Area Lead - Greater Manchester / Cheshire & Warrington
- Civil Service
- Part Time
- Swinton
- 57,511 - 64,708
Job Description
Job summary
This role sits within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the UK Governments department for economic growth, supporting businesses to invest, scale and export in a rapidly evolving global economy. Within DBT, the Local and International Growth (LIG) directorate plays a key role in driving regional prosperity by strengthening places, enabling businesses, and connecting local economies to national and international opportunities.
The G7 Regional Area Lead is a senior, place-based role responsible for shaping and delivering DBTs growth agenda across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington. The postholder acts as a critical interface between national policy and local delivery, ensuring that DBT priorities align with regional economic strengths and opportunities. This includes translating the Governments Industrial Strategy into impactful, locally tailored interventions that drive productivity, investment and business growth.
A core aspect of the role is stakeholder leadership. The Area Lead builds and sustains strong, purposeful relationships with key partners across the public and private sectors, including Mayoral Strategic Authorities, local government, business leaders and financial institutions. Through these relationships, the role influences regional decision-making and ensures DBT is well positioned to deliver meaningful economic outcomes.
The postholder is responsible for identifying and delivering strategic interventions that support DBT growth objectives, working collaboratively across government and with local partners. This includes leading the delivery of high-profile regional activity, such as ministerial visits, business engagement programmes and international missions, helping to raise the profile of the region as a place to invest and grow.
The role also involves taking ownership of place-based programmes and initiatives within the region, ensuring effective implementation and alignment with wider DBT priorities. In addition, the Area Lead contributes to the broader leadership of the LIG North team, supporting the Regional Head and Deputy Director to maintain high-quality delivery and strong regional relationships.
As part of their portfolio, the postholder leads on a specific DBT priority area, such as investment, exports or small business, on behalf of the directorate, working closely with central policy teams.
Overall, this is a high-impact role requiring strong stakeholder management, commercial awareness, and the ability to translate complex policy into practical, place-based delivery that drives inclusive economic growth.
Job description
The successful candidate will be responsible for a broad range of interventions across the Greater Manchester / Cheshire & Warrington geography, including:
- Identifying and delivering interventions, related to DBT and Industrial Strategy growth objectives, within the region, working in partnership with other parts of DBT, HMG and regional partners.
- Supporting the delivery of the Northern Growth Strategy through appropriate policy and delivery interventions.
- Building and maintaining extensive and purposeful relationships with public and private stakeholders in named region or strategic cluster to improve regional outcomes related to DBT growth priorities.
- Working with your area to raise the profile of regional growth opportunities by leading delivery of strategic regional visits and supporting outward regional missions.
- Key account managing strategically important businesses across the Greater Manchester / Cheshire & Warrington geography, using their insights to inform future policy interventions and unlock economic growth.
- Taking regional level ownership of DBT (or provide DBT leadership at a local level for XWH) place-based initiatives and programmes.
- Supporting the Regional Head and Deputy Director to lead the team in maintaining quality relationships and outputs throughout the region.
- Taking a lead on behalf of LIG in one DBT priority area (e.g., IS, Investment, Export, Small Business etc), working with a Deputy Director lead.
Person specification
Essential criteria
The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage.
- Stakeholder management, demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong value adding stakeholder relationships
- Business engagement and Key Account Management with Medium Sized Businesses
- Strong communication skills that can articulate the unique circumstances of the region
- Analytical skills, ability to understand complex, wide ranging Government policy and programmes and translate them to apply to a distinct audience.
- Experience of working in an economic development environment either in business, Government/Local Government or non-profit/education sectors.
- Self-starter, able to shape their own programme of work in unique regional circumstances.
Desirable criteria
The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates.
- Line management and leadership experience.
- Experience of working with key stakeholders and delivery partners in named area or cluster.
