Organisation and Workforce Development Advisor

This role has a starting salary of £54,533 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. We have three vacancies available, and all posts are up to 12-month fixed term contracts, with the possibility of further extension subject to ongoing Made Smarter Adoption funding in 2026/27 and beyond.

This is a unique opportunity to shape Surrey's economy and the wider South East region as an Organisation and Workforce Development Advisor. Join our dedicated Economy and Growth Team and make a meaningful impact on businesses and residents. If you're a strategic thinker and experienced operations leader in economic development, passionate about driving growth and innovation, we encourage you to apply.

This role will work remotely, visiting businesses in the caseload with regular travel across the region. There may be scope for individual OWDAs to concentrate the majority of activity within a broad geographical area of the South East (e.g. west or east).

Rewards and Benefits:

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

The Economy and Growth team is dedicated to driving sustainable economic development across Surrey, working collaboratively as 'One Council' to support strategic priorities that benefit the county's 1.2 million residents. The team provides key services in business support, innovation, skills, and infrastructure, and works with major employers like Amazon, McLaren, and Samsung to strengthen the regional economy, which is home to 110,000 businesses and contributes £50 billion annually to the UK economy.

Surrey County Council is the accountable body for the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the South East. The Programme Delivery Team, part of the Economy and Growth team, is responsible for delivering the programme across various counties including Berkshire, Brighton, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Medway, Oxfordshire, Solent (incorporating the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton), Surrey, and West Sussex.

About the Role

Surrey County Council is looking to hire three experienced and dynamic Organisation and Workforce Development Advisors to support the Made Smarter Adoption programme, aimed at enhancing economic growth and fostering innovation in businesses across the South East.

As an Advisor, you will be key in delivering organisational and workforce development support to SMEs, helping them adopt Industrial Digital Technologies (IDTs) to transform their businesses.

You will form an integral part of a team of remote specialists, including Technology Adoption Specialists (TAS), to deliver ambitious targets at pace that will support business growth across the South East network.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Strong knowledge and experience in organisation and workforce development, particularly for manufacturing SMEs and digital technology adoption
• Proven ability to diagnose business needs and deliver development programmes
• Experience working with senior management and engaging with skills development organisations
• Understanding of the digital skills landscape
• Excellent communication, networking, and results delivery in a target-driven environment
• Collaborative mindset with a passion for supporting businesses to grow and a proactive approach to embedding horizontal working across teams

How to Apply

To apply, please upload a copy of your CV and outline your experience and suitability for the role by answering these three questions:

• Please outline your understanding and technical knowledge of organisation and workforce development, including any examples you can provide in relation to the manufacturing sector.
• Please outline your experience working with others to deliver quality outcomes in a fast paced, target driven operational environment.
• Please give us one or two examples of the most successful business diagnostic you have run with a company, the support you gave them or organisational workforce development, and the outcomes that were achieved as result of your support.

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 16/03/2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.