Senior Development Manager - Skills

Please apply online via the link provided.

Location: Sheffield (This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office)

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) brings together the local authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield and to serve the communities and businesses of South Yorkshire. From transport to housing, from business growth to skills, the MCA has a great story to tell. We have ambitions to deliver recovery and renewal for people, businesses and places across South Yorkshire.

Please note that SYMCA follows a structured salary grading system for all roles, and the offered salary for each post will be at the starting point within the specified grade. We value the skills and experience of potential candidates, and there will be opportunities for salary enhancements as you grow within South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is currently in the process of reviewing its terms and conditions of employment including pay and grading. As part of this project, the post advertised may be subject to changes in the near future. All changes and any impact on individual posts will be discussed further should you be successfully appointed to the position you have applied for.

Applications must be accompanied by a cover letter to explain how you meet the essential criteria for this role (please see the role profile attached).

Key Responsibilities

Our Vision

We envision an economy which works for everyone – driven by inclusive and sustainable growth. Our aim for South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is to be a region that provides progression opportunities for all, enabling individuals and employers to reach their potential, drive productivity and contribute to our economic success.

We will deliver a change in our labour market that builds on the progress of recent years to deliver jobs and skills across the whole of South Yorkshire. This includes helping those who find the jobs market difficult to access, increasing levels of technical and vocational training, and ensuring that businesses can access a higher skilled workforce to drive improvements in overall prosperity and opportunity. Our goal is to provide a workforce that is skilled to tackle the demands of the future.

The Role and Key Responsibilities:

We are seeking a creative and dynamic Senior Development Manager to join our Education, Skills and Employability team on a permanent basis.

You will take a leading role in the development, commissioning and implementation of adult learning programmes and provision across South Yorkshire, including the Adult Skills Fund, Free Courses for Jobs, and Skills Bootcamps, aimed at driving up skills in response to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Skills Strategy. This work will continually adapt to employer demand, regional growth ambitions, technological change, and our commitment to Net Zero.

You will work closely with local authorities, training providers, and wider stakeholders to ensure that adult learners—particularly those facing barriers—can access high-quality, relevant provision that supports progression into further learning or employment.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

We are looking for candidates with:

• Substantial experience in leading or managing adult skills programme design, development, and commissioning, particularly in the context of the Adult Skills Fund and ideally within a public sector or local authority setting
• Excellent knowledge of the skills landscape, including skills needs across different industries and sectors
• A strong understanding of national and regional skills Frameworks and policies, regional systems and governance and the ability to develop and influence skills policies for South Yorkshire
• Proven ability to analyse local labour market data, identify future skills needs, and collaborate with stakeholders to create tailored solutions
• A strong track record of working with adult learners, particularly those facing barriers to employment or education.
• Expertise in monitoring the effectiveness of implemented programmes through program evaluation, including assessing value for money and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication and project management skills, with the ability to lead complex, multi-dimensional initiatives.

Benefits

All colleagues have access to a local Government Pension Scheme and the chance to be part of an organisation where you can really make a difference. Located in Sheffield City Centre, we are well-placed for transport links and encourage employees to take advantage of the active travel facilities. Work/life balance is extremely important to us here at SYMCA with our recognised family/friendly policies, genuine work flexibility, recognition, and shared success.

In addition to the above, some of benefits include -

• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme – The ability to purchase up to a further 15 days per year in additional to your normal annual leave
• Hybrid working – Our offices are a space where we come together and collaborate. Most of our roles are offered on a hybrid basis with the exception of some support roles being onsite full time.
• Rewarding You - Reducing everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more with Reward Gateway!
• Training on the job - Support with upskilling skills through on the job training and qualifications
• Holiday – Up to 36 days annual leave (depending on length of service). Pro-rata for part time colleagues.

Diversity at South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority

Our workforce is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.

About South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) brings together the local authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield and to serve the communities and businesses of South Yorkshire. From transport to housing, from business growth to skills, the SYMCA has a great story to tell. We have ambitions to deliver recovery and renewal for people, businesses and places across South Yorkshire.

In recent years significant funding has been secured through the Transforming Cities Fund and a devolution deal, and further funding has recently been secured through the region’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. As result we have a large and growing capital programme to deliver in support of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Mayor’s 2040 vision for transport. Join our workforce of talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions.

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is currently in the process of reviewing its terms and conditions of employment including pay and grading. As part of this project, the post advertised may be subject to changes in the near future. All changes and any impact on individual posts will be discussed further should you be successfully appointed to the position you have applied for.

This is what a career at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is like, and this is where yours starts.