.
• Family first – We offer enhanced parental and bereavement leave, plus other family-friendly policies to support you when it matters most.
• Your wellbeing, our priority – Access 24/7 free confidential counselling services and the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends.
• Modern workspace in a prime location – Work in bright, contemporary offices just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station, fully equipped with the latest tech.

The Role

Reporting into the Inclusive Economy Lead your key responsibilities will include:

• To lead intervention development, strategic commissioning, partnership working and engagement within your area, ensuring alignment with the Local Growth Plan, Mayoral Pledges, and other policies
• To convene and work closely in partnership with a range of external stakeholders to achieve demonstrable improvements against strategic objectives, developing strategically important relationships that help to shape and influence the Combined Authority’s response to increasing young people’s participation and reducing the number of young people not in education, employment and training (NEET).
• Through leadership of the agenda and the team, take responsibility for the implementation and continuous improvement of the Combined Authority’s work on the all-age careers agenda.

Please review the Role Profile for more information about the responsibilities.

About You

You will have the following key skills, attributes, education and experience:

• Substantial experience and a high level of understanding of relevant local and national policy relating to careers, education and youth unemployment.
• Knowledge and understanding of the political structures and influences within the region, including local and central government.
• Ability to lead teams based in multiple/partner locations through change, particularly in response to funding and policy evolution.
• Ability to develop and commission projects and programmes, including experience of overseeing the performance of contracted activity and using data to support continuous improvement.
• Be able to build collaboration between key partners to ensure achievement of our objectives, including the ability to develop strong and influential working relationships with external stakeholders, such as government departments (e.g. DfE, DWP), local authorities, employers, colleges and training providers.

To Apply

If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form on our website and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form.

Further Information

The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met. Please note that whilst it is our policy to recruit at SP1 for all appointments, which is the salary stated above, each role includes career salary progression, with incremental increases applicable in most cases on an annual basis.