Business Engagement Manager

Salary: Starting at £48,710 per year (Grade 12) with £2,500 car allowance

Contract: Permanent, Full-time, 37 hours per week

Location: YPO Headquarters, 41 Industrial Park, Wakefield WF2 0XE

Hours: Hybrid and Flexible working, Monday to Friday

Are you passionate about driving growth and making a real impact in the public sector? As part of our continued development we are seeking to recruit four self-motivated Business Engagement Managers to join our team, to help us expand our services nationally across various public sectors, including Local Authorities, Emergency Services, Housing, Central Government Departments, Transport, and the NHS.

At YPO, we are proud to offer a fantastic range of benefits which include:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (West Yorkshire Pension Scheme)
• Family-friendly policies, hybrid working, and flexible arrangements
• 29 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays and 3 discretionary closedown days at Christmas
• A commitment to staff development, training and progression

Reporting to the Public Sector Engagement Manager, in this role you will have a chance to make a significant impact in the public sector. Developing and implementing effective client engagement strategies to meet customer needs and drive efficiency, you will identify and nurture new business opportunities, driving brand awareness and growth.

Working as part of a small team you'll provide professional guidance on products and services to senior stakeholders, you will help customers achieve better value through procurement, whilst mentoring and supporting an Engagement Support Officer.

Managing and growing specific accounts will be a key part of your role, ensuring customer requirements are met and exceeded. You will work closely with internal teams to deliver cohesive procurement solutions and stay ahead of market trends to develop innovative solutions for our customers. Ensuring all services are delivered in line with professional standards and relevant legislation is also crucial.

If you are results-driven, with excellent communication and analytical skills, and have a great understanding of public sector procurement, we want to hear from you.

It is essential that a successful candidate have:

• Excellent business development ability, with relevant degree and professional qualifications (e.g., MCIPS, MBA) or equivalent experience.
• Understanding of public sector operations, including social, economic, legislative, and political contexts.
• Demonstratable stakeholder management skills, including negotiation and collaboration.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills for timely information analysis and interpretation.
• Practical understanding of Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023.

Find out more about the role in the Job Description and Person Specification attached here.

"Our mission is to help the public sector achieve the best possible value when buying products and services across the UK."

Established in 1974, YPO now has 50 years' experience in giving back to the public sector. Five decades ago, 13 local authorities came together to combine their buying demands and achieve efficiency, and that's when our organisation as it's known today began.

We supply products and services to a wide range of customers including schools, local authorities, charities, emergency services, the public sector, and other businesses such as nurseries and care homes.

We're 100% publicly owned by our 13 member authorities, which means the profits we make are returned to our public sector customers, delivering even better value for money.

Some of the additional benefits of working at YPO:

• Salary sacrifice car scheme (after a qualifying period)
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Access to Occupational Health Service
• Paid membership of your professional body
• Free parking (subject to availability)
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Subsidised Canteen

How to Apply:

To apply, please send your CV and Supporting Statement to Bradley Naylor (Resourcing Partner) on Bradley.Naylor@northyorks.gov.uk.

It is important that your CV is up to date, including relevant works experience and qualifications, and that your supporting statement explains your motivation for applying for the role, and how you meet the role criteria in around 500 words.

To have a confidential and informal discussion about this role, or any additional support, please contact Bradley on 01609 534365.

Key Dates:

The deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 30^th March 2025.

Interviews are planned to take place in-person (Wakefield) week commencing 14^th and 21^st April 2025. If these dates are unachievable due to Easter holidays, please declare this on your application and we will do our best to accommodate.

We reserve the right to remove this vacancy before the proposed deadline in the event of a change of requirements, the positions being filled, or a large number of applications being received.

YPO is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff. We welcome applications from individuals regardless of age, any disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, or belief.

We will not accept applications from agencies and can only consider applications from individuals with right to work within the UK.