Business Services Manager

What will you be doing?

Ready to lead a team that makes a real difference?

We’re excited to announce a fantastic opportunity to join the Growth & Communities Division as our Business Services Manager.

We are looking for a confident, forward‑thinking team leader with a passion for great public service and smart, efficient ways of working. You’ll be at the heart of our business support operations - motivating people, improving processes, and ensuring a wide range of services and functions have the high‑quality support they need to thrive. Your work will directly shape how the Division delivers for businesses and communities across Kent.

What you’ll do:

- Lead and inspire a dispersed Business Support team, setting clear expectations and driving a culture of continuous improvement.

- Streamline and enhance business processes, ensuring our systems and ways of working are consistent, modern, and effective.

- Plan and allocate resources so that support is responsive, balanced and aligned to service priorities across multiple locations.

- Develop digital capability, making sure business support staff have strong core digital skills and delivering training where needed.

- Ensure high standards in data protection and financial controls, working closely with Finance colleagues.

- Build strong relationships with Service Heads, understanding emerging needs and ensuring support keeps pace with change.

What you’ll bring:

- Proven experience leading and developing staff across multiple sites, bringing clarity, structure and motivation.

- A track record of improving systems, workflows and processes for better efficiency and consistency.

- Excellent organisational skills — able to manage complex workloads and prioritise brilliantly.

- Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence, collaborate and tailor messages to different audiences.

- A leadership style rooted in curiosity, compassion, inclusion and accountability, aligned with Kent’s values.

- Knowledge of local government operations and financial processes (or the ability to pick it up quickly).

Why join us?

- Be part of an award winning Innovation and Business Intelligence Group that lives our organisational values — brave, curious, compassionate, collaborative and responsible.

- Play a key role in shaping and strengthening a business support function for a fascinating and diverse range of public services.

- Enjoy genuine opportunities to grow, lead, and make a meaningful impact every day.

We offer:

- Flexible / hybrid working and generous annual leave

- Local Government Pension Scheme membership

- Access to national and local discounts via Kent Rewards

Ready to lead a team that keeps our services moving?

If you’re energised by people leadership, problem‑solving, and making things work better, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today and help us shape the future of business support across our Growth & Communities Division.

This full‑time role is offered on a hybrid basis, combining home working with attendance at County Hall in Maidstone, and includes regular travel to Ashford and Kings Hill to stay close to the staff and services you support.

About you

For more information about this vacancy contact Ian Baugh, Head of Innovation and Business Intelligence ian.baugh@kent.gov.uk

About us

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.