Economy and Infrastructure Manager

Contract Type – Permanent

Section – Economic Development and Regeneration

Salary Band – 4c

Annual Salary – up to £50K (£45,859 plus market supplement)

Hours – 37 per week

Are you looking to advance your career in economic development and make your mark on the growth and success of a place?

Now is a great time to join Selby District Council and be part of delivering an exciting economic and regeneration agenda at the heart of Yorkshire. We have strategic sites to deliver, with the scope to bring thousands of jobs, plus diverse opportunities to support business growth and ambitious place-making projects within our town centres. We are aiming high and need someone with a similar level of commitment and the desire and ability to really make their mark on this special part of Yorkshire.

On top of all this Selby District is a great place to be. Our market towns and picturesque villages provide a good quality of life. North Yorkshire is one of the safest counties in England and we benefit from top quality education, including one of the best further education colleges in England. House prices here are generally lower than our urban neighbours so you get more for your money. We’re extremely well connected too, with great road and rail links to all parts of the UK. Being within easy reach of Yorkshire’s leading cities - dynamic Leeds and historic York are a short journey away via regular train and bus links - we offer the best of both worlds.

What’s the job?

Comprising two small teams that work closely together, the Council’s Economic Development and Regeneration Unit was established in 2017 to deliver an ambitious new strategy. It has a key role to play in the future of Selby District and helping to deliver high quality development and place making and support sustainable economic growth and investment. Selby District is the fastest growing part of North Yorkshire and you will be helping to deliver some of the largest development projects in the area, from major employment schemes to transformative place making projects that require land assembly. It’s a rewarding and challenging place to work.

You will lead the Economic Development team and work in close partnership with the Regeneration Manager and their team, together with colleagues in planning, community, housing and property teams. In this two-tier area you will need to be adept at partnership working to build the case for and successfully deliver sites and enhanced places and infrastructure with developers, LEPs, the County Council, neighbouring authorities, transport bodies and other key players.

In this role you will manage the Economic Development team and delivery of its projects, including:

• Leading on economic growth initiatives in the district, promoting Selby District for investment, and enhance the Council’s record and reputation for delivering economic development priorities and good growth.
• Leading the Council’s support for local businesses, from SMEs to the largest employers, working closely with the Senior Business Advisor and a range of partners. This includes leading on covid recovery work for the economy and working in partnership with the LEP and other partners to support local businesses and strengthen the local economy. Act as the interface with major employers to support their growth and success and represent the Council.
• Managing and leading the Economic Development Team, made up of 2 Senior Economic Development Officers and a Senior Business Advisor, plus shared responsibility for the management of the 2 Projects Delivery Leads.
• Creating and maintaining strong and collaborative relationships with key delivery partners and taking a leading role in shaping local and regional policy and strategy on all matters relating to economic growth and investment, business support, skills, infrastructure, transport, and employment. This includes all work on economic and infrastructure issues with government, Northern Powerhouse, Transport for the North and LEPs.
• Delivering new opportunities to promote and grow the district’s economy and maximise the full potential of our community and place. This includes leading delivery of strategic employment sites across the District, working with developers, landowners, the LEP and employers.
• Working with businesses, developers, the LEP and partners to secure inward investment and business growth, in accordance with the Economic Development Framework, including funding for place-making and improved infrastructure.
• Providing specialist technical information to Councillors, Leadership Team, Senior Managers and staff on economic, business support, inward investment and other ED Framework matters.
• Leading on financial and performance recording and monitoring, including the preparation of Portfolio Holder reports to Council and Corporate Performance reports on behalf of the Economic Development team.

Who are we looking for?

We need an experienced economic development professional to lead our ED Team and drive forward delivery. This role requires an innovative and commercially minded individual with a successful track record in the delivery of commercial investment and growth. You should have experience of supporting businesses from SME’s to Corporate plc’s and understanding of the importance of delivering skills development to retain employees and train the next generation.

The successful candidate will have broad experience of the development process and have clear ideas about how a Council can support and attract good growth. You will need to lead the delivery of varied economic projects whilst working successfully with political, corporate, commercial and community stakeholders. We are also looking for the experience and skills to help deliver strategic development sites in the private sector and bring forward major public-sector regeneration projects, liaising with and taking guidance from the Head of Service and the Service Director. You should be flexible and positive, with the nurturing and organisational skills to manage and develop a high performing team.

Further information

If you are interested in this role and would like to know more, please contact Julian Rudd (Head of Economic Development & Regeneration) via jrudd@selby.gov.ukor 07932 603086.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please visit our dedicated campaign site by clicking apply. 

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday June 13th 2021

Interviews: 22 and 23 June 2021

Applications for Job Share will be considered sympathetically.

Selby District Council is an equal opportunities employer.