Skills Specialist

Job Title: Skills Specialist
Starting Salary: £38,220 progressing to £41,771 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 37
Location: Stevenage
Contract Type: Fixed Term until 31st August 2026
Directorate: Growth & Environment

About the team

Hertfordshire Futures is a dynamic partnership between businesses and the public sector, driving sustainable economic growth across the county. It is the leading voice for the Hertfordshire’s economy, setting the strategic direction to accelerate business growth, job creation, innovation and investment.

The Skills team are responsible for delivery of several flagship skills programmes including: Hertfordshire Opportunities and HOP (Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal), Skills Bootcamps and other skills related projects. The team are responsible for supporting employers to assess their workforce development needs, signpost to local solutions and enable employers to connect with local skills and talent through the Hertfordshire Careers Hub and the Connect to Work programme. The role will be promoting skills across a range of different sectors including professional services, film and TV, hospitality, health and social care, life sciences, technology, construction and the built environment.

About the role

This role is focused on delivering impactful skills-based programmes and initiatives, aligned with strategic priorities and stakeholder needs. You will be responsible for generating employer engagement opportunities and maximising relationships with both new and existing clients. A key part of the role involves managing a caseload of employers, identifying their current and future skills needs, and raising the profile of Hertfordshire’s skills solutions.

You will provide an account management service, signposting and facilitating referrals to a wide range of skills, employment, and careers solutions. As a champion of technical education and inclusive employment, you will develop excellent knowledge of the local offer and build strong relationships with Hertfordshire’s skills and employment providers.

In addition to core responsibilities, the role may include involvement in cross-functional projects related to skills development and stakeholder relationships within construction and the built environment. This will require the ability to manage projects effectively, communicate clearly with a range of stakeholders, analyse data and monitor and report on progress to support continuous improvement. The role demands strong organisational skills, a proactive mindset, and the ability to work collaboratively across teams and sectors to support strategic goals.

This is a varied and rewarding role for someone who thrives on collaboration, innovation and making a real difference to Hertfordshire’s skills landscape.

About you

Essential:

• Experience in sales, employer engagement, lead generation, and networking
• Ability to develop strong relationships with referral partners, training providers, and employers and be able to facilitate positive change
• Strong level of local knowledge and connection, with the credibility to engage effectively with stakeholders
• A good understanding of the skills and employment landscape including careers education and programmes for residents with barriers to employment, and awareness of challenges and opportunities
• Knowledge and experience of skills solutions available to businesses, including apprenticeships, technical education, employment programmes, and qualifications
• An understanding of the construction industry and developer employment and skills plans would be desirable
• Ability to manage, monitor, analyse data and contribute to cross-functional projects
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confidence to represent Hertfordshire Futures programmes at events and promote advocacy to our programmes
• Be able to identify case study opportunities, good news stories and promote opportunities.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Programme and Project, level PRO10 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles: Project & programme

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Claire Scarisbrick, Skills Delivery Manager: Claire.scarisbrick@hertfordshirefutures.co.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: w/c 17th November 2025

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment
This position is open to secondments. If you work for HCC or any other Local Authority and would like to be considered as a Secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application. If you do not, your application will be considered as a Fixed Term Contract only.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.